Fusion Implants
The Fusion Implants Team comprises of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineers, Product Designers, Scientists and Specialist Orthopaedic Veterinary Surgeons who have worked successfully on a number of innovative veterinary implant products since the company formed in 2013. All of which are advancing the field of veterinary orthopaedics.
The dynamic team has the right blend of expertise, experience and determination to constantly strive towards bringing the latest technology advancements and applying it to innovations within the veterinary sector.
Who we are
Dan Jones
Managing
Director
Dr Dan Jones, Managing Director
Dan qualified with a degree in Industrial Biochemistry from the University of Limerick in 2006, spending 18 months with Stryker Biotech working on calcium tri-phosphates and bone morphogenetic proteins. In 2011, Dan graduated with a PhD from the School of Engineering, University of Liverpool. The research topic for his PhD thesis related to porous titanium structures for bone in-growth applications produced by additive manufacturing and their consequential characterisation by mechanical, physical, and biological methods. He remained at the School of Engineering as a post doctorial researcher, working on an EPSRC funded study which involved the design and manufacture of concept novel designs of fully porous press fit dental implants to support abutments and crowns. In 2013 Dr Jones and colleagues from Engineering and Veterinary Science established Fusion Implants, whose primary focus is research & development, design and manufacture of veterinary orthopaedic implants. Dr Jones is responsible for the running of the company, along with supervision of PhD and Master students at the University of Liverpool.
Ben Walton
Research & Development Director
Ben Walton, BVSc DSAS(Orth) MRCVS RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics) R&D Director, Fusion Implants
Ben is an RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics), the highest level of recognition for clinical expertise. He runs a busy clinical service at Movement Referrals, and has over twenty years of surgical experience. For over a decade, he has also maintained an active role in clinical research, publishing numerous research and educational papers, and presenting and lecturing at numerous international conferences. He delivers clinical education in various formats to all levels of vets from students to specialists on a regular basis.
Ben is Fusion’s Clinical Research and Development Director, helping to identify areas of clinical need in veterinary orthopaedics where Fusion can have a positive impact on patient outcomes. He provides the clinical input to the design, testing and implementation phases of product and system design, and designs and delivers our thorough surgeon training programmes.
Anna Bostock
Lead Research & Development Engineer
Anna Bostock BEng MSc(Eng)
Lead Research & Development Engineer
Anna gained a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2020 from the University of Liverpool. From this, she developed an interest in material science. Her final year project used nanoindentation to investigate the mechanical properties of bone with osteogenesis imperfecta.
With a desire to pursue biomedical science and to stay in Liverpool, Anna continued her studies and completed a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. In the summer of 2021, Anna carried out her Master’s project at Fusion Implants. The project aimed to improve the treatment of atlantoaxial instability in toy breed dogs. During this, Anna worked closely with vets from SATH and the engineers from Fusion. This project progressed to a 6 month internship, and then a permanent position as Research and Development engineer.
Anna has recently been promoted to lead R&D Engineer. She is currently working on custom spinal implant cases and a line of anatomical penacarpal arthrodesis plates.
Nick Crompton
R&D Engineer
Nick Crompton, BEng MSc(Eng)
Engineer
Combining his love for technology with a passion for biology, Nick started his Biomedical Engineering Degree at Loughborough University in 2019.
In the summer of 2020 Nick started work as a Covid-19 testing operative at one of the largest testing sites in the UK becoming head of PPE.
In 2022, Nick started his Masters degree at the University of Liverpool where he secured a summer project with Fusion Implants. The project, Feline Sacroiliac Joint Fixation, closed off his degree and secured him a position at the Company.
Leah Pinches
Inventory Controller
Leah Pinches
Inventory Controller
Leah studied History and Sociology at Liverpool Hope University, graduating in the summer of 2024. From this she developed writing, organisational and analytical skills. She puts this to good use organising the expanding range of products, efficiently and accurately putting together orders and replenishing stock levels at Fusion Implants. Leah’s methodical approach to work makes her a dependable and reliable member of the team.
Chris Sutcliffe
Consultant Engineer
Prof Chris Sutcliffe, Director
Professor Sutcliffe the director of Meta Consultancy has over 20 years of experience in Additive Manufacturing both as an academic and in industry, he is regarded globally as an AM expert. He has recently moved from the UK to mainland Europe leaving his positions at the University of Liverpool (where he remains an Honorary Visiting Professor) and Renishaw plc. His career highlights are,
- he was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal in 2018 for achievement in Additive Manufacturing,
- his research teams project on feedback control of E-PBF won the Manufacturing Technology Award at the Institute of Engineering and Technology Innovation Awards 2019
- he built the UK’s first”classical” Laser Powder Bed Fusion machine in 1998/9,
- he developed fundamental techniques and IP/Patents and licenses for the production of porous materials by AM,
- he led the research team at the University of Liverpool responsible for the development of metallic AM orthopaedic materials
- co-founded and is Director of Fusion Implants manufacturing AM implants in the veterinary space,
- he grew and maintained the AM research group at University of Liverpool for 15 years,
- prior to their purchase by Renishaw he was the prime mover in Laser Powder Bed Fusion at MCP/MTT designing the AM250 class machines
- he led the Renishaw design team developing the RenAM 500 platform,
- he led the funded projects team at Renishaw securing national and international funding for engineering programmes in Additive Manufacturing
- he has published over 100 papers on the science and engineering of Additive Manufacturing
- he has been cited over 4500 times with an h-index of 37 (February 2019)
- he is the inventor on over 30 patents in the AM arena,
- he has supervised and graduated over 20 PhD students and
- he has been an industrial supervisor on numerous projects at various universities globally.
Paul Higham
Non-Executive
Director
Dr. Paul Higham
Director
Dr. Paul Higham leads scientific affairs for AgNovos Healthcare. In that role, Dr. Higham assesses the fundamental science underpinning the company’s technology platforms and current and future product portfolio. Prior to joining AgNovos, Dr. Higham managed his own consulting company which focused on strategic projects for start-up medical technology companies. In that capacity, he led the development of a novel drug-eluting technology for osteoarthritis as well as a novel hydrogel neurosurgical hemostat technology. Dr. Higham has over thirty years of experience in R&D, product development, and business development at Pfizer and Stryker. He holds 29 patents, USA, has 32 peer reviewed publications and 59 presentations at international conferences
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Fusion Implants
John Innes
Consultant Veterinary Specialist
Prof John Innes, BVSc PhD DSAS(orth) FRCVS
Consultant Veterinary Specialist
Professor John Innes graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1991. He moved to Bristol Vet School working there for 10 years. Whilst there he completed his postgraduate surgery training and received a PhD from the Rheumatology Unit of the Bristol Medical School before becoming a lecturer in small animal orthopaedics.
He became a RCVS-recognised Specialist in 2001 having passed his RCVS diploma in 2000.
In 2001, he was appointed Professor of Small Animal Surgery at the University of Liverpool. His research focussed on comparative musculoskeletal sciences and he also led the development of the Small Animal Teaching Hospital at Leahurst. John was Head of Department of Musculoskeletal Biology in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences from 2011 to 2013.
He joined CVS Group plc in 2013 as Referrals Director and member of the company Executive. As Referrals Director, he was responsible for overseeing the development of the company’s specialist referral centres. John is now Chief Veterinary Officer CVS and is responsible for quality improvement and specialist veterinary services across the group.
John has published over 90 peer-reviewed papers, chaired the BSAVA Scientific Committee, and has acted on behalf of RCVS in a number of capacities, including veterinary school accreditation.
In 2016, John was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for ‘meritorious contributions to knowledge’. John was elected Chair of the RCVS Fellowship Board in 2019.
Andrew Tomlinson
Consultant Veterinary Specialist
Andrew Tomlinson
Consultant Veterinary Specialist
Rob Pettitt
Consultant Veterinary Specialist
Rob Pettitt BVSc PGCertLTHE DSAS (Orth) FHEA MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics)
Consultant Veterinary Specialist
‘Rob qualified at the University of Liverpool after a career in the Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy). After a period in first opinion practice he joined the Orthopaedic Department in January 2006 where he is now the Head of the Orthopaedic service. Rob holds the RCVS Diploma in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics), for which he is a current examiner, and is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics. Rob has published widely in the veterinary literature and has been awarded a number of research grants relating to canine orthopaedics. He is a regular speaker at conferences both nationally and internationally’.