Künstliche Wirbelkörper für einen neuartigen Simulator in der minimal-invasiven Wirbelsäulenchirurgie

Currently the surgical training of vertebral augmentation techniques is performed on patients or specimens. To improve patient safety, the development of a novel patient simulator was initiated. Artificial vertebrae should be integrated to provide realistic haptic feedback. In a previous study, resulting forces during transpedicular needle insertions into formalin-fixed vertebral specimens were measured. Based on these results, a specific polyurethane foam recipe was covered by different resin shells. The resulting insertion forces for the artificial vertebrae were comparable to the specimen measurements. Based on the resulting force during needle insertion into human vertebrae, a suitable material composition for manufacturing artificial vertebral segments was found.