Bioactive Bioresorbable Composites for Load Bearing Guided Bone Regeneration

为了维持老龄化人群的生活质量，需要开发生物可吸收椎间融合器，其具有足够的机械性能以维持畸形的稳定矫正，并且具有成骨化学/结构以促进通过融合器主体的及时骨融合。需要受控的生物可吸收性以导致椎骨主要由健康的骨融合，其长期健康不会受到与应力屏蔽或挤出刚性金属或生物惰性聚合物椎体相关的并发症的危害，本研究的目的是围绕新型PLA技术，结合硅酸盐，替代羟基磷灰石颗粒用于成骨。除了复合材料样品的生产和材料表征外，该研究还将包括生物降解特性的表征和对复合材料及其体外降解产物的生物反应的评估，以及原型椎骨结构的机械评价。最终目标是开发一种新的骨诱导生物可吸收融合器系列。该行业相关EPSRC-DTP CASE学生奖学金将继续并扩大QM和巴克斯特公司之间的合作伙伴关系。其中包括开发Actifuse和Inductigraft系列骨移植替代材料，在2019年英国工程系列的皇家邮票上展出。

To maintain quality of life in an aging population there is a need for development of bioresorbable intervertebral spacers with adequate mechanical properties to sustain a stable correction of deformity, and an osteogenic chemistry/structure to facilitate timely bone fusion through the body of the spacer. Controlled bioresorbability is required to result in vertebra fused predominantly by heathy bone, the long term health of which is not jeopardised by complications associated with stress shielding or extrusion of a stiff metallic or bio-inert polymeric vertebral body, as can occur with current technologies.The aim of this studentship is to formulate a series of bioresorbable composites based around novel PLA technology incorporating silicate-substitute hydroxyapatite particles for osteogenicity. Aside from the production and materials characterisation of composite samples this studentship would include characterisation of biodegradation profiles and assessment of the biological response to the composite materials and their degradation products in vitro, and mechanical evaluation of prototype vertebral structures. The ultimate goal being the development of a new line of osteoinductive bioresorbable fusion cages.This Industry linked EPSRC-DTP CASE studentship will continue and expand the collaborative partnership between QM and Baxter Inc. which includes development of the Actifuse and Inductigraft families of bone graft substitute materials, featured on a Royal Mail Stamp in the 2019 British Engineering Series.