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New Spongy Material Helps Repair the Spine

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic have developed biodegradable polymer grafts that, when surgically placed in damaged vertebrae, should grow to be just the right size and shape to fix the spinal column. Often, removing extensive spinal tumors requires taking out the entire bone segment and adjacent intervertebral discs from the affected area. In this case, something must fill the large void to maintain the integrity of the spine and protect the spinal cord. In the more invasive option, the surgeon opens the chest cavity from the front of the patient, which provides enough room to insert metal cages or bone grafts to replace the missing fragment. The other approach is less invasive, requiring just a small cut in the back or posterior, but only offers enough space for the surgeon to insert short expandable titanium rods, which are costly. To develop a less expensive graft compatible with the posterior spinal surgery option, Lichun Lu, Ph.D, and her postdoctoral fellow, Xifeng Liu, Ph.D., sought a material that could be dehydrated down to a size compatible with posterior spinal surgery, and then, once implanted, absorb fluids from the body, expanding to replace the missing vertebrae.

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Implants & Prosthetics Materials Medical

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    Transcript

    00:00:01 remember those capsules you'd toss into the sink and they'd grow into animal shapes well scientists have taken a similar idea and turned it into something that could help repair damaged vertebrae leean Lou and her team at the Mayo Clinic wanted to find a way to treat patients with metastasized spinal tumors the team developed a biodegradable polymer graft that can

    00:00:18 grow to just the right size and shape to support the spinal column they're presenting their research at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego removing spinal tumors can often require invasive surgery or use less inv Ive but very expensive titanium rods to replace missing vertebrae Lou says her approach is less expensive than current treatments the team used a material that

    00:00:39 can be dehydrated down to a size small enough for less invasive surgery then once implanted The graft absorbs fluids expanding to replace the missing vertebrae The graft can also be filled with stabilizing materials and therapeutic drugs Lou says the lab's next step is to study the graphs in cadavers and simulate an inpatient procedure the goal is to start clinical

    00:00:59 trials in the next few years for more fascinating chemistry News why not subscribe to CN online