3D-printed spinal fusion cages designed to reduce infections
3D Printed Silicon Nitride Porous PEEK Composite Spinal Cages for Anti-Infection
This project builds a 3D-printed spinal fusion cage that combines silicon nitride and PEEK to lower infection risk and help bone heal for people needing spinal fusion surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sintx Technologies, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10934363 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you need a spinal fusion, this project is creating a new 3D-printed cage that combines silicon nitride (an antimicrobial ceramic) with PEEK (a strong, flexible plastic). The team will make porous composite cages and run mechanical tests and long-term lab and animal experiments, including surgeries where infection is intentionally introduced to see how the cages perform. They aim for the cage to encourage bone to grow into it, resist bacterial colonization, withstand normal spine loading, and remain visible on imaging. If the preclinical results are positive, the company plans to prepare a 510(k) submission to the FDA so the device can move toward use in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who are scheduled to undergo spinal fusion surgery for persistent neck or back pain and who are concerned about implant-related infection or fusion failure.
Not a fit: People who do not need spinal fusion surgery or who have unrelated spinal conditions would not benefit from this device development work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this device could lower the rate of spinal implant infections and improve bone healing after fusion surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Silicon nitride implants have shown lower-than-average infection reports in other spinal uses, but combining silicon nitride with PEEK in a 3D-printed porous fusion cage is a newer approach that is still being validated in preclinical tests.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Sintx Technologies, INC. — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bock, Ryan — Sintx Technologies, INC.
- Study coordinator: Bock, Ryan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.