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Nor Amalina Muhayudin
Preferred name
Nor Amalina Muhayudin
Official Name
Nor Amalina, Muhayudin
Alternative Name
Muhayudin, Nor Amalina
Main Affiliation
Researcher ID
FQJ-2893-2022
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PublicationDevelopment and evaluation of synthetic paediatric mid-thoracic spine model for Scoliosis assessment( 2021)Scoliosis is a condition with abnormal spine lateral curvature that is affecting people of all ages but is the most common in children. Most of the studies that had investigated scoliosis-related subjects were using animal and adult spines; thus, in reality, they may not be representing the paediatric spine, as the paediatric spine is not the same and should not be treated as a miniature version of an adult spine. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a synthetic paediatric spine model and to evaluate the mechanical behaviour of the paediatric spine in comparison with adult and animal spines. The section of the spine selected for this research was the T4 to T8 mid-thoracic region. As the spine is such a complex structure, the fabrication process of the synthetic model was simplified by focusing on three main components; vertebra, intervertebral disc and spinal ligaments. The expandable PU foam was selected to replicate the trabecular bone. Meanwhile, the lightweight silicone materials were selected to model the intervertebral disc by replicating the nucleus pulposus, while the monothane® materials were used to model the annulus fibrosus. Additionally, the composite materials consisting of fibre tape and plastic silicone were used to represent the spinal ligaments. The synthetic paediatric spine was fabricated as a scaled-up model of the paediatric spine by 200%. Biomechanical tests were conducted to measure the range of motion (ROM) and non-linearity of the sigmoidal curves at six DOF, with moments ranging from between ±1 to ±4 Nm. The results were compared with the data reported on porcine spines (retrieved from prior literature) and an analogue adult lumbar spine (Sawbones®). The differences of 18% and 3%, respectively, were found in lateral bending and axial rotation of the synthetic paediatric spine, as compared to the porcine spine. Moreover, the flexion extension was observed to differ by 45%, but the ROM was still within the range. Similar sigmoidal curves were observed for all six DOF when compared to the analogue adult lumbar spine, where the flexion extension and axial rotation tended to be more linear. The paediatric ROM was measured using a validated paediatric FE model at ±0.5 Nm moment (i.e. paediatric loading) to determine the moment required by the synthetic paediatric spine to obtain the paediatric ROM. The results showed that in flexion extension, the paediatric ROM was closer to ±3 Nm moment, while in the lateral bending and axial rotation, the paediatric ROM was closer to ±2 Nm moment. The movements of the synthetic paediatric spine were found to be stiffer in the flexion extension but were more flexible in the lateral bending in comparison to the paediatric FE model. This was potentially due to the simplified design of the intervertebral disc, as well as the poor bonding between the disc and vertebrae. Despite that, the developed model showed promising results, hence suggested that the synthetic paediatric spine has the potential application as an alternative paediatric spine model. In the long term, this model could replace the animal and adult spines to investigate pathologies of the paediatric spine, such as scoliosis.
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