Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal abnormality causing complex three dimensional curvatures in the spine. Current surgical treatments for this adolescent spinal deformity are successful but invasive. Potential new treatments that are less invasive are being developed based on altering growth by mechanically redistributing stresses across the vertebral growth plates. In the literature, in vivo and in vitro tests have shown biomechanical changes in the disc and growth plates due to insertion of staple like implants used in these new methods. In order to understand the biomechanics behind these potential new methods, a nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) is performed and various biomechanical properties of the spinal segment with and without the implant are determined
A three-dimensional FE model of T7-T8 motion segment was developed from a CT scan of a porcine spine and imported to ABAQUS (an FEA software). Various material properties and contact interactions were used from the literature in determining the model that best predicted the available experimental load-displacement curve and the compressive properties of the disc. Bending loads were applied to this FE model to determine the reduction in the motion of the spinal segment. Sensitivity of the implant features were examined against the compressive properties of the disc.
Mechanobiological growth models have been partially developed to study various biomechanical factors causing deformities in spine. This available model was utilized in understanding how growth in a normal spine could be influenced due to the presence of these implants.