MERC has extensive experience with in vivo biological modeling for spinal arthrodesis, bone graft substitutes, motion preservation–based surgical reconstruction techniques, and neurotoxicity models.Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with severe, refractory Tourette syndrome (TS) has demonstrated promising but variable results thus far. Research projects are approved and closely monitored by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and strictly adhere to all applicable stipulations of the most recent version of the USDA Animal Welfare Act and Good Laboratory Practices. All facilities interacting with MERC are accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, compliant with the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, licensed by the US Department of Agriculture, and inspected by the Food and Drug Administration. Strict adherence to all applicable guidelines as outlined by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR, Title 21, part 58) and the USDA Animal Welfare Act is of utmost importance in these studies. MERC conducts a wide variety of pre-clinical in vivo modeling studies to assess safety and efficacy of implant materials and devices. Applications include measurement of bone formation and implant resorption, quantification of bone volume, and overall morphologic assessment. Moreover, 3D slicing algorithms can be used to quantify bone volume in multiple planes and orientations as observed on CT/MRI and MicroCT scans.

Biological tissue samples can be imaged in combination with implants and virtually delineated with the use of image registration and segmentation software. MicroCT offers greatly enhanced resolution, which approaches tens of microns, and provides a method of conducting 3D microscopy that can be applied in analysis of spinal implants and biological materials. The MicroCT core facility houses a high-energy desktop scanner with the flexibility to image large and small objects of variable density. Anterior Cervical Discectomy And FusionĪ comprehensive suite dedicated to visualization and quantitative assessment of radiographic plain films, high resolution microradiographs, computed tomography (CT), micro computed tomography (MicroCT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is available.

Picutres of globus simulation