Patent ID: 7976568

Claim:
A method of providing a constant or substantially constant force for correcting spinal deformities in a human patient, the method comprising: providing a correction device comprising an elongated rod, the elongated rod having a pre-contoured shape of a normal degree of kyphosis and lordosis of at least a portion of the patient's spine, the elongated rod comprising a superelastic material having a transition temperature (Af) within the range of human body temperature; deforming the elongated rod to conform to a deformed portion of the patient's spine; mounting the deformed elongated rod to the patient's spine including the deformed portion, whereby the deformed elongated rod is capable of applying a correction force having a predetermined amount to correct the deformed portion of the patient's spine, the correction force being generated by the superelastic material at the patient's body temperature and in an austenite phase of the superelastic material; and maintaining the correction force at the predetermined amount until the deformed elongated rod resumes the pre-contoured shape to fully or substantially fully correct the spinal deformities; wherein the correction force is constant or substantially constant and controllable during spinal deformity correction, and wherein the spinal deformity is a deformity of scoliosis, kyphosis, or lordosis; and wherein the elongated rod is deformed before or simultaneously when the elongated rod is mounted to the patient's spine including the deformed portion.