Characterization of tissue properties in epidural needle insertion on human specimen and synthetic materials.

The force experienced while inserting an 18-gauge Tuohy needle into the epidural space or dura is one of only two feedback components perceived by an anaesthesiologist to deduce the needle tip position in a patient's spine. To the best of the authors knowledge, no x-ray validated measurements of these forces are currently available to the public. A needle insertion force recording during an automated insertion of an 18-gauge Tuohy needle into human vertebral segments of four female donors was conducted.

Bone surrogates provide authentic onlay graft fixation torques.

Onlay graft bone augmentation is a standard practice to restore the loss of height of the alveolar ridge following loss of a tooth. Cranial grafts, lifted from the parietal bone, are sandwiched and used to bridge the bony defect in the jaw by means of small screws. During the elevation of the covering gum and subsequent screw placement, care has to be taken in order to preserve underlying nerves.

Characterization of polyurethane-based synthetic vertebrae for spinal cement augmentation training.

Vertebral augmentation techniques are used to stabilize impacted vertebrae. To minimize intraoperative risks, a solid education of surgeons is desirable. Thus, to improve education of surgeons as well as patient safety, the development of a high-fidelity simulator for the surgical training of cement augmentation techniques was initiated.

Characterization of an artificial skull cap for cranio-maxillofacial surgery training.

Cranial grafts are favored to reconstruct skeletal defects because of their reduced resorption and their histocompatibility. Training possibilities for novice surgeons include the "learning by doing" on the patient, specimens or simulators. Although the acceptance of simulators is growing, the major drawback is the lack of validated bone models.

Procedure-Specific Validation of Artificial Vertebrae.

Objective: The development of a novel hybrid patient simulator was initiated to provide a safe training possibility for novice surgeons. Integrated artificial vertebrae should be able to realistically mimic the haptics of transpedicular vertebroplasty instrument insertion and pedicle screw placement. Therefore, new open-celled material compositions were developed, tested, and validated with reference to elderly human vertebrae.