| Communications and Development |  |
Published by Communications and Development
Researchers at the University of Canterbury are hoping to develop an artificial implant to ease chronic back pain.
Senior lecturer Dr Mark Staiger (Mechanical Engineering) and Professor Susan James, a visiting academic from the School of Biomedical Engineering at Colorado State University, are leading a project that will take the first steps towards replicating the structural and physiological properties of the human intervertebral disc.
The team, based at the University’s Centre for Bioengineering, has just been awarded $26,000 from the Brian Mason Scientific and Technical Trust to kick start the research. The team also includes Dr Tim Woodfield from the Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Research Group (BioMATE) within UC’s Centre for Bioengineering.
Dr Staiger said that in most developed countries, lower back pain was the leading cause of chronic disability in adults aged 18-45, and absenteeism due to back pain was second only to the common cold.
“The conventional treatment for disc-related lower back pain is spinal fusion. However, there are many clinical complications with fusion, particularly when multi-level fusions are required.
“The commercial market for solutions to lower back pain continues to grow and researchers are now trying to develop biomimetic intervertebral disc replacements that mimic the natural disc and can be used as a clinical alternative to spinal fusion,” Dr Staiger said.
“The UC project aims to replicate the properties of the disc using novel biomanufacturing methods and biomaterials with the aim of producing a replacement for degenerated or damaged discs.
“The project will investigate different polymers and novel solvents in combination with advanced processing methods such as electrospinning to produce nanofibres that may recreate the properties of the intervertebral disc. The close involvement of our electronics technician, Julian Phillips, makes the design and build of the required apparatus possible.”
Dr Staiger said the project was part of an effort to develop international collaborative research between UC’s Centre for Bioengineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering at Colorado State University.
“Such collaboration will be of great benefit to the Canterbury region by allowing access to the combined world-class expertise in place at both Colorado State University and the University of Canterbury, with the potential for student exchanges through a recent international memorandum of understanding signed by both universities.”
As part of that collaboration Professor James, who is the Director of Colorado State’s School of Biomedical Engineering, is spending a year at Canterbury University.
“My sabbatical here at UC has introduced me to the potential of electrospinning for the creation of nanofibres that mimic those found in the extracellular matrix of the human body,” Professor James said.
“Building a collaboration with Dr Staiger has lead to this exciting project using his state-of-the-art electrospinning techniques and some of the novel biopolymers developed in my lab at Colorado State University. This is truly a great example of how international collaboration can lead to new research and eventually new healthcare technologies.”
UC’s Centre for Bioengineering was established in May 2004 to facilitate a link between academic research in fundamental science/engineering and the medical industry. By providing this link, it is hoped the centre will act as an organisation from which novel ideas and health products can emerge, resulting in the creation and development of new medical products.
For further information please contact:
Jeanette Colman
Communications Manager
University of Canterbury
Ph (03) 364 2260
jeanette.colman@canterbury.ac.nz