• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제58권5호
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• pp.412-418
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• 2015

Objective : To investigate the effects of posterior implant rigidity on spinal kinematics at adjacent levels by utilizing a cadaveric spine model with simulated physiological loading. Methods : Five human lumbar spinal specimens (L3 to S1) were obtained and checked for abnormalities. The fresh specimens were stripped of muscle tissue, with care taken to preserve the spinal ligaments and facet joints. Pedicle screws were implanted in the L4 and L5 vertebrae of each specimen. Specimens were tested under 0 N and 400 N axial loading. Five different posterior rods of various elastic moduli (intact, rubber, low-density polyethylene, aluminum, and titanium) were tested. Segmental range of motion (ROM), center of rotation (COR) and intervertebral disc pressure were investigated. Results : As the rigidity of the posterior rods increased, both the segmental ROM and disc pressure at L4-5 decreased, while those values increased at adjacent levels. Implant stiffness saturation was evident, as the ROM and disc pressure were only marginally increased beyond an implant stiffness of aluminum. Since the disc pressures of adjacent levels were increased by the axial loading, it was shown that the rigidity of the implants influenced the load sharing between the implant and the spinal column. The segmental CORs at the adjacent disc levels translated anteriorly and inferiorly as rigidity of the device increased. Conclusion : These biomechanical findings indicate that the rigidity of the dynamic stabilization implant and physiological loading play significant roles on spinal kinematics at adjacent disc levels, and will aid in further device development.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.139-142
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• 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spinal implant removal and to determine the possible mechanisms of pain relief. Methods: Fourteen patient~with an average of 42 years (from 22 to 67 years) were retrospectively evaluated. All patients had posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion, who later developed recurrent back pain or persistent back pain despite a solid fusion mass. Patients' clinical charts, operative notes, and preoperative x-rays were evaluated. Relief of pain was evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain change after implant removal. Clinical outcome using VAS and modified MacNab's criteria was assessed on before implant removal, 1 month after implant removal and at the last clinical follow-up. Radiological analysis of sagittal alignment was also assessed. Results: Average follow-up period was 18 months (from 12 to 25 months). There were 4 patients who had persistent back pain at the surgical site and 10 patients who had recurrent back pain. The median time after the first fusion operation and the recurrence of pain was 6.5 months (from 3 to 13 months). All patients except one had palpation pain at operative site. The mean blood loss was less than 100ml and there were no major complications. The mean pain score before screw removal and at final follow up was 6.4 and 2.9, respectively (p<0.005). Thirteen of the 14 patients were graded as excellent and good according to modified MacNab's criteria. Overall 5.9 degrees of sagittal correction loss was observed at final follow up, but was not statistically significant. Conclusion: For the patients with persistent or recurrent back pain after spinal instrumentation, removal of the spinal implant may be safe and an efficient procedure for carefully selected patients who have palpation pain and are unresponsive to conservative treatment.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.17-23
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• 2012

Recent studies indicate that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critically involved in persistent pain primarily through spinal mechanisms, and that mitochondria are the main source of ROS in the spinal dorsal horn. To investigate whether mitochondrial ROS can induce changes in membrane excitability on spinal substantia gelatonosa (SG) neurons, we examined the effects of mitochondrial electron transport complex (ETC) substrates and inhibitors on the membrane potential of SG neurons in spinal slices. Application of ETC inhibitors, rotenone or antimycin A, resulted in a slowly developing and slight membrane depolarization in SG neurons. Also, application of both malate, a complex I substrate, and succinate, a complex II substrate, caused reversible membrane depolarization and enhanced firing activity. Changes in membrane potential after malate exposure were more prominent than succinate exposure. When slices were pretreated with ROS scavengers such as phenyl-N-tert-buthylnitrone (PBN), catalase and 4- hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPOL), malate-induced depolarization was significantly decreased. Intracellular calcium above $100{\mu}M$ increased malateinduced depolarization, witch was suppressed by cyclosporin A, a mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) inhibitor. These results suggest that enhanced production of spinal mitochondrial ROS can induce nociception through central sensitization.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.237-248
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• 2015

"Dynamic stabilization" systems have been developed in recent years to treat degenerative disorders of the spinal column. In contrast to arthrodesis (fusion), the aim here is to conserve intervertebral mobility to maximize comfort. When developing innovative concepts, many mechanical tests need to be carried out in order to validate the different technological solutions. The present study focuses on the B Dyn$^{(R)}$ "dynamic stabilization" device (S14$^{(R)}$ Implants, Pessac, France), the aim being to optimize the choice of polymer material used for one of the implant's components. The device allows mobility but also limit the range of movement. The stiffness of the ring remains a key design factor, which has to be optimized. Phase one consisted of static tests on the implant, as a result of which a polyurethane (PU) was selected, material no.2 of the five elastomers tested. In phase two, dynamic tests were carried out. The fatigue resistance of the B Dyn$^{(R)}$ system was tested over five million cycles with the properties of the polymer elements being measured using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) after every million cycles. This analysis demonstrated changes in stiffness and in the damping factor which guided the choice of elastomer for the B Dyn$^{(R)}$ implant.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.295-301
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• 2000

뼈의 성장에 미치는 많은 요소들 중에서 implant의 상대적인 미세운동(relative micromotion)은 뼈의 implant와의 접합을 방해하는 것으로 알려져 왔다. 그런데 이러한 상대적인 운동 및 spinal stability에 직접적으로 영향을 주는 하중조건, spinal material의 물성치, spinal geometry 및 뼈와 implant의 접촉면에서의 마찰계수를 고려하기 위하여, 하나의 titanium interbody cage 가 삽입된 human lumbar segments (L4-L5)의 유한요소 모델이 개발되었다. 이러한 유한요소 모델의 해석을 통하여 상대적인 미세운동, Posterior의 수직적인 변위, von Mises 응력 및 마찰력이 예측되었다. Cancellous bone. annulus fibers 및 ligaments의 기계적인 물성치의 감소 또는 접촉면에서의 마찰계수의 감소는 상대적인 미세운동 (relative micromotion or slip distance)을 증가 시켰다. 접촉면에서의 normal force는 뼈의 밀도 (cancellous bone density) 가 감소하거나 접촉마찰계수가 증가하면 감소했다. 특히 하중조건에 있어서, compressive preload에 대한 torsion의 추가는 접촉면의 anterior부위에서 상대적인 미세운동을 증가 시켰다. 하지만 디스크면적이 증가할수록 상대적인 미세운동은 감소했다. 결론적으로, 접촉면의 기계공학적 거동 (Relative micromotion, stress response, posterior axial displacement and contact normal force)은 접촉면의 마찰계수 뼈의 밀도, 하중조건 및 노화에 따른 형상/물성의 변화에 매우 민감함을 보이고있다.

• 융합정보논문지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.61-65
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• 2018

본 연구는 이식된 줄기세포들이 혈관용 클립압박으로 유도된 척수경색 동물들에서 행동학적 결핍을 감소시키는 연구를 진행하였다. 흉수신경 9번과 10번에 척수 손상후 5일후에 배아줄기세포 이식을 통해서 배아줄기세포가 경색부위를 채워지게 되므로 이식후 손상부위의 조직학적 감소와 신경세포군의 조직학적 재생을 증명하는데 중점을 두었다. 본 연구를 통해 마우스 배아줄기세포의 이식이 중증 척수 손상후 행동학적 발달을 보여주는 명백한 결과들을 도출하였음을 보여주고 있다. 이러한 마우스 배아줄기세포는 신경학적 손상에 대한 치료로서 사용될 수 있는 처치법이다. 결론적으로, 줄기세포 적용은 손상조직을 재생시켜서 기능적, 행동적 향상에 기여할 수 있기에 다양한 줄기세포 치료법을 통해 임상적 적용을 위한 중요한 치료법이 될 수 있다.

• 한국공작기계학회논문집
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.127-131
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• 2006

Existing orthopedic implants such as pedicle screw and spinal cage were designed to fix the spinal structure. But, nowadays, physicians want to rehabilitate there original functions. To achieve this request, we studied micro-movable structure for interspinous. As a first step, we designed interspinous structure by 3D CAD to join each spinous processes. Next, we simulate it with various factors such as the thickness of micro-movement structure and the design of clip. At last, we performed static compressive test to satisfy the failure load of 339N and dynamic endurance test of 1.2M cycle. As a result, we developed interspinous implant and did several surgery to evaluated its satisfaction.

• 한국CDE학회논문집
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.58-66
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• 2008

The artificial discs have recently used to preserve the motion of the treated segment in lumbar spine surgery. However, there have been lack of biomechanical information of the artificial discs to explain current clinical controversies such as long-term results of implant wear and excessive facet contact forces. In this study, we investigated the biomechanical effects of three artificial implants on the lumbar spinal segments by finite element analysis. The finite element model of intact lumbar spine(L1-S) was developed and the three implants were inserted in L4-L5 segment of the spine model. 5 Nm of flexion and extension moments were applied on the superior plate of L1 with 400 N of compressive load. Excessive motions and high facet contact forces at the surgical level were generated in the all three implanted models. In the flexion, the peak von-Mises stresses in the semi-constrained type implant was higher than those in the un-constrained type implant which would cause wear on the polyethylene core. The results of the study would provide a biomechanical guideline for selecting optimal surgical approach or evaluating the current design of the implants, or developing a new implant.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.141-147
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• 2016

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS) are both important signaling molecules involved in pain transmission in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a well-known enzyme for the generation of superoxide anions ($O_2^{\bullet-}$), while S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP) is a representative nitric oxide (NO) donor. In this study, we used patch clamp recording in spinal slices of rats to investigate the effects of $O_2^{\bullet-}$ and NO on the excitability of substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. We also used confocal scanning laser microscopy to measure XO- and SNAP-induced ROS and RNS production in live slices. We observed that the ROS level increased during the perfusion of xanthine and xanthine oxidase (X/XO) compound and SNAP after the loading of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate ($H_2DCF-DA$), which is an indicator of intracellular ROS and RNS. Application of ROS donors such as X/XO, ${\beta}-nicotinamide$ adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and 3-morpholinosydnomimine (SIN-1) induced a membrane depolarization and inward currents. SNAP, an RNS donor, also induced membrane depolarization and inward currents. X/XO-induced inward currents were significantly decreased by pretreatment with phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN; nonspecific ROS and RNS scavenger) and manganese(III) tetrakis(4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP; superoxide dismutase mimetics). Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NAME; NO scavenger) also slightly decreased X/XO-induced inward currents, suggesting that X/XO-induced responses can be involved in the generation of peroxynitrite ($ONOO^-$). Our data suggest that elevated ROS, especially $O_2^{\bullet-}$, NO and $ONOO^-$, in the spinal cord can increase the excitability of the SG neurons related to pain transmission.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.151-158
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• 2007

The failure of injured axons to regenerate in the mature central nervous system (CNS) has devastating consequences for victims of spinal cord injury (SCI). Traditional strategies to treat spinal cord injured people by using drug therapy and assisting devices that can not help them to recover fully various vital functions of the spinal cord. Many researches have been focused on accomplishing re-growth and reconnection of the severed axons in the injured region. Using cell transplantation to promote neural survival or growth has had modest success in allowing injured neurons to re-grow through the area of the lesion. Strategies for successful regeneration will require tissue engineering approach. In order to persuade sufficient axons to regenerate across the lesion to bring back substantial neurological function, it is necessary to construct an efficient biocompatible bridge (cell-free or implanted with different cell lines as hybrid implant) through the injured area over which axons can grow. Therefore, in this paper, spinal cord and its injury, different strategies to help regeneration of an injured spinal cord are reviewed. In addition, different aspects of designing a biocompatible bridge and its applications and challenges surrounding these issues are also addressed. This knowledge is very important for the development and optimalization of therapies to repair the injured spinal cord.