Schmocker Andreas, Khoushabi Azadeh, Frauchiger Daniela A, Gantenbein Benjamin, Schizas Constantin, Moser Christophe, Bourban Pierre-Etienne, Pioletti Dominique P
Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland; Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices, Institute of Microengineering, EPFL, Switzerland.
Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland; Laboratory of Polymer and Composite Technology, Institute of Materials, EPFL, Switzerland.
Biomaterials. 2016 May;88:110-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.02.015. Epub 2016 Feb 21.
Nucleus pulposus replacements have been subjected to highly controversial discussions over the last 40 years. Their use has not yet resulted in a positive outcome to treat herniated disc or degenerated disc disease. The main reason is that not a single implant or tissue replacement was able to withstand the loads within an intervertebral disc. Here, we report on the development of a photo-polymerizable poly(ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate nano-fibrillated cellulose composite hydrogel which was tuned according to native tissue properties. Using a customized minimally-invasive medical device to inject and photopolymerize the hydrogel insitu, samples were implanted through an incision of 1 mm into an intervertebral disc of a bovine organ model to evaluate their long-term performance. When implanted into the bovine disc model, the composite hydrogel implant was able to significantly re-establish disc height after surgery (p < 0.0025). The height was maintained after 0.5 million loading cycles (p < 0.025). The mechanical resistance of the novel composite hydrogel material combined with the minimally invasive implantation procedure into a bovine disc resulted in a promising functional orthopedic implant for the replacement of the nucleus pulposus.
在过去40年里，髓核置换术一直备受争议。其应用尚未在治疗椎间盘突出症或椎间盘退变疾病方面取得积极成果。主要原因是没有一种植入物或组织替代物能够承受椎间盘内的负荷。在此，我们报告一种可光聚合的聚乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯纳米原纤化纤维素复合水凝胶的研发情况，该水凝胶是根据天然组织特性进行调整的。使用定制的微创医疗器械将水凝胶原位注射并光聚合，通过1毫米的切口将样品植入牛器官模型的椎间盘中，以评估其长期性能。当植入牛椎间盘模型时，复合水凝胶植入物能够在手术后显著恢复椎间盘高度（p < 0.0025）。在经历50万次加载循环后，高度得以维持（p < 0.025）。这种新型复合水凝胶材料的机械抗性与微创植入牛椎间盘的手术方法相结合，产生了一种有望用于替代髓核的功能性骨科植入物。
