Find Zihao Zhang on
B.Biomed., M.D.
Dr Zihao Zhang joined the QUT Biomechanics Spine Research Group in 2025 as part of a 2 year combined Clinical/Masters position with the Queensland University of Technology and the Department of Orthopaedics at the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH). This position is proudly supported by Queensland X-Ray and the QCH.
His masters project focuses on the custom Medtronic semi-constrained growing rod surgical technique that is performed at the QCH in Brisbane, Australia. The growing rod (GR) technique is a fusionless surgical approach to reduce and control progressive spine deformity whilst allowing the young spine, ribcage and pulmonary structures to grow in early onset scoliosis. Traditional and Magnetic GR designs have resulted in a high rate of rod fracture, mechanism failure and auto-fusion of the spine. A previous biomechanical study by a former student (Dr Mark Quick) has shown that the custom semi-constrained growing rod (SCGR) system developed in Brisbane, Australia, allows a similar degree of axial rotation motion of the SCGR instrumented spine to that of an un-instrumented spine. Early results indicated that the semi-constrained GR system was effective and allowed regular lengthening procedures whilst controlling severe and progressive kyphoscoliosis deformity in patients under 10 years old of various aetiologies. It is postulated that the freedom of the SCGR instrumented spine to maintain its mobility, specifically its axial rotation, is allowing the growing spine to resist the complication of auto-fusion throughout the SCGR period. The additional benefits of avoiding auto-fusion are the maximisation of spine length and thorax growth (i.e. lung capacity) in this difficult and varied patient demographic.
Dr Zhang’s project will provide valuable insight through analysis of a large patient cohort who have undergone this procedure at the QCH to date.