Spinal Implants From: NASA Tech Briefs Insider - 07/26/2005 Mechanical and biomedical engineers at Purdue University have developed specialized hydraulic machines and software to help industry create better and longer-lasting implants for people suffering from spinal injuries, disease, and age-related wear. Implants are attached to spines from cadavers, and then the spines are tested in the Purdue Spine Simulator, a hydraulic machine that recreates the spine's natural movements and shows how the implants stand up to everyday activities. Data from the experiments also are being used to validate a complex computer model, which companies will use to test implants. The software is a "finite element model," an application widely used in industry that contains a series of geometric shapes, each providing specific data describing a part's strength and other characteristics. Read the complete story at: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html4ever/2005/050720.Hillberry.spine.html Links: Kinematic Spine Simulator http://widget.ecn.purdue.edu/~mebiomat/Bcurrent.html Machines, Software Model Helping to Create Better Spinal Implants http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/513273/ Creating Better Spinal Implants - Hydraulic Machines and Software http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=27952&language=spanish http://i-newswire.com/pr38209.html