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New technology helps spinal disc regeneration

A new biomedical technology that can treat back pain immediately has been developed by a multidisciplinary team of Queen’s researchers.

“This technology could revolutionize back pain treatment,” says James Hayami, the lead researcher and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering who specializes in biomedical engineering.

Currently the best thing that can be done in terms of surgical repairs is to alleviate pain by removing some of the bone that’s pinching the nerve, removing the herniated disc itself, or doing spinal fusions. There have been no regenerative treatment options that maintain the architecture of the spine or that have immediate results.

This technology is an injectable synthetic polymer mixture that takes form inside the body and increases the space between the vertebrae of the spine, alleviating any pain caused by pinched nerves. The biodegradable nature of this supporting structure means that it disappears over time as new tissue is regenerated.

While other similar supporting technologies are created outside the body and inserted via invasive surgery, this new injectable form is designed to be minimally invasive. In a single-step process, stem cells or cells taken from damaged tissue are added to the polymer mixture. The mixture is then injected into the body and the structure takes form. Tissue regeneration then takes place in the space the structure creates.

The cushioning centre of spinal discs and the cartilage that allows our joints to function smoothly are both non-regenerative. This new minimally invasive, regenerative technology means that people could be treated quickly and get back to their normal lives.

These findings will appear in an upcoming issue of Macromolecular Bioscience.




The material in this press release comes from the originating research organization. Content may be edited for style and length. Want more? Sign up for our daily email.

4 thoughts on “New technology helps spinal disc regeneration”

  1. Well there are some back pains which are not necessarily the result of a pinched nerve, so how do you solve or help people with such pains? The reason I am asking this is because there are lot of people who also have some back pains as a result of kidney failure. This brings me to my second question how do you or how can you tell that the pain you have is a result of a pinched nerve or it’s a result of a kidney failure? And what will happen if somebody is treated for a pinched nerve whereas he/she has a kidney problem.

  2. I am interested in treatments for cervical and lumbar degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, and stenosis.
    Thank you!
    Ron

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