3D-printed porous bioactive titanium material for assisting intervertebral fusion in development

Written by Alexandra Thompson

A new 3D-printed material that promotes interbody fusion is being manufactured by Nexxt Spine (IN, USA)

Spinal pathologies, such as osteoarthritis of the vertebrae, can be extremely painful and incapacitating, and not all patients are suitable for current interbody devices. Nexxt Spine (IN, USA), a privately held medical device company focusing on spinal pathologies founded in 2009, has announced the development of a 3D-printef porous bioactive titanium material designed to actively participate in the intervertebral fusion process.

The 3D printing process and subsequent proprietary treatments mean that the product, NanoMatrixx, imitates the cellular structure of cancellous bone and has a topography that stimulated the differentiation of MSCs to bone-forming cells, which then populate the pores in the material’s structure.

Dr Robert L Wertz, Director of New Product Development at Nexxt Spine, explained that the material’s properties allow bone to attach to its internal struts “and grow entirely through the material while simultaneously providing optimal mechanical support without the stress shielding effects experienced with traditional titanium implants.”

He further commented that “Conventional textured or coated implant surfaces only achieve bone to implant contact or on-growth; however, NanoMatrixx’s consistent open and interconnected network of pores within a specific size range have been found to be osteoconductive and osteoinductive, promoting bone on-growth and bone in-growth for total osseous integration. Bone has the potential to not only grow into the pores and around the struts, but also attach to the nanotextured strut surfaces.”

Source: www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151013005164/en/Nexxt-Spine-Announces-Development-NanoMatrixx-Porous-Bioactive?elq=9da78c4c9f064e56b78cc52d8ceab67e&elqCampaignId=4&elqaid=13854&elqat=1&elqTrackId=ff6dde203188451a9a4aad2ad1e8610b#.Vh4geSu18dx