P.097 Tensile properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol Cryogel (PVA-C) formulations and generation of a tissue mimicking artificial lumbar intervertebral disc prototype. (2nd June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, BH; Gurr, K; Bailey, C; Campbell, G
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Volume 44(2017)Supplement 2
• Page Start: S38
• Page End: S38
• Publication Date: 2017-06-02
• Subjects: Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2017.181
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0317-1671

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Current lumbar intervertebral disc prostheses provide suboptimal symptom relief with little natural load-cushioning. PVA-C is a promising biocompatible material, however previous studies from our lab show that it does not have adequate elastic modulus to mimic the annulus fibrosus. Here we present a prototype of an artificial lumbar intervertebral disc.Methods: The tensile properties of pure (5-35% PVA-C) and particle-reinforced (15% PVA-C with 5% of either Sephadex or hydroxyapatite) composite PVA-C formulations were evaluated. Simple tension and tensile stress relaxation tests were performed. Woven Teflon mesh was embedded in PVA-C and tested under compression. Endplate pull-out tests were performed.Results: Tensile testing showed that all PVA-C formulations behaved linearly for physiologic levels of strain (<20%). Tensile elastic modulus is an order of magnitude lower than the annulus fibrosus. Teflon has similar elastic modulus as collagen and compression of the hybrid Teflon-PVA-C construct revealed good biomechanical mimicry with elastic modulus of 20-25MPa at 20% deformation, similar to human data. Bonding between PVA-C and porous titanium endplate is excellent.Conclusions: A fiber-reinforced PVA-C impregnated composite adequately mimics the annulus fibrosus. Our prototype of a tissue mimicking artificial intervertebral disc utilizes a woven Teflon fiber with 20% PVA-C (+Hydroxyapatite) annulus and 5% pure PVA-C nucleus bonded to porous titanium foam endplates.