Renishaw collaboration demonstrates capabilities of AM for spinal implants
The sample implant, demonstrated in a model of the human spine (Courtesy Renishaw Inc)
Renishaw has collaborated with two technology firms to demonstrate the advantages of metal Additive Manufacturing in the production of spinal implants. By working with Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), Rathcoole, County Dublin, Ireland, and nTopology, New York City, USA, Renishaw aimed to demonstrate how collaboration with the right partners can streamline the transition from design to Additive Manufacturing.
Under the collaboration, IMR designed a sample titanium spinal implant, aimed at the cervical spine, using nTopology’s generative design software. IMR then manufactured the implants using Renishaw’s RenAM 500M metal AM system.
Ed Littlewood, Marketing Manager of Renishaw’s Medical and Dental Products Division, stated, “AM can be used to manufacture spinal implants with lattice structures, which cannot be achieved with conventional manufacturing techniques. An implant with a lattice structure is lightweight, can be optimised to meet the required loading conditions and has a greater surface area, which can aid osseointegration. AM implants can be designed to mimic the mechanical properties of bone, resulting in better patient outcomes. But all of this comes to nothing if you don’t have the tools to create the design.”
“Traditional CAD tools weren’t built to design complex lattice structures; the job would be difficult or even impossible,” added Matt Rohr, nTopology’s Application Engineering Manager. “nTopology’s software was designed to complement existing workflows and make the job easier. We cut the design time of complex structures from days to minutes, which was a crucial component in helping this project run on schedule.”
“Renishaw worked tirelessly with us on improving the AM process for producing the spinal implants,” commented Sean McConnell, Senior Research Engineer at IMR. “Together, we designed a set of experiments that yield the most appropriate parameter settings for the product. As a result, we reduced the amount of post processing required on key features of the implants by a factor of ten.”
Patients with medical conditions including degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis and osteoporosis can require spinal implants to restore intervertebral height. It is thought that the improved implant design made possible by AM means patients may require shorter surgery time and fewer follow-up surgeries, saving healthcare resources and costs.
