dc.contributor.advisor	Fisher, John P	en_US
dc.contributor.advisor	Dreher, Maureen L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hill, Genevieve A-L.	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Bioengineering	en_US
dc.contributor.publisher	Digital Repository at the University of Maryland	en_US
dc.contributor.publisher	University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2018-01-25T06:32:47Z
dc.date.available	2018-01-25T06:32:47Z
dc.date.issued	2017	en_US
dc.description.abstract	Early onset scoliosis (EOS) affects a vulnerable population of young children, and occurs at critical ages when the spine and thorax are developing. Children suffering with EOS have higher mortality rates due to cardiopulmonary complications; therefore, treatment for these patients can be life-saving. Pediatric growing rod constructs are an important treatment option for young patients with severe and progressive spinal deformities because they encourage growth and correction of the spinal curvature through successive lengthening procedures. However, growing rod constructs suffer from complication rates as high as 72%, which often lead to unplanned reoperations. To help prevent future failures of the same root cause, the failure mode and mechanism must be identified, which tell us how and why the devices failed respectively. This research included the first study to examine multiple, retrieved pediatric growing rod constructs from various sites to systematically investigate these significant items. The retrieval study revealed that rod fracture (failure mode) was due to bending fatigue (failure mechanism), and stress concentrations play an important role in rod fractures. The information obtained from the retrieval study enhanced the understanding of in vivo loading conditions experienced by the device and established clinically-relevant parameters for a mechanical bench model. This research also included the development and validation of a novel mechanical bench model that successfully replicated rod fracture due to bending fatigue. A mechanical bench model that is predicated on clinical outcomes can serve as a tool for engineers and researchers who are looking to improve pediatric growing rod constructs as it will enable them to make relevant predictions about the device’s resistance to failure. For example, the model was used in this research to investigate how the unique characteristics of pediatric growing rod constructs such as construct configuration and lengthening affect mechanical performance of the device. Key recommendations regarding surgical technique were identified in the retrieval study and verified through bench testing. The data obtained during this research can ultimately be used to reduce failure rates and unplanned revisions in this patient population.	en_US
dc.identifier	https://doi.org/10.13016/M2QV3C554
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1903/20419
dc.language.iso	en	en_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolled	Engineering	en_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolled	Biomechanics	en_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolled	Bioengineering	en_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolled	failure analysis	en_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolled	growing rod construct	en_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolled	mechanical testing	en_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolled	pediatric	en_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolled	scoliosis	en_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolled	spine	en_US
dc.title	FAILURE MECHANISMS OF PEDIATRIC GROWING ROD CONSTRUCTS	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US

FAILURE MECHANISMS OF PEDIATRIC GROWING ROD CONSTRUCTS

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