Exosuit for Measuring Lumbar Erector Spinae Stiffness in Adolescents With Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Non-Invasive Monitoring Method

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis requires continuous monitoring to ensure effective treatment and manage progression. The current standard of care primarily involves X-ray monitoring. While effective, this method poses long-term risks due to the ionizing radiation it emits, which can harm body cells over time. To address this issue, a non-invasive monitoring method has been proposed and implemented in the form of a lumbar exosuit. This innovative exosuit measures muscle stiffness asymmetry, which literature identifies as a predictor of scoliosis progression. The exosuit mechanism utilizes Hooke’s Law to measure stiffness, requiring both force and displacement data. These are obtained through a load cell and a rotary encoder, respectively. The cable-based mechanism was tested on the lumbar erector spinae muscles of a 14 -year-old patient with mild lumbar scoliosis. The results were validated through electromyography acquisition on the same muscles. The study revealed that stiffness is greater on the concave side of the major scoliotic curve and that its asymmetry varies under different applied forces. This paper lays a crucial foundation for developing a new monitoring device that could potentially replace X-rays. Such a device would serve as an essential tool for physiotherapists, aiding in the reduction of muscle stiffness and providing a safer, more effective means of monitoring scoliosis progression. By reducing use of ionizing radiation, this advancement could significantly enhance patient care and long-term health outcomes for individuals with AIS.