Presurgical finite element simulation of scoliosis correction.

For surgical correction of scoliotic spinal deformity, internal fixation systems apply lateral and distractive corrective forces. In order to gain maximal correction, a finite--element analysis of the spinal deformity correction technique has been carried out preoperatively, after first employing the spinal deformity correction finite--element model to determine the in vivo spinal stiffness. The presurgical analysis also gives us an appreciation of how the parameters of deformity, stiffness and corrective forces jointly contribute to the value of the correction index. The paper presents the methodology and clinical application. It also summarizes the results for ten patients, whereby the efficacy of presurgical analysis is assessed by comparing the corrective index values by presurgical simulation with the surgical results for equivalent levels of corrective forces.