Dr. Douglas Kiester develops implant that stretches ligaments to treat Scoliosis

[Ballet Mom]

Kevin_MC

In the cadaver study the surgeons derotated the spine by cutting the ligaments on the rib head joints.

To me that is conclusive evidence that ligaments play a significant role in Scoliosis.

However is there an obvious, alternate interpretation of the study? Could ligaments be excluded from the etiology of Scoliosis despite this phenomenon?

Dr. Kiester believes it's primarily the ligamentum flavum that is tight.


From his CV:

One of my patents is for a means of correcting adolescent scoliosis based on the
premise that adolescent scoliosis is caused by posterior spinal elements (primarily the ligamentum flavum)
staying tight while the spine is trying to grow and elongate.


From the patent application I posted a couple of years ago:

http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...-need-to-read&

Dr. Kiester thinks that AIS is the result of a tight ligament during rapid growth. He says "The evidence for this assumption is impressive and overwhelming."

Adolescent (also called idiopathic) scoliosis is believed to be the direct result of a tight ligamentum flavum during rapid growth. The ligamentum flavum is a strong discontinuous (or segmental) ligament full of elastic fibers (which gives it its yellow color) that runs along the posterior aspect of the spinal canal. The posterior aspect of the dura, at any given spinal level, touches lamina for one third of its length, and ligamentum for the other two thirds. In the lumbar spine it acts as the center of rotation (and maybe the center of rotation for the thoracic as well, which would help explain the limited rotation available in the thoracic spine).

[0006]If indeed scoliosis is the result of a tight ligamentum flavum, then correction of scoliosis should be achievable by mechanical stretching. Rapid correction of a scoliotic curve is now possible because great force through multiple points of solid fixation are now available. These methods still, however, are described as steps toward inserting instrumentation for a fusion of vertebrae. A slower and steady stretch over time, would be much less violent, and would allow the use of much less force and fewer points of fixation.

[0007]What is needed is some kind of device and mechanics to perform the needed mechanical stretching.

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/2009...#ixzz0XAFQhnSz

[Dingo]

Ballet Mom

Holy smokes you are on top of this! I didn't know any of this was happening. I only had a vague notion that scientists were interested in ligament deformation.

GOOD JOB!!!!

[Ballet Mom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligamenta_flava

[Ballet Mom]

Ballet Mom

Holy smokes you are on top of this! I didn't know any of this was happening. I only had a vague notion that scientists were interested in ligament deformation.

GOOD JOB!!!!

Thanks Dingo. I've only been interested in this because I always felt that there was something tethering my daughter's spine that was noticeable during her growth spurts. And I wondered if her flexibility and ballet helped to stretch out the ligament. During growth it couldn't stretch it out fast enough and so pulled on her spine causing her right scapula to stick out a lot more and then when the growth spurts would stop, the stretching managed to catch the ligament back up to her spine growth. Who knows...it just made sense to me so I've always been interested in his theory....which he apparently doesn't believe is a theory, lol.

[flerc]

Dr. Kiester believes it's primarily the ligamentum flavum that is tight.

I have heard about a similar theory but about some muscles. Also that some exercise (regardless the age) may stretch that muscles. The last may also be say about that ligament?

[Ballet Mom]

I have heard about a similar theory but about some muscles. Also that some exercise (regardless the age) may stretch that muscles. The last may also be say about that ligament?

It sounds like Dr. Kiester thinks that directed exercise could stretch the ligament enough that may allow some reduction in the curve. Good news I think, everyone to the torso rotation machines, lol!

Dr. Kiester) Reasonably directed exercise is of huge impact which is why the immobilization of body bracing has such negative effects. The amount the ligaments have to stretch to stop the progression of the curve is surprisingly small. Thus a little exercise of an effective kind may even result in some reversal of the deformity. Doing a moderate force of continuous stretching (like putting braces on teeth) is when the goal is complete or near complete restitution of the normal anatomy.