Spine Surgery
Biomechanical Assessment of Nucleus Replacement
(Inv: Yuan, Ordway) Degeneration and herniation of the intervertebral disc can result in the stimulation of mechanical and/or chemical pain generators Replacement of the intervertebral disc has been attempted in the past, however replacement of the entire disc may not be necessary in a number of clinical situations We have been investigating novel new approaches and technologies that focus on replacement of only the nucleus and sustaining the integrity of the annulus. (Pioneer Surgical Technology)
The Use of Radiostereometric Analysis (RSA) in Spinal Surgery
(Inv: Ordway, Fayyazi, Sun, Yuan) RSA is a technique that quantifies how bones (and/or an implant) move with respect to each other using biplanar radiography RSA has the potential to answer many clinical questions with regards to spinal surgery, and we have more than 5 years of experience with the RSA technique Our current efforts have involve clinical studies using RSA to evaluate cervical and lumbar fusion, lumbar discectomy, intervertebral disc replacement and posterior motion sparing devices (DePuy AcroMed, , Synthes Spine, Zimmer, Spinal Concepts)
Biomechanical Assessment of Lumbar Fusion Constructs
(Inv: Fayyazi, Ordway,) Cervical disc replacement is an emerging technology. Although similar to lumbar disc replacement in concept, there are a number of factors specific to the cervical spine that need to be examined with regards to these medical devices. We are investigating the biomechanical characteristics of the cervical endplate as well as the implant-endplate interface with the goal of improving overall clinical safety. (Synthese Spine, Zimmer)
