1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Investigation into Etiology of Idiopathic Scoliosis
| Project/Area Number |
08650105
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Materials/Mechanics of materials
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| Research Institution | TOYOHASHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY |
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Principal Investigator |
AZEGAMI Hideyuki TOYOHASHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY,Faculty of Engineering, Associate Professor, 工学部, 助教授 (70175876)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1996 – 1997
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| Keywords | Scoliosis / Idiopathic Scoliosis / Thoracic Type / Growth / Buckling / Numerical Analysis / Finite Element Method |
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| Research Abstract |
Since the appearance of idiopathic scoliosis is characterized by deformation of the spine, etiological research into mechanical aspects can help to establish the foundations for investigation of physiological causes and development of suitable treatments. The objective of this study was to make clear the mechanical etiology of thoracic idiopathic scoliosis, focusing on the hypothesis of a buckling mechanism generated by an imbalance in the growth speeds between the vertebrae and the surrounding structures as advocated by Shinoda et al.and Dickson et al.A finite element model of the spine together with the thoracic cage was maid to analysis growth deformation in the T4 to T10 vertebrae. The results yielded deformation that reduced thoracic kyphosis similar to what is observed in healthy children in early adolescence. In the process of increasing this deformation, the first to the fourth buckling modes were obtained, corresponding to the first bending mode in the coronal plane, the first rotation mode, the first bending mode in the sagittal plane, and the second bending mode in the coronal plane. The shape of the fourth mode agreed well with the clinical shapes. Considering the effect of posture on controlling the generation of these first bending and rotation modes and the absence of major muscles to correct the second bending mode, we presented a hypothesis that the 2nd bending mode in the coronal plane is one of the most likely etiological candidates in the mechanics of thoracic idiopathic scoliosis. To evaluate the growth rate and the shape of the fourth buckling mode precisely, nonlinear analysis using a more refined finite element model and experiment with a mechanical model were attemped. In the term of the research project, we made the finite element model and done a preliminary experiment. Sufficient results will be obtained in the future work.
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