# Novel Dissipative Total Disc Replacement for Restoration of Natural Motion for Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease

> **NIH NIH R43** · IMPRESSIO, INC. · 2020 · $210,576

## Abstract

Project Summary
Degenerative disc disease is a condition of loss of integrity of the intervertebral disc, and is thought to occur in nearly every
person over 60 years old. In many cases, low back pain is associated with the characteristic collapse of disc height as nerves
become constricted and biomechanics of the spine change. When the disease progresses to cause significant pain, patients
and doctors may choose surgical intervention – most commonly spinal fusion where a plastic or metal spacer (i.e. cage) is
implanted between the affected vertebrae to restore proper disc height. Bone can then grow between the vertebrae in order
to permanently immobilize that section of the spine. There are a myriad of challenges associated with the spinal fusion,
including altered biomechanics, subsidence and migration of the fusion cage. To overcome these challenges, surgeons have
been turning to a new type of implant: a total disc replacement (TDR). Instead of a rigid cage, a device which retains some
range of motion in the disc space is used, however, current solutions fail to fully replicate natural motion and have proven
to have significant challenge addressing DDD in the lumbar spine. The proposed solution will restore the functionality of
native disc by incorporating the unique dissipative properties of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) in the core of the device
while porous 3D printed titanium endplates interface the inferior and superior vertebrae to facilitate boney ingrowth. We
hypothesize that the cooperative functionality of an osteoconductive 3D printed titanium lattice and dissipative LCE in a
single-component TDR can restore native functionality of the intervertebral disc. Liquid crystal elastomers are a unique
class of materials which, similar to natural cartilage, combine long range molecular order with network elasticity and can
restore biomechanics while providing excellent shock absorption. These materials have been investigated for decades, yet
only recently has a suitable synthetic technique been discovered to enable bulk manufacturing and commercialization. This
technique involves a thiol/acrylate click reaction, which has previously been applied in other biomaterials such as dental
adhesives. However, the adhesive properties of LCEs to 3D printed titanium has not been well studied. As such, the first
aim of this study is to investigate the adhesive properties of LCEs to porous 3D printed titanium, with the goal to meet FDA
recommendations for adhesive strength. The second aim of this study is to create a prototype device with clinical
collaborators and test to ASTM 2346, Standard Test Methods for Static and Dynamic Characterization of Spinal Artificial
Discs. The proposed device improves on current TDR technology by using advanced materials and manufacturing to restore
permanent, natural motion to the spine. The team will consist of Ross Volpe (PI), who brings experience in biomedical
device fabrication and characterization using both LC...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10138686
- **Project number:** 1R43AR078140-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** IMPRESSIO, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Ross Volpe
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $210,576
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2022-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10138686

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10138686, Novel Dissipative Total Disc Replacement for Restoration of Natural Motion for Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease (1R43AR078140-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10138686. Licensed CC0.

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