Cervical Spine

The research goal is the development of a customizable vertebra implant with a spongiosa surface texture. The basis of this new implant is an individual contact tile which can be adjusted to each patient's vertebral geometry. An optimally fitted seating between the contact tile and the vertebra surface is to secure a permanent, steady, and interlocking fit of the implant without caving into the surface. By using customized contact tiles, surgeries can be conducted much more gently than with conventional contact tiles, as healthy vertebrae do not have to be damaged on purpose. The distribution and the transition of forces between the vertebrae and the implant happen with a maximum contact face. Accordingly, the strain on the bone surface is as small as possible and no unfavourable leverages or compressive loads emerge. The spongiosa surface texture supports and accelerates the healing process, called osseointegration. Moreover, it provides a better coalescence of the bone tissue and the implant.

Precise simulation models are the condition to produce customized implants. Radiologically gathered information is transferred to a simulation software for the analysis that is to follow. The research group VisSim of the University Koblenz-Landau is developing a simulation of vertebrae and their biomedical characteristics, taking into account relevant spinal structures. The goal of this model is to determine the optimal length of an implant as well as the angles of the contact tiles through a simulation of the spine. Based on the simulation's data, the ideal position and alignment of the implant can be defined.