KU researchers engineer synthetic spinal tissue to aid surgery on discs

Doug Pence, clinical associate professor of surgery at the KU School of Medicine in Wichita

A spine is a simple thing, a column of bones with gristly discs sandwiched between them. It's a simple thing, that is, until it fails and surgery is needed.

At that point, surgeons need a good replica of a spine that lets them test in advance how a surgery on one part of a patient's backbone will change loads and pressures elsewhere.

Two KU scientists are working to perfect synthetic soft material for use in constructing the discs and ligaments of an artificial spine. The materials are made of silicone embedded with wire and fabric meshes.

The scientists -- Elizabeth Friis, KU assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Doug Pence, clinical associate professor of surgery at the KU School of Medicine in Wichita -- are collaborating with Pacific Research Laboratories, a Seattle company that makes synthetic bones.

Elizabeth Friis, KU assistant professor of mechanical engineering

"What we're doing is putting together our soft tissue with their bones to form a mechanical version of a lumbar spine segment," said Friis.

Friis is applying to the National Institutes of Health and private foundations for funding. With funding, she said, the artificial spine could be ready in two years or less.

The artificial spine will be useful in the future when spinal surgeons do disc implants. Such surgery is in clinical trials in the United States, Friis said.

"A lot of types of implants are being designed but not tested sufficiently," she said. "Our model reproduces the motion of the human spine and will let you test the consequences of implants before they're put into patients.

"We've received a lot of attention from implant manufacturers."