Ohio State researchers are creating customized spine models to reflect patients' specific anatomies, according to OSU.edu.
Here are five highlights:
1. Ehud Mendel, MD, and William Marras, PhD, are combining their medicine and engineering expertise to produce personalized computer spine models.
2. The dynamic models reflect muscle location and size, motion and muscle activities and specific anatomic details.
3. Surgeons may use the models to choose the best surgical approach based on a specific patient's anatomy.
4. Dr. Marras, director of the Spine Research Institute and professor in the physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics and neurological surgery departments, has been developing this spine modeling for more than 30 years. The biomechanical models allow surgeons to see how much force certain approaches put on tissues, muscles and bones.
5. Dr. Mendel, director of the Spine Program and professor in the neurological surgery, orthopedics, internal medicine and integrated systems engineering departments, praises Dr. Marras' spine models, which he uses to predict outcomes.