He may look like a normal dog but Roly has endured a world's first medical procedure that has huge ramifications for human cancer treatment.

Roly, an eight-year-old American bulldog, had a cancerous femur bone and hip joint replaced with a custom-made artificial prosthetic with the first ever tendon in-growth attachment.

Just nine weeks ago, Roly was diagnosed with bone cancer, but now is exercising and walking normally.

Dr Noel Fitzpatrick, the director of the practice where the operation took place, said: "The reason why it's a world first is not just because we replace the femur with metal but because we reattached the muscle."

The treatment can also be used for treating motorcycle victims and sportsmen.

Professor Gordon Blunn, an expert in bio-medical engineering for UCL, said: "It'll take one or two years to develop, but it will essentially be used in the same way as humans as it would be in dogs."