Apparatus for securing a rod adjacent to a bone

摘要

A method and implant for the surgical treatment of scoliosis is disclosed. The method involves the segmental fixation of a rigid rod or rods to the abnormally curved portion of the spine. The rod is constructed of a shape-memory alloy such as nitinol. Prior to implementation, the rod is annealed and contoured into an ideal shape for a given patient. At the time of surgery, the rod is deformed to accommodate the existing curvature of the patient's spine and segmentally fixed thereto using novel bone clamps. The rod is then inductively heated to the transition temperature post-operatively to effect shape recovery and thereby apply corrective forces to the spine.