A gel that has the ability to stiffen and swell when injected into the back can be used as an alternative to major surgery in the treatment of chronic back pain, according to a University of Manchester study. The details appear in the journal Soft Matter.
The gel has minute particles that puff up when injected into a damaged region on the back. The study on animals was able to show that the gel could act as a cushion between the bones of the spinal column. The gel particles as "smart sponges" when they are put into water, the researchers said.
"This research was motivated by the urgent need for a non-surgical method for repairing intervertebral discs. Our approach has the advantage of restoring spinal mobility, whereas spinal fusion surgery results in a significant loss of mobility at the fused and adjacent discs," said researcher Professor Tony Freemont.
The gel is also being seen as an alternative to spinal fusion surgery when bones of the spine are fused together in an attempt to control pain. In this study the researchers injected the gel into an injured disc taken from a pig.
The gel can be injected into a disc because it is a fluid with a low pH; meaning it has high acidity. However when injected into the back the fluid changes into a gel because of the higher pH in the body.
Dr Brian Saunders, a co-researcher on the team said more work was needed before the gel could be used in humans, "Although we are encouraged by our findings, much work lies ahead to develop a viable non-surgical repair technology to replace spinal fusion as the standard surgical treatment for chronic lower back pain," he added.
