Back problems could be tackled with an injectable microgel
UK researchers have developed an injectable microgel that can completely restore the mechanical function of damaged spinal discs – at least in an animal model.
With over a million cases reported every year, back pain is a common cause of sick leave, and is thought to affect 80% of people at some point in their lifetime. Injuries affecting the flexible discs which sit between vertebrae are often to blame, and current treatments involve either long term physiotherapy or risky spinal surgery.
Now, a gel implant designed by chemists at the University of Manchester shows promise as a non-invasive alternative. The material, based on poly(methyl methacrylate) and other microparticles, is prepared in a liquid form, which can be injected directly into discs to replace degraded cartilage. The particles swell at body temperature and pH, forming a viscous fluid in just five minutes. When subjected to load cycles at a pressure of 1MPa, microgel-filled bovine discs showed similar stress resistance to undamaged ones.
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