Woodhead Publishing Biomaterials for Spinal Surgery (Woodhead Publishing Series in Biomaterials)

There have been important developments in materials and therapies for the treatment of spinal conditions. Biomaterials for spinal surgery summarises this research and how it is being applied for the benefit of patients. After an introduction to the subject, part one reviews fundamental issues such as spinal conditions and their pathologies, spinal loads, modelling and osteobiologic agents in spinal surgery. Part two discusses the use of bone substitutes and artificial intervertebral discs whilst part three covers topics such as the use of injectable biomaterials like calcium phosphate for vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty as well as scoliosis implants. The final part of the book summarises developments in regenerative therapies such as the use of stem cells for intervertebral disc regeneration. Key features: summarises recent developments in materials and therapies for the treatment of spinal conditions and examines how it is being applied for the benefit of patients; reviews fundamental issues such as spinal conditions and their pathologies, spinal loads, modelling and osteobiologic agents in spinal surgery; discusses the use of bone substitutes and artificial intervertebral discs and covers topics such as the use of injectable biomaterials like calcium phosphate for vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Contents: Introduction to biomaterials for spinal surgery. Part 1 Fundamentals of biomaterials for spinal surgery: An overview of the challenges of bringing a medical device for the spine to the market; Introduction to spinal pathologies and clinical problems of the spine; Forces on the spine; Finite element modelling of the spine; Osteobiologic agents in spine surgery. Part 2 Spinal fusion and intervertebral discs: Spine fusion: cages, plates and bone substitutes; Artificial intervertebral discs; Biological response to artificial discs. Part 3 Vertobroplasty and scoliosis surgery: The use of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in neurosurgery; Optimising the properties of injectable materials for vertebraplasty and kyphoplasty; Injectable calcium phosphates for vertebral augmentation; Composite injectable materials for vertebroplasty; Scoliosis implants: surgical requirements; Shape memory, superelastic and low Young s modulus alloys. Part 4 Regenerative medicine in the spine: Cell-based tissue engineering approaches for disc regeneration; Angiogenesis control in spine regeneration; Stem cells for disc regeneration; Nucleus regeneration; In vivo models of regenerative medicine in the spine.