{"72360":{"#nid":"72360","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Shape-memory Materials May Aid Orthopedic Surgery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn early stage medical-materials company based at the Georgia Institute of Technology is developing devices that may soon improve the treatment of human orthopedic conditions. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedShape Solutions Inc.\u0027s research focuses on \u0027shape-memory\u0027 polymers and alloys -- solid materials that can change shape on demand. Company leaders say these materials- ability to mold actively to human bone and tissue will make them useful in several types of reconstructive surgery.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedShape\u0027s shape-memory approach - which is patent-pending and expected to go into human trials soon -- derives from the work of Ken Gall, a Georgia Tech associate professor. Gall and several other scientists have been developing these materials at Georgia Tech and the University of Colorado for several years.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Most of the materials used in medicine are inactive, such as titanium, stainless steel, polyurethane, and acrylic - they cannot respond to anything,\u0022 said Gall, who has appointments in both the School of Materials Science and Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering.  \u0022By contrast, our materials are mechanically active - they respond to the human body by changing shape.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne MedShape product application, called ShapeLoc(TM), has been designed for use in knee surgery.  Currently, Gall explains, surgeons drill tunnels in bone and then anchor tendons into those tunnels with plastic or metal screw threads that often intrude into and injure tissue.  By contrast, ShapeLocs\u0027 shape-memory polymer fits into a surgical tunnel along with the tendon, conforming around the delicate tendon to hold it in place.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This approach provides an easier surgical approach and stronger initial fixation, as well as better bone-tendon healing,\u0022 explains MedShape president and CEO Kurt Jacobus, who has a mechanical engineering science doctorate as well as five years of management-consulting experience with McKinsey \u0026amp; Co.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedShape expects to soon market another product application called the DynaNail(TM) system, a shape-memory alloy designed to help patients with diabetes and other conditions who suffer from soft-tissue damage in their lower extremities, resulting in debilitating ankle pain.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, doctors address this tissue-damage problem with a procedure called ankle fusion, Gall said.  This approach has a fairly low success rate because titanium and stainless-steel surgical nails often fail to maintain compression during the healing process.  The DynaNail device employs \u0027pseudo elastic\u0027 properties that allow it to achieve compression until bone fusion and healing can take place, avoiding the need for additional surgery or possible amputation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedShape has several other follow-on devices in the pipeline, Jacobus said.  He expects these product applications to be useful in several areas of orthopedic surgery.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe work underlying MedShape\u0027s current product applications began about 10 years ago at the University of Colorado, where Gall began his academic career. The basic research, performed by Gall and others, received about $4 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation over a number of years, as well as about $1 million in private-placement funding.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGall moved to Georgia Tech in 2005, and MedShape has received significant State of Georgia support since then.  VentureLab -- a unit of Georgia Tech Commercialization Services that aids fledgling companies based on faculty discoveries - helped the company win $125,000 in Georgia Research Alliance commercialization grants.  Moreover, in recent months Medshape has moved into on-campus research and office space.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022MedShape stood out above many other startup projects,\u0022 said Greg Dane, a Commercialization Services technology-evaluation manager who advises the company.  \u0022The first reason is the technology itself, which has received major funding for years and has a strong patent position. Second, the management is quite strong - you don\u0027t often find someone like Kurt Jacobus, who has a Ph.D.-level background in the science itself as well as extensive management experience.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u0027s founders include several staff scientists, including Reed Bartz, M.D., a specialist in orthopedic surgery and team physician for the University of Nebraska; Douglas Pacaccio, D.P.M., a specialist in foot and ankle reconstruction, and Chris Yakacki, M.S., a doctoral candidate and shape-memory materials scientist.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedShape\u0027s leaders are currently weighing several options for funding their initial products\u0027 path to the market, which will include further product development, U.S. Food \u0026amp; Drug Administration clearance, human trials and manufacturing.  At this time, they say, they have not decided between a round of venture-capital funding or a strategic partnership with a large company or consortium.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022No matter which path we take, we\u0027re still going to bring the same products to market,\u0022 Jacobus said. \u0022We now have seven full-time employees, and we expect to have a product to market in two years.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson (404-694-2284); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erick.robinson@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.toon@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Ken Gall (404-894-2781); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ken.gall@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eken.gall@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Company formed to commercialize materials that conform to bone and tissue"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"An early stage medical-materials company based at the Georgia Institute of Technology is developing devices that may soon improve the treatment of human orthopedic conditions.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Company formed to commercialize new materials"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2007-01-16 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:29","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2007-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2007-01-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"72361":{"id":"72361","type":"image","title":"Shape-memory alloy nail","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72362":{"id":"72362","type":"image","title":"Fixation device","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"},"72363":{"id":"72363","type":"image","title":"Testing materials","body":null,"created":"1449177454","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:17:34","changed":"1475894656","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:16"}},"media_ids":["72361","72362","72363"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/venturelab","title":"Georgia Tech VentureLab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Gall\/gall.html","title":"Ken Gall"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1692","name":"materials"},{"id":"7583","name":"orthopedia"},{"id":"169765","name":"shape-memory"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}