 |
Project to Aid Scoliosis Patients in Developing Countries
By Keira Lonergan and Joyce Tan A seminar on a new technology to help scoliosis
patients in developing countries will be presented May 19-23 at Don
Bosco University in El Salvador. The scoliosis project was
developed by students from the Illinois Institute of Technology in
collaboration with the Northwestern University Prosthetic Orthotic
Center (NUPOC) from a prototype designed by Jose Miguel Gomez, MD,
and Don Bosco graduate Nicolas Rojas.
 |
NUPOC and IIT students tackle a scoliosis case. |
|
The Illinois Institute of Technology's (IIT) first
IPRO dedicated to learning through service has spent the last
semester and a half delving into the world of scoliosis and its
modalities of treatment to bring to the forefront a new technology
to help treat patients with scoliosis.
"What is IPRO?" you ask. The IIT Interprofessional Projects
(IPRO)SM Program engages multidisciplinary teams of students in
semester-long undergraduate projects based on real-world topics
from sponsors that reflect the diversity of the workplace:
corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, nonprofit organizations,
and government agencies. The teams are led by mentors from the
faculty and the sponsor. Teams may include students from all
academic levels, and across IIT's professional programs
(engineering, science, business, law, psychology, design, and
architecture). Integration of both vertical (bridging academic
levels) and horizontal (bridging professional programs) dimensions
within a project team experience is distinctive in higher education
today--stimulating student interaction.
Low Cost, Low-Tech System
In September of 2002, 30 IPRO projects were initiated. The 2002
award for Best IPRO Project was given to a team of students on a
mission to help the world's scoliosis population. Their goal is to
teach about the benefits and use of this technology by co-hosting a
seminar in May 2003 for orthotists and other medical practitioners
at Don Bosco University in Soyapango, El Salvador.
In preparation for this event, the team has been working
diligently on developing user-friendly instructions and
presentations designed to efficiently teach others how to use their
new "low-cost, low-tech" system--known as "The Kit."
 |
A "Kit Prototype A |
|
A series of trial seminars began on March 8, when
three orthotic students from NUPOC attended a session to critique
the design, applications, and benefits of "The Kit." NUPOC students
Daniel Rinella, Dean Woolcock, and Chong Shrout had shown a strong
interest in the project when it was mentioned in a lecture at
Northwestern. NUPOC and IIT student teams worked together in
solving scoliosis case studies, utilizing "The Kit" and its unique
procedures.
According to the students, "The Kit" is being constructed to be
used globally as an agent of standardization in the orthotics
field. The original prototype was developed by Nicolas Rojas, a Don
Bosco University orthotics and prosthetics school graduate, and Dr.
Jose Miguel Gomez, a physician and certified orthotist from Bogota,
Colombia, who identified a need for the system.
"The Kit"--What It Does
Scoliosis can lead to severe deformity and other potential
complications. Surgery is often required in severe cases. However,
corrective surgery for scoliosis can be risky and painful. In many
countries it can be challenging and cost-prohibitive. Bracing often
presents as an effective alternative treatment to halt the
progression of the curvature and prevent surgery for scoliosis. The
measurement process for a brace is frequently subjective and
variable in technique. The purpose of this IPRO project is to
address this shortcoming.
"The Kit" uses a simple set of adjustable pads and straps to
maintain static or translatory forces on the torso. It employs a
unique method of efficient force application and measurement, using
principles taught by Professor Meade in the engineering program at
IIT.
Currently, students are making final preparations for their
course presentation and raising funds to finance their trip to Don
Bosco University in El Salvador.
To learn more about this IPRO project, contact Kevin Meade, PhD,
at meade@iit.edu. 
Table Of Contents - May 2003
|
|
