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Neck pain caused by pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots is particularly debilitating.
Non-surgical treatments can be ineffective. Surgical options can be more invasive than
is desirable with associated complications.
We have worked out how to solve the problem for a large number of cases.
This is the SZ device, an X generation spinal stabilisation implant developed by researchers
in Curtin's Department of Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with spinal surgeon Philip
Hardcastle. The implant stabilises the neck but still allows movement, a technique called
dynamic stabilisation.
Until now, no one has achieved this with the cervical spine because of the challenge of
finding a suitable anchor point for an implant. The SZ device overcomes this by using expandable
fasteners in place of screws.
The design of the fasteners also allows the device to be manufactured as a single part
unit. This makes the implant simpler and quicker to insert and also minimally invasive. And
because no bone fusion is required it's less traumatic for the surrounding soft tissue.
The implant surgery is expected to cost less than either fusion or disc replacement and
the device has applications in the small bones of the feet and hands. A modified version
can also be used in the lumbar spine to control the range of motion something that no other
device on the market achieves.
The implant also features a novel adjustable range of motion mechanism. Simply by changing
the settings during surgery, the range of motion can be adjusted to suit the patient's
condition. Retaining flexibility is important to prevent increased stress on adjacent joints
which occurs with bone fusion often leading to accelerated degeneration.
If you need dynamic stabilisation rather than fusion you need the SZ device. It allows the
surgeon to do minimally invasive surgery without a bone graft and alter the movement of the
spine to suit the patient's needs.