A Semi-Analytic Elastic Rod Model of Pediatric Spinal Deformity

Sunder Neelakantan; Prashant K Purohit; Saba Pasha

doi:10.1115/1.4048400

A Semi-Analytic Elastic Rod Model of Pediatric Spinal Deformity

J Biomech Eng. 2021 Feb 1;143(2):021010. doi: 10.1115/1.4048400.

Authors

Sunder Neelakantan¹, Prashant K Purohit¹, Saba Pasha²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
² Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104; Department of Surgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

PMID: 32909595
DOI: 10.1115/1.4048400

Abstract

The mechanism of the scoliotic curve development in healthy adolescents remains unknown in the field of orthopedic surgery. Variations in the sagittal curvature of the spine are believed to be a leading cause of scoliosis in this patient population. Here, we formulate the mechanics of S-shaped slender elastic rods as a model for pediatric spine under physiological loading. Second, applying inverse mechanics to clinical data of the subtypes of scoliotic spines, with characteristic 3D deformity, we determine the undeformed geometry of the spine before the induction of scoliosis. Our result successfully reproduces the clinical data of the deformed spine under varying loads, confirming that the prescoliotic sagittal curvature of the spine impacts the 3D loading that leads to scoliosis.

Keywords: classification; pediatric; reduced-order modeling; rod mechanics; sagittal profile; scoliosis; spine.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Humans
Scoliosis*
Spine