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Contactless treatment for scoliosis by electromagnetically controlled shape-memory alloy rods: a preliminary study in rabbits

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a system aiming to correct scoliosis called “electromagnetically controlled shape-memory alloy rods” (EC-SMAR) used in a rabbit model.

Methods

We heat-treated shape-memory alloy (SMA) rods to achieve a transition temperature between 34 and 47 °C and a C-shape austenite phase. We then developed a water-cooled generator capable of generating an alternating magnetic field (100 kHz) for induction heating. We next studied the efficacy of this system in vitro and determined some parameters prior to proceeding with animal experiments. We then employed a rabbit model, in which we fixed a straight rod along the spinous processes intraoperatively, and conducted induction heating postoperatively every 4 days for 1 month, while performing periodic X-ray assessments.

Results

Significant kyphotic deformations with Cobb angles of about 45° (p < 0.01) were created in five rabbits, and no complications occurred throughout the experiment. The rabbits are still very much alive and do not show any signs of discomfort.

Conclusions

This is the first system that can modulate spinal deformation in a gradual, contactless, noninvasive manner through electromagnetic induction heating applied to SMA alloy rods. Although this study dealt with healthy spines, it provides promising evidence that this device also has the capacity to correct human kyphosis and even scoliosis in the future.

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Data availability

The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also form a part of an ongoing study.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Major Program of Hubei Technical Innovation Special Project, [Project No. 2017ACA098], the Health Care of Yellow Crane Talent Plan of Wuhan City, [Grant No. 17], and Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University Science, Technology and Innovation Seed Fund Project, [Project No. znpy2016055]. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Zhiqiang Hou, Zhibo Liu, Xiaobin Zhu, Yuanlong Xie, Feifei Yan, Minhao Wu, Xiaoxiao Liang, Zhouming Deng, Chao Hu, Kangwen Xiao, Shiliang Chen, Yan Chen, Zheyu Wu & Lin Cai

  2. School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Hao Yin

  3. Electronic Information School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Zeheng Zhang, Xudong Gu & Binbin Ni

  4. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

    Qingping Sun

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  1. Zhiqiang Hou
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  2. Zhibo Liu
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  3. Xiaobin Zhu
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  4. Yuanlong Xie
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  19. Lin Cai
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Contributions

LC, XBZ, ZQH, ZBL, YLX, FFY, ZMD, CH, and MHW conceived and designed the experiments and reviewed the manuscript. ZHZ, XDG, and BBN designed and made the induction device. HY and QPS treated the rod and provided the infrared thermal camera and universal testing machine and also helped with the machines and software. ZQH, ZBL, YLX, FFY, MHW, XXL, SLC, KWX, YC, and ZYW performed the experiments, and ZQH, ZBL, YLX, FFY analyzed the results and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Xiaobin Zhu or Lin Cai.

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Hou, Z., Liu, Z., Zhu, X. et al. Contactless treatment for scoliosis by electromagnetically controlled shape-memory alloy rods: a preliminary study in rabbits. Eur Spine J 29, 1147–1158 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-019-06207-7

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