Development of trabecular bone surrogates for kyphoplasty-balloon dilatation training.

Vertebral compression fractures can limit quality of life. Cement augmentation techniques show good results in attaining pain relief. Kyphoplasty enables a better restoration of vertebra height due to a dilatable balloon tamp, which is inflated in the fractured vertebra. Surgical training of vertebral cement augmentation techniques is currently performed on patients or specimens. To enable another training possibility for surgical residents, a new hybrid patient simulator was developed. Artificial vertebrae allocate a realistic haptic feedback during needle insertion. Based on these results, new polyurethane foam recipes were developed to either enable a realistic needle insertion as well as a balloon tamp dilatation. Needle insertion forces of the newly developed foams were compared against commercially available artificial trabecular bone material and balloon tamp dilatations were performed in manufactured materials. Based on the matching needle insertion forces, two suitable material compositions for needle insertion and balloon dilatation training were found. This investigation is considered as a prior study before evaluation on human specimen.