Robotic Spine Exoskeleton (RoSE): Characterizing the 3-D Stiffness of the Human Torso in the Treatment of Spine Deformity

Spine deformity is typically treated with a brace that fits around the torso and hips to correct the abnormal curve of the spine. While bracing has been shown to curtail progression of abnormal spine curves, current braces impose several limitations due to their rigid, static, and sensor-less designs: (1) forces and moments exerted by the brace cannot be measured or modulated and (2) the 3-D stiffness of the human torso has not been characterized-these may be important factors to be considered in bracing treatment. We address these limitations using a robotic spine exoskeleton (RoSE), capable of controlling the position/orientation of specific cross sections of the human torso while simultaneously measuring the forces/moments exerted on the body. Eight healthy subjects and two subjects with spine deformity participated in a study to characterize the 3-D stiffness of their torso. The results show that the 3-D stiffness of human torso can be characterized using RoSE and indicated that the spine deformities induce torso stiffness characteristics significantly different from the healthy subjects. These characteristics are curve-specific and present a pronounced asymmetry. These results open up the possibility for the design of spine braces incorporating patient specific torso stiffness characteristics and potential for new interventions using the dynamic modulation of 3-D forces for spine deformity treatment.