The implant uses
electrical pulses to stimulate muscles. In the future,
the unit will be
implanted in the patient’s groin area. The picture shows
the prototype of
the implant. © Fraunhofer IPMS
(September 3, 2015) In
an effort to find a better treatment for spinal curvature in children and young
people, the EU’s “StimulAIS” project is focused on electrostimulation of
muscles. Fraunhofer scientists worked with partners from industry and research
to develop a prototype implant that would do the job.
“Sit up straight!” It’s an instruction almost every child
has heard some day – but sometimes being reminded to consider your posture
isn’t enough: two out of every hundred children and young people between the
ages of 10 and 18 suffer from a curvature of the spine. Known as adolescent
scoliosis, this growth disorder causes a lasting deformation of the back. These
deformations are clearly visible and sufferers often feel disfigured by them.
In nine out of ten cases, the exact causes of the spinal
curvature are unknown – what doctors refer to as idiopathic. Recent research
suggests that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, or AIS for short, is caused by a
disease of the central nervous system. “According to this theory, the
connection between the nerves and the relevant muscles is impaired, but only on
one side of the back. When muscles on the healthy side contract, the muscles on
the unhealthy side fail to receive the signal to balance the contraction out.
This causes the spinal column to twist and buckle,” explains Dr. Andreas Heinig
from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden.
Building on this theory and working with research and industry partners in
Spain and France, Heinig’s team has developed a novel approach to treat this
form of scoliosis. It makes use of functional electrostimulation, whereby
targeted electrical impulses replace the nerve signals that the disease has
caused to be either too weak or completely absent. The aim is for the impulses
to stimulate the deep muscles along the spinal column so that they build up the
necessary counter-contractions to allow symmetrical growth. Within the space of
just two years, the interdisciplinary European consortium was able to develop a
prototype implant.