Back-up support from ceramics A slipped disc causing back pain may need to be removed. To fill the resulting gap in the spine and to promote healing, a new ceramic-based spinal implant has been developed by a team of researchers from Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom. Background One very common cau... A slipped disc causing back pain may need to be removed. To fill the resulting gap in the spine and to promote healing, a new ceramic-based spinal implant has been developed by a team of researchers from Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom. Background One very common cause of backache is a slipped disc which may ultimately require a surgical operation to remove it. Bone grafts and metal pins are used to fill the resulting space and to help support the spine while it heals back together. Both these materials and their function could be replaced by a composite that is mechanically stronger, harder wearing and biologically active - i.e. able to stimulate new bone growth. Such a material would eliminate the need for grafts, reduce the number of operations necessary and lead to faster bone fusion and better treatment. Researchers from three EU countries collaborated in a European Commission project, under the Brite-EuRam programme, on injection-moulded ceramics for biomedical applications. The project's main objectives were to design and produce a new medical device - a ceramic spinal spacer for use in the treatment of lower back pain. Description, impact and results The spacers can be inserted into the spine in pairs; one either side of the space created by removing the slipped disc. Since this gap has an intricate geometry, a complex-shaped implant is required to fill it, which is produced using advanced injection moulding techniques. The four-year project is now complete. A novel spinal spacer has been designed and a prototype produced. The new ceramic composite, comprising bioactive and bioinert materials, has been thoroughly tested in the laboratory and in animal experiments. An assessment of the prototype has been carried out in sheep: around three months after implantation, spinal fusion was achieved with new bone completely surrounding the implant. Clinical trials will be necessary before patients can benefit from the new treatment. The work has resulted in a patent application on the device design and has led to a new research project. In addition, both the materials and the technology developed will also be applicable to other biomedical areas such as dental implants and non-metallic surgical instruments. Working partnerships The six partners from three European countries collaborated on the various aspects of the new ceramic spacer development. There was a cross-fertilisation of ideas and techniques from the initial design, through the material selection and the manufacturing process to the final testing of the prototype. The research partners included the Danish Technology Institute (DTI), a biomaterials ceramic research institute, IRTEC-CNR (Italy) and the UK's Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine (ICSTM). Three ceramic companies were also involved: Biocomposites Ltd and Morgan Matroc Ltd (both from the UK), and FIN-Ceramica Faenza srl (Italy).
