110: VySpine

Our goal was to assess and suggest improvements for cervical implant technology. We aimed to develop a surface treatment to improve VySpine’s PEKK-based spinal implants’ osseointegration and osteoinduction to reduce patient recovery time, improve implant bone encapsulation, reduce recurrence of degenerative disc disease (DDD) and vertebral fracture symptoms. 

PEKK is considered bio-inert, which is not ideal for the application this project works to solve. The current standard of care can be improved with the development of a surface treatment that works to improve PEKK-based spinal implants’ osseointegration and osteoinduction properties, as it will allow faster and more reliable fusion of the cervical system with surrounding/adjacent vertebrae, minimize the risk of non-union between the implant and surrounding bone, enhance the long-term stability of the implant, enhance biocompatibility and reduce patient recovery time.