Thesis (PhD (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Back pain is a common concern amongst a growing population of people across the world today, where in
most cases the pain can become unbearable resulting in major lifestyle adjustments. Seventy to eighty
percent of the population of the Western world experiences low-back pain at one time or another. Pain can
be produced as a worn disc becomes thin, narrowing the space between the vertebrae. Pieces of the
damaged disc may also break off and cause irritation to the nerves signalling back pain.
Depending on the severity of a patient’s condition, and after conservative treatment options have been
exhausted, a disc replacement surgery (arthroplasty) procedure may be prescribed to restore spacing
between vertebrae and relieve the pinched nerve, while still maintaining normal biomechanical movement.
Typical complications that are however still observed in some cases of disc implants include: anterior
migration of the disc, subsidence (sinking of disc) and lateral subluxation (partial dislocation of a joint).
Issues such as function, correct placement and orientation, as well as secure fixation of such a disc implant
to the adjacent vertebrae are highly important in order to replicate natural biomechanical behaviour and
minimise the occurrence of the complications mentioned.
As various imaging and manufacturing technologies have developed, the option for individual, patientspecific implants is becoming more of a practical reality than it has been in the past. The combination of CT
images and Rapid Manufacturing for example is already being used successfully in producing custom
implants for maxilla/facial and cranial reconstructive surgeries.
There exists a need to formalise a process chain for the design and manufacture of custom-made
intervertebral disc implants and to address the issues involved during each step. Therefore this study has
investigated the steps involved for such a process chain and the sensible flow of information as well as the
use of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. Strong emphasis was placed on automation of some of
the processes as well as the user-friendliness of software where engineers and surgeons often need to
work together during this multi-disciplinary environment.
One of the main benefits for customization was also investigated, namely a reduction in the risk and
potential for implant subsidence. Stiffness values from pressure tests on vertebrae were compared
between customized implants and implants with flat endplate designs. Results indicated a statistically
significant improvement of customized, endplate matching implants as opposed to flat implant endplates.
Therefore it may be concluded that the use of customized intervertebral disc implants with patient specific
endplate geometry may decrease the risk and potential for the occurrence of subsidence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Rugpyn is ‘n algemene bekommernis vir ‘n groeiende populasie van mense in die wêreld vandag, waar in
meeste gevalle die pyn ondraagbaar kan raak en groot leefstyl aanpassings vereis. Sewentig tot tagtig
persent van die populasie in die Westerse wêreld ondervind lae rugpyn op een of ander stadium. Die pyn
kan veroorsaak word deur ‘n intervertebrale skyf wat verweer en dunner word, en veroorsaak dat die
spasie tussen die vertebrae vernou. Stukkies van die beskadigde skyf mag ook afbreek en irritasie aan die
senuwees veroorsaak wat verdere pyn kan veroorsaak.
Afhangende van die ernstigheid van ‘n pasiënt se geval, en nadat opsies vir konservatiewe behandeling
uitgeput is, kan ‘n skyf vervangings-prosedure (artroskopie) voorgeskryf word om die spasie tussen die
vertebrae te herstel en sodoende die geknypte senuwee te verlos. Die skyf vervanging herstel spasiëring
tussen vertebrae terwyl die normale biomeganiese beweging ook behoue bly, in teenstelling met ‘n fusieprosedure wat die betrokke vertebrae aanmekaar vasheg en normale beweging belemmer. Tipiese
komplikasies wat egter steeds na ‘n skyf vervanging in sommige gevalle waargeneem word sluit in: anterior
migrasie van die inplantaat, insinking, sowel as laterale sublukasie (gedeeltelike dislokasie van ‘n gewrig).
Faktore soos funksie, korrekte posisionering en orientasie, sowel as vashegting van so ‘n skyf inplantaat tot
die aanliggende vertebrale bene is besonder belangrik om natuurlike biomeganiese beweging te herstel en
sodoende bogenoemde komplikasies te verminder.
Soos wat verskeie beeldings- en vervaardigingstegnologië verbeter het oor die laaste dekade, het die
moontlikheid vir individuele, pasiënt-spesifieke inplantate al hoe meer ‘n praktiese realiteit begin word. Die
kombinasie van Gerekenariseerde Tomografie (GT), tesame met Snel Vervaardiging word byvoorbeeld
reeds suksesvol aangewend tydens die ontwerp en vervaardiging van pasiënt-spesifieke inplantate vir
maksilla- en kraniale rekonstruktiewe chirurgie. Daar bestaan egter ‘n behoefte om ‘n formele
prosesketting vir die ontwerp en vervaardiging van pasiënt-spesifieke intervertebrale skyf inplantate te
ontwikkel en om belangrike faktore tydens elke stap noukeurig te beskryf.
Hierdie studie het na die verskillende stappe in die prosesketting gekyk om ‘n sinvolle vloei van informasie
en benutting van hoë gehalte vervaardigingstegnologië saam te snoer. Sterk klem was gelê op
outomatisering van prosesse asook gebruikersvriendelikheid van sagteware waar ingenieurs en medici
dikwels saam moet werk tydens hierdie kruisdissiplinêre omgewing.
Een van die hoof verwagte voordele met die gebruik van pasklaar skyf inplantate, naamlik die vermindering
van moontlike insinking van die inplantaat in die been, is ook ondersoek. Die ondersoek het druktoetse
behels en die vergelyking van ooreenstemmende styfheid tussen inplantate wat die kontoer van die bene
volg teenoor gewone plat eindplate. Die resultate was statisties beduidend in die guns van die pasklaar
inplantate wat die beenkontoere gevolg het, en bewys dus dat die risiko vir insinking verminder is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6564 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | De Beer, Neal |
| Contributors | Van der Merwe, A. F., Scheffer, C., Dimitrov, D. M., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 109 p. : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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