A researcher from our top-rated Engineering Department has helped develop innovative 'super elastic' springs used for the first time in the world to treat a baby with a rare skull condition.
Dr Alessandro Borghi has designed the new springs as part of a long-running collaboration between engineers at University College London (UCL) and surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH).
Personalised treatment
The springs are made from nitinol, a flexible metal alloy of nickel and titanium.
Unlike traditional stainless-steel springs, they can gradually change shape and apply a gentle, steady force to a child's skull.
The aim is to help the skull reshape more naturally as new bone grows, potentially reducing the need for further surgery.
A device for complex conditions
The project began while Dr Borghi was a senior research associate at UCL's Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, working under Professor Silvia Schievano.
Dr Borghi developed the new device in collaboration with the GOSH Craniofacial Surgery Unit, led by Professor David Dunaway and Professor Owase Jeelani.
He used computer modelling to test how the springs would behave in different skull shapes.
The results suggested that the nitinol springs could open more slowly and provide a lower, more consistent force than existing devices.
Dr Borghi then designed the device, oversaw its manufacture and supported laboratory testing. He also helped plan the first operation and attended the procedure.
Positive results
In September 2025, the new springs were implanted in Rory, a baby diagnosed with severe sagittal craniosynostosis, a condition in which part of the skull joins together too early.
Rory's surgery at GOSH took around 45 minutes. He went home the following day, with the springs gradually reshaping his skull over the next nine weeks.
The springs were then removed after the desired result had been achieved.
Dr Borghi said: "It is extremely rewarding to see our research efforts translate into a tangible improvement in the life of a newborn baby.
"This achievement demonstrates the real-world impact that can be achieved through close collaboration between engineering and clinical research."
The team hopes the technology can eventually be made available to more children. Because the springs are a new medical device, each patient currently requires individual approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The research was supported by Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre.
