Spinner fellows

In this video the Spinner fellows introduce the motivation and background of their research and the Spinner project.

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Spinner fellow ESR1: Denata Syla

Osteoinductive injectable/mouldable bone graft substitute for spine repair.

Nationality: Austrian

Recruiting institution: The University of Sheffield

Academic institution: The University of Sheffield

Denata Syla graduated with a Master's degree in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien (Vienna, Austria) in which she specialised on biomaterial-based musculoskeletal tissue engineering.

During her studies at the university, she conducted research on the development of a muscle-tendon interface via fibrin scaffolds. Further, Denata worked as an international research fellow on a research project focused on the fabrication of bone-muscle tissue grafts with the utilisation of a 3D printer. The in vitro and in vivo results showed a promising outcome and were conducted at the Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

As an early stage researcher in the Spinner project, Denata focuses on the development of osteoinductive bone graft substitutes for spinal repair. The grafts are hydroxyapatite-based and replace autologous bone transfer in spinal cages to enhance bone regeneration resulting in spinal fusion. The project is conducted in collaboration between the University of Sheffield (Sheffield, United Kingdom) and the industrial secondment Finceramica (Faenza, Italy).

Files

Public summary of ESR1’s first year report (PDF, 554KB)

ESR1’s mid term presentation (PDF, 440KB)

ESR1's Final Spinner Event Presentation (PDF, 2.8MB)

Conference presentations

D Syla, J Rodrigues, G Reilly, F Claeyssens, “Expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells under serum-free conditions” (PDF, 951KB) Tissue and Cell Engineering Society 2021, virtual conference, 6 - 7 July 2021.

D Syla, J Rodrigues, G Reilly, F Claeyssens, “Synthesis of multi-substituted hydroxyapatite using a continuous flow method” (PDF, 186KB) 14th European Ceramics Society (ECerS) Conference for Young Scientists in Ceramics (CYSC 2021), Novi Sad, RS, 20 - 23 October 2021.

D Syla, J Rodrigues, G Reilly, F Claeyssens, “Substituting Hydroxyapatite with Magnesium and Strontium Using a Continuous Precipitation Method” (PDF, 148KB) 46th International Conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC2022), virtual conference, 24 - 28 January 2022.

D Syla, J Rodrigues, F Claeyssens, G C Reilly, L Grillini, L Forte, “Synthesis of magnesium and strontium substituted hydroxyapatite-polycaprolactone composites” (PDF, 484KB) Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2022 Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, USA, 4 - 8 February 2022.

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Spinner fellow ESR2: José Rui Rodrigues

Development of osteoinductive coatings for spinal implants (fusion cages).

Nationality: Portuguese

Recruiting institution: The University of Sheffield

Academic institution: The University of Sheffield

Industrial institution: Finceramica

José Rodrigues graduated in Biomedical Engineering in 2016 at University of Minho (Braga, Portugal), with a Master’s degree in Biomaterials, Rehabilitation and Biomechanics. During this time, he conducted research on bioactive composites at the Institute for Biomaterials at Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Erlangen, Germany) as an International Student, and at 3B’s Research Group (Caldas das Taipas, Portugal) as an MSc Student. His research on biomimetic strategies for the treatment of periodontal diseases resulted in two published scientific papers.

Having also gained experience in printable sensing devices for biotechnology (which contributed for a patent currently under consideration) and the automobile industry, he now joins the Spinner network as a researcher focused once again in the development of new biomedical solutions.

Jose’s project will be focused on the development of hydroxyapatite-based osteoinductive coatings for spinal fusion cages, in a collaboration between the University of Sheffield (Sheffield, United Kingdom) and Finceramica (Faenza, Italy).

Files

Public summary of ESR2’s first year report (PDF, 669KB)

ESR2’s mid term presentation (PDF, 441KB)

ESR2's Final Spinner Event Presentation (PDF, 3,132KB)

Conference presentations

J Rodrigues, D Syla, G Reilly, F Claeyssens, “Serum-free osteogenic differentiation of a mesenchymal stem cell line”, (PDF, 776KB). Tissue and Cell Engineering Society 2021, virtual conference, 6 - 7 July 2021.

J Rodrigues, G Reilly, F Claeyssens, “Studying the low-temperature crystallization of TiO₂ using design of experiments”, (PDF, 12KB). 46th International Conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC2022), virtual conference, 24 - 28 January 2022.

J Rodrigues, D Syla, G C Reilly, F Claeyssens, L Grillini, R Bendoni, L Forte, “Synthesis of Mg and Sr substituted hydroxyapatite following a design of experiments approach”, (PDF, 174KB). Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2022 Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL, USA, 4 - 8 February 2022.

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Spinner fellow ESR3: Chloé Techens

Integration of clinical experience and in vitro biomechanical testing to improve spinal augmentation.

Nationality: French

Recruiting institution: University of Bologna

Academic institution: University of Bologna

Clinical institution: National Centre for Spinal Disorders

Chloé graduated in Mechanics of Materials and Processes from the French engineering school Centrale Nantes. Chloé oriented her knowledge towards medical applications with a MSc in Medical Engineering at KTH in Sweden.

She specialised in Biomechanics. Her research field covers the design and validation of orthopaedic devices as well as the multi-scale mechanical characterisation of biological tissues. Familiar with in-vitro experimentation and the clinical environment, she firstly studied the TrapezoMetacarpal joint.

As part of the Spinner programme, she focuses on in vitro biomechanical testing of the surgically augmented spine to explain failure mechanisms after vertebroplasty or discoplasty. The assessment of the clinical problems related to those surgeries will be also conducted at the National Centre for Spinal Disorders in Hungary based on medical records and image analysis. The research will focus on both the improved vertebral segment and the adjacent ones.

Files

Public summary of ESR3’s first year report (PDF, 511KB)

ESR3’s mid term presentation (PDF, 1.05MB)

ESR3's Final Spinner Event Presentation (PDF, 1.77MB)

Conference presentations

C Techens, M Palanca, M L Ruspi, L Cristofolini (2019), “Evaluation of stabilisation following treatment of degenerated intervertebral discs with discoplasty” (PDF, 328KB). 25th Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics, Vienna, AT, 7-10 July 2019.

C Techens, M Palanca, M L Ruspi, L Cristofolini (2019), “In vitro evaluation of degenerated intervertebral disc stability following treatment with discoplasty” (PDF, 411KB). ESB-ITA Meeting 2019, Bologna, IT, 30 September – 1 October 2019.

C Techens, S Montanari, F Bereczki, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2021), "Evaluation of spine stability following treatment of degenerated intervertebral discs with discoplasty" (PDF, 96KB). 8th Hungarian Biomechanics Conference, Budapest, HU, 9 April 2021.

C Techens, S Montanari, F Bereczki, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2021) “Evaluation of spine stability following treatment of degenerated intervertebral discs with discoplasty” (PDF, 785KB). European Society of Biomechanics Conference 2021, Milan, IT, 11-14 July 2021.

S Montanari, C Techens, L Cristofolini (2021) “Biomechanical impact of intervertebral disc simulated damage” (PDF, 602KB). European Society of Biomechanics Conference 2021, Milan, 11-14 July 2021.

C Techens, S Montanari, F Bereczki, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2021), "Evaluation of the impact on spine biomechanics of percutaneous cement discoplasty procedure as a treatment for degenerated discs" (PDF, 147KB). BioMedEng21, Sheffield, UK, 6-7 September 2021.

C Techens, S Montanari, F Bereczki, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini, (2021)  "Biomechanical evidence supports a new minimally invasive surgical treatment of advanced disc degeneration in elderly" (Invited Talk), 41st SICOT orthopaedic world congress, Budapest, HU, 15-18 September 2021.

C Techens, S Montanari, P Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2021), "Spine stability and disc strains after percutaneous cement discoplasty". Eurospine 2021, Vienna, AT, 6-7 October 2021.

C Techens, S Montanari, F Bereczki, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2021), "Spine stability after treatment of degenerated intervertebral discs with percutaneous cement discoplasty". Global Spine Congress 2021, Paris, FR, 3-6 November 2021.

Journal publications

C Techens, M Palanca, P E Éltes, Á Lazáry, L Cristofolini, (2020), “Testing the impact of discoplasty on the biomechanics of the intervertebral disc with simulated degeneration: An in vitro study”, Medical Engineering and Physics, 8, pp 51-59.

P E Eltes, L Kiss, F Bereczki, Z Szoverfi, C Techens, G Jakab, B Hajnal, P P Varga, A Lazary, (2021) “A novel three-dimensional volumetric method to measure indirect decompression after percutaneous cement discoplasty”, Journal of Orthopaedic Translation, 28, pp131-139.

C Techens, S Montanari, P Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2021), "Spine stability and disc strains after percutaneous cement discoplasty". Brain and Spine, Volume 1, Supplement 1, 2021, 10079.

C Techens, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini (2022), "Critical Review of the State-of-the-Art on Lumbar Percutaneous Cement Discoplasty". Frontiers in Surgery, 9, 902831.

PhD Thesis

Percutaneous Cement Discoplasty: Biomechanical and clinical assessment of a minimally invasive treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc disease (2022)

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Spinner fellow ESR4: Jennifer Fayad

Sagittal stability: movement analysis before and patient motion after spinal treatments.

Nationality: Lebanese

Recruiting institution: University of Bologna

Academic institution: University of Bologna

Clinical institution: National Centre for Spinal Disorders

Jennifer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the Lebanese American University and later pursued an MSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Surrey, UK.

Her main research focus was on motion analysis using optoelectronic techniques and the biomechanics of the spine. In particular, the analysis of changes in spinal posture between younger and older adults.

As part of the Spinner training network, her project focuses on the in vivo and in vitro methods to assess spinal stability. The in vivo clinical characterisations of the spine would be assessed by motion analysis and imaging techniques at the National Centre for Spinal Disorders in Budapest. While the in vivo assessment would allow for the mechanical characterisation of spine repair treatments to explain proximal joint kyphosis.

Files

Public summary of ESR4’s first year report (PDF, 322KB)

ESR4's mid term presentation (PDF, 855KB)

ESR4's Final Spinner Event Presentation (PDF, 4,677KB)

Conference presentations

J Fayad, R Stagni, P Eltes, P P Varga, L Cristofolini, A Lazary, (2019), “Clinical gait analysis after sacrectomy using the closed loop reconstruction technique: a case report” (PDF, 486KB). ESB-ITA Meeting 2019, Bologna, IT, 30 September - 1 October 2019.

J Fayad, P Eltes, A Lazary, G Szőke, T Terebessy, L Cristofolini, R Stagni (2021), "Quantification of multi-segmental spine kinematics: The reliability and outcomes of a new protocol" (PDF, 127KB) 8th Hungarian Biomechanics Conference, Budapest, HU, 9 April 2021.

J Fayad, P Eltes, G Szőke, T Terebessy, L Cristofolini, R Stagni (2021), “Quantification of multi-segmental spine kinematics: the reliability and outcomes of a new protocol” (PDF, 303KB). European Society of Biomechanics Conference 2021, Milan, 11 - 14 July 2021.

J Fayad, P Eltes, A Lazary, G Szőke, T Terebessy, L Cristofolini, R Stagni (2021), “Quantification of multi-segmental spine kinematics: The reliability and Outcomes of a new protocol” (PDF, 113KB). BioMedEng21, Sheffield, 6-7 September 2021.

J Fayad, M Turbucz, B Hajnal, F Bereczki, M Bartos, A Bank, A Lazary, P E Eltes (2021), "Working together: surgeon and engineer for the patient-specific treatment of complicated spinal deformities” (Invited Talk)  41st SICOT orthopaedic world congress, Budapest, HU, 15-18 September 2021.

J Fayad, M Turbucz, P E Eltes, L Kiss, P P Varga, A Lazary (2021), "Clinical Gait Analysis and Mapping of the Bony Fusion following Sacrectomy: A Case Report" (PDF, 15KB). Global Spine Congress 2021, Paris, FR, 3-6 November 2021.

Journal publications

J Fayad, M Turbucz, B Hajnal, F Bereczki, M Bartos, A Bank, A Lazary, P E Eltes (2021), “Complicated postoperative flat back deformity correction with the aid of virtual and 3D printed anatomical models: case report”, Frontiers in Surgery, 8, pp 157.

P E Eltes, M Turbucz, J Fayad, F Bereczki, G Szőke, T Terebessy, D Lacroix, P P Varga, A Lazary (2022), “A Novel Three-Dimensional Computational Method to Assess Rod Contour Deformation and to Map Bony Fusion in a Lumbopelvic Reconstruction After En-Bloc Sacrectomy”, Frontiers in Surgery, 8.

J Fayad, P E Eltes, A Lazary, L Cristofolini, R Stagni (2022), "Stereophotogrammetric approaches to multi-segmental kinematics of the thoracolumbar spine: a systematic review", BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23, 1080.

B Hajnal, P E Eltes, F Bereczki, M Turbucz, J Fayad, A J Pokorni, A Lazary (2022), "New method to apply the lumbar lordosis of standing radiographs to supine CT-based virtual 3D lumbar spine models", Scientific Reports, 12, 20382.

PhD Thesis

Planning and assessment techniques for spine surgeries (2022)

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Spinner fellow ESR5: Marco Sensale

Modelling spinal surgical procedures.

Nationality: Italian

Recruiting institution: Ansys

Academic institution: The University of Sheffield

Industrial institution: Ansys

Marco's aim is to deliver highly efficient computational models of spinal surgeries to challenge the current clinical practice.

Marco graduated in Biomedical Engineering with a major in Biomechanics at the Politecnico di Torino, Turin (Italy). His dissertation thesis focused on an interdisciplinary project about uncertainty quantification of the biomechanics of soft tissues as keloid/skin composite. For this project, he worked mainly at the University of Luxembourg. Before, he participated in an Erasmus+ period in France, where he also did an R&D internship at FEMTO-ST, Besançon (France).

Marco is now back in France working at ANSYS Lyon and pursuing his studies as a postgraduate at the University of Sheffield (UK). He applied for a position in Spinner because he wanted to develop research skills in a company-related environment.

He is led by the conviction that a synergy between universities and companies could exploit current advancements and future achievements of biomedical research to make a breakthrough in surgical tools for the third millennium operating room.

Files

Public summary of ESR5’s first year report (PDF, 239KB)

ESR5's mid term presentation (PDF, 1.6MB)

ESR5's Final Spinner Event Presentation (PDF, 1.8 MB)

Conference presentations

M Sensale, T Vendeuvre, C Schilling, T Grupp, M Rochette, E Dall’Ara, (2020), “Sensitivity analyses for subject-specific finite element models of spine fixation” (PDF, 181KB). VPH2020 Conference, Paris, 26 - 28 August 2020.

M Sensale, L Geronzi, M E Biancolini, T Vendeuvre, M Rochette, E Dall’Ara, “Application of reduced order modelling techniques for stress analysis in spine fixation” (PDF, 192KB). European Society of Biomechanics Conference 2021, Milan, 11 - 14 July 2021.

M Sensale, T Vendeuvre, A Germeneau, C Grivot, E Dall’Ara, M Rochette, “Prediction of the shape of human lumbar vertebrae from adjacent ones by singular values decomposition” (PDF, 179KB). XXVIII Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB), Stockholm, 25 - 29 July 2021.

M Sensale, T Vendeuvre, A Germaneau, C Grivot, M Rochette, E Dall’Ara, “Prediction of the pre-fracture shape of the L1 vertebral body from adjacent vertebrae” (PDF, 106KB). BioMedEng21, Sheffield, 6-7 September 2021.

Grey literature

M Biancolini, M Sensale, (2019), “RBF morph speeds real-time design-data feedback”, Robotics and Automation, Web, 30 October 2019.

M Biancolini, M Sensale, (2020), “Mesh morphing explained: learn the advantages of mesh-morphing. Proper mesh morphing can lead to faster runtimes and predictions.”, Design News, Web, 24 January 2020.

Journal publications

M Sensale, T Vendeuvre, C Schilling, T Grupp, M Rochette, E Dall’Ara (2021), “Patient-specific finite element models of posterior pedicle screw fixation: effect of screw’s size and geometry”, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.

M Sensale, T Vendeuvre, A Germaneau, C Grivot, M Rochette, E Dall'Ara (2023), "Prediction of the 3D shape of the L1 vertebral body from adjacent vertebrae", Medical Image Analysis, 87, 102827. 
 

PhD Thesis

Computational models for the pre-operative planning of spinal surgeries (2021)

Full thesis now available.

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Spinner fellow ESR6: Cameron James

Statistical shape modelling and reduced order modelling techniques for patient-specific models.

Nationality: British

Recruiting institution: Adagos

Academic institution: The University of Sheffield

Industrial institution: Adagos

Cameron graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2018 with an MEng in Bioengineering, specialising in medical devices and systems. His main research interests include the medical applications of deep learning and control systems.

During his time in Sheffield, Cameron was extremely enthusiastic about his subject and could often be found applying his bioengineering knowledge outside of the classroom, both as volunteer at ReMap and as a project leader in Sheffield Bionics Society.

As a Spinner fellow, Cameron is based at ADAGOS, France. His research focuses on the development of reduced-order, patient-specific modelling techniques for real-time surgical simulation. Alongside his work at ADAGOS, Cameron is continuing his studies at the University of Sheffield as a PhD student in the ACSE department.

Files

Public summary of ESR6’s first year report (PDF, 491KB)

ESR6's mid term presentation (PDF, 1.01MB)

Conference presentations

C James, M Masmoudi, K Bastova, L Guo, “Stress analysis of a vertebra using artificial neural networks and mesh morphing” (PDF, 563KB). European Society of Biomechanics Conference 2021, Milan, 11 - 14 July 2021.

C A James, M Masmoudi, K Bashtova, L Guo, “A Deep Learning Approach for Stress Analysis of Vertebrae” (PDF, 393KB). BioMedEng21, Sheffield, 6-7 September 2021.