Shape Memory and Superelastic materials in Spine and Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedic Surgery (including Spine Surgery) is a specialty whereby the main aim is to maintain or restore function to the diseased or injured skeleton. Over the past 30 years, there has been tremendous advances within the specialty, with an understanding of the biomechanics of the human body, improvements in design and safety of implants, improvements in surgical techniques, and more recently advances in cell and molecular biology, genetics and nanotechnology. As an example, invention and improvements in medical implant technologies has allowed patients with fractures, that were previously treated by 3 months of bedrest and traction, to get up and walk within a days of the injury.

Indispensable for such advances is a close working relationship between clinicians, scientists, engineers and industrial partners. We shall share our experience in how such a partnership has allowed us to develop a spinal implant from a clinical problem, through basic research studies and proof of concept experiments, to human clinical trials. We shall also share some of the difficulties that we have encountered in the process in making this reality.