Problems identified with all growing rods including MAGEC

[flerc]

Surely to make aware all the professionals should to be the best.. .. and certainly.. is impossible to get a change in a forum like this from the inside..
But I don't understand right what is happening. We knows that many times before, they said even so much unacceptable things, but of course always against alternative methods or professionals.
Magec is a surgical technique supported by important surgeons..żż??.. may be because is still in a testing phase?.. it not seems to be a clear reason for me.. something I'm missing.. what may be??

[mariaf]

B) The same poster repeatedly insulting a respected scientist after he was gracious enough to grant this forum an interview.The truth is Linda Racine is not capable of moderating a simple, web forum. That's a sad testament on her limited abilities and professionalism.

I think it is unfair for anyone to attack Linda. And I certainly hope people aren't calling for her involvement in the hopes that she will 'take their side' (and I'm not accusing anyone of doing that) but it seems whenever people don't like what a member, in this case Pooka, posts they want Linda to come and see things their way. The truth is everyone here has different opinions. I think the only time Linda should speak up (and she does) is if it gets ugly with name calling, personal attacks, etc. That just takes away from the forum.

As for the statement that someone insulted "a respected scientist after he was gracious enough to grant this forum an interview" what exactly does that mean? Just because he gave an interview, he still has to stand behind what he says. His comments still are up for debate and dissection just like anyone else's, no? Perhaps even moreso because people may listen to him even more because of who he is. His statements cannot possibly be off limits, as I'm sure he realized (or should have) before he gave his 'interview'.

[Ballet Mom]

http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal..._of.98476.aspx



Spine:
POST ACCEPTANCE, 3 December 2011
doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318240ff67
Basic Science: PDF Only
Innovation in Growing Rod Technique: A Study of Safety and Efficacy of a Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod in a Porcine Model*
Akbarnia, Behrooz A. M.D.; Mundis, Gregory M. Jr. M.D.; Salari, Pooria M.D.; Yaszay, Burt M.D.; Pawelek, Jeff B. B.S.
Published Ahead-of-PrintAbstractStudy Design. Prospective in vivo randomized study.

Objective. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a distraction-based magnetically controlled growing rod (MCGR) in a porcine model.

Summary of Background Data. A high number of complications related to frequent surgical rod lengthenings has been a generally accepted outcome in growing rod surgery for early onset scoliosis (EOS). A potentially safer technique is a system that does not require repetitive surgery.

Material and Methods. Seven-month-old pigs were randomly assigned to an experiment group (EG; n = 6) and a sham group (SG; n = 3). One animal in the EG became paralyzed due to a misplaced pedicle screw and was euthanized per the study protocol. Therefore, a total of eight animals completed the study. The EG underwent weekly spine distraction using the MCGR. Spinal height was assessed by vertebral unit height (VUH) measurements on weekly lateral radiographs.

Results. A total of 49 mm of distraction across the unfused vertebral levels was planned over a seven-week period (7 mm per week). Radiographic analysis of the MCGR device revealed an average distraction of 39 mm (range: 32-46 mm), resulting in achievement of 80% of predicted spinal height. Prior to removal of implants, spinal height for the EG was similar to the SG. However, accelerated increase in VUH was noted in the EG during the three week period after implant removal, which resulted in significantly greater overall spinal height in the EG (32.2% vs. 11.7%, p<=0.05). No MCGR-related complications occurred.

Conclusions. The MCGR provided 80% of predicted spinal height by non-invasive remote distraction in this animal model. The accelerated increase in spinal height of the experimental animals after implant removal is an unexpected finding which will require further study to better understand the effect of distraction on spinal height. This study establishes a foundation for future research in an attempt to utilize a less invasive technique in distraction-based correction of EOS.(C) 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

[rohrer01]

Interesting read. A few questions, though, and maybe someone can answer and maybe not. Did the pigs have a scoliosis or were they just stretching their spines? In, my opinion, it is important to consider that these animals, while useful subjects for human studies, are quadrapeds and not bipeds. Could the extra growth after rod removal be attributed to that? Were the pigs juvenile? The increased lengthening could be attributed to continued growth. Bipeds, on the other hand, have gravity working against them. I'm wondering if the same increase has been seen in human trials. Anyway, it sounds promosing. One very BIG concern is that pig that became paralyzed. If I read the article correctly, it had to do with the actual surgery and NOT the grow rod itself. But, on the other hand, this should be a sobering reminder of how dangerous these operations are, notwithstanding that I'm quite sure they aren't as "careful" with the animals as they would be with a child.

[Pooka1]

One very BIG concern is that pig that became paralyzed. If I read the article correctly, it had to do with the actual surgery and NOT the grow rod itself. But, on the other hand, this should be a sobering reminder of how dangerous these operations are, notwithstanding that I'm quite sure they aren't as "careful" with the animals as they would be with a child.

To the extent there is "one safest placement" for pedicle screws, it is irrelevant that it was placed to anchor a growth rod versus in a fusion.

And I will disagree with them maybe not being careful... these guys want to publish the best dataset possible and losing that animal, given the total n, must have been a blow (besides being very sad). Anyway, I think these test animals in studies like this are routinely euthanized after the study is complete. So it's not like life or death. I could not do this type of research... I would be so busy just naming the animals and cuddling them. :-)

[Ballet Mom]

The reason I posted the article wasn't for the pedicle screw placement issues....although that should be a good reason for people to give a good shot at bracing. Who knows whether they even used spinal monitoring equipment on the pigs.

I think it's pretty apparent that the studies on growing rods like the one posted at the beginning of this thread are not necessarily going to hold for these rods. Things are happening that they don't understand and seem to be different than the studies they no doubt did for the original growing rods. To assume that the original study is applicable to MAGEC just isn't necessarily true.

I think people are just going to have to wait and see the results of the studies that are being done and then draw their conclusions instead of jumping to conclusions.

[flerc]

Some issues related with this were treated before in this thread, so I may think is not out off topic.
Of course is not the first time, but yesterday I have read an interesting post in this thread http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...exercise/page6 and when I wanted to reply.. it was not any more. I believe that in serious forums never occurs that. When a post is deleted, is possible to read the cause leading the moderator to do that. And OF COURSE the same occurs when someone is banned.
I know another kind of forums where the same that here occurs with posts.. and missing members is not unusual..