Calcium phosphate cements for bone augmentation through vertebroplasty

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Traditional procedures to stabilise the spine following fracture involve highly invasive surgery to attach instrumentation, in many cases via two separate approaches, to the posterior and/or anterior of the spine. High risks are associated with this procedure because the patient has often suffered multiple injuries and the surgery is in close proximity to the spinal cord and major blood vessels. Recently, a new technique called 'vertebroplasty' has been investigated as an alternative treatment for spinal burst fractures, which are caused by high energy impacts. Using this procedure, bone cement is injected into the fractured vertebra to stabilise the segment without the need for major invasive surgery. Although this technique shows potential, the cements used have yet to be optimised for the treatment of burst fractures. Since this type of injury most commonly occurs in younger patients, there is potential for bony regrowth following the fracture. Therefore, it is proposed that materials that support bone growth, such as calcium phosphate (CaP), will provide a better means of fixation. The aim of this study is to investigate and optimise the use of CaP cements for the primary fixation of burst fractures. The study will combine the expertise in cement development and biological evaluation at Queen's University Belfast with that in spinal modelling at the University of Leeds.The project will involve determining the optimum properties for the cements across a range of patients using computational techniques. These properties will be realised through novel material formulation and processing. The long term success of the cements will then be assessed using in vivo and in vitro testing.