Case Study: Rady Children’s Hospital achieves 3D-guided mechanical growth modulation for scoliosis with Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite

Mechanical Growth Modulation for Scoliosis Correction

Rady Children’s Hospital, led by Dr. Peter Newton, faced the challenge of treating adolescent scoliosis without resorting to spinal fusion, a procedure that halts growth and motion. The clinical team needed a rigorous, three-dimensional analysis to study a proposed anterolateral tether that redirects spinal growth, but typical assessments rely on two‑dimensional X‑rays and pediatric fusion‑free implants are not available. To address this, they used Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite to support the multidisciplinary 3D study.

Using Materialise’s Mimics Innovation Suite, the team generated 3D reconstructions from CT, MRI and micro‑CT, exported STL models into a custom MATLAB workflow, and computed vertebral axes, wedging angles and other deformation metrics. In a growing mini‑pig model the mechanical tether redirected growth and produced natural straightening, confirming that spinal growth can be mechanically modified; the Mimics tools produced fast, reliable multi‑modal 3D models that enabled quantitative analysis and modeling (ANSYS/MATLAB), improving data quality and guiding development of potential fusion‑free treatments.

Rady Children’s Hospital

Peter Newton

Rady Children’s Hospital