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As the Director of Research and Development at Nanovis, Kreigh Williams drives the development of new nano surface technologies and supports the commercialization of nanoVIS Ti, the company’s flagship technology that can be applied to pure titanium and titanium alloys to increase and accelerate biological fixation. Here he discusses the nanotechnology and its role in helping orthopedic companies break free from developing “me-too” devices by creating the next generation biological-based spine and extremity implants.
What unmet clinical needs in spine surgery does nanoVIS Ti address?
Success in spine surgery depends on the bone fully integrating with the screw or implant, a process that begins the moment the device is placed and can take months to complete. During this critical window, complications such as micromotion, bacterial colonization or poor healing responses can derail patient outcomes. The question we asked was: What if every step of this process still occurred but it simply happened faster and more reliably? nanoVIS Ti addresses this need by accelerating osseointegration while simultaneously reducing bacterial colonization, improving vascularization and promoting the right inflammatory response. Together, these effects are designed to shorten the recovery timeline, strengthen fixation and ultimately improve patient healing.
How does nanoVIS Ti’s nano surface technology differ from other surface treatments or coatings used in spine implants?
Unlike many surface technologies that rely on coatings or added materials, nanoVIS Ti is not a coating at all. Our technology is engineered directly within the implant’s natural oxide layer, which means there’s nothing to flake or wear off over time. What makes our approach even more distinctive is tunability, meaning we can precisely adjust the nanotube diameter to optimize biological response. The ability of nanoVIS Ti to accelerate osseointegration is what allowed us to achieve FDA Nanotechnology Designation.
How does the technology balance manufacturability and scalability with performance advantages?
For us, manufacturability and scalability were never tradeoffs against performance. Our starting point was the data: What feature size within nanoVIS Ti was optimal to accelerate osseointegration? Once that was defined, every decision centered on consistently delivering the highest quality implant surface at scale. While this approach was the more difficult path, it’s one we embraced. It was necessary to achieve our vision of a technology that performs at the highest level biologically while being scalable for our partners.
In what ways will spine implant designs evolve in the coming years?
Many of the well-known mechanical levers in spine implants have already been pulled. Whether it’s material choices like titanium or PEEK, manufacturing methods such as 3D printing or porous architectures, the industry landscape has started to look increasingly similar. With fusion being inherently a biological outcome, isn’t a more biological solution worth considering? This is where nanotechnology can bridge the gap between mechanical design and biological performance. It allows us to take the same implant form factor and dramatically improve how it interacts with the body, accelerating and strengthening integration. With nanoVIS Ti, it’s not just about interbody fusion cages. The surface technology can improve outcomes for pedicle screws, VBRs and any device where accelerated osseointegration drives success. Over the next decade, I believe biological solutions like nanotechnology will not just play a role but help the continual raising of the bar for what spine implant performance can be.
How can nanotechnology impact orthopedics beyond spine?
Higher adoption in spine has been driven by successful outcomes in fusion surgery, a biological event. Other areas of orthopedics face challenges that nanotechnology can help address. It can make an immediate impact in foot and ankle procedures by addressing poor vascularization at the surgical site and in large joint replacements by reducing post-op infection risks. These are just a couple examples of where nanotechnology can improve patient outcomes, and I’m confident that the industry will create solutions that truly drive meaningful progress.
