Irish scoliosis sufferers equipped with the “telescopic” Magec System Model X titanium support rods will be audited and may need to have the rods removed as a safety precaution.

Scoliosis is a condition concerning the severe curvature of the spine, affecting nearly one percent of Irish adolescents. The treatment is determined by the intensity of the condition, which includes back bracing and surgery. The surgery entails using titanium rods, which began production in 2017 to aid the most severe early onset cases to aid spinal and lung development in children as young as two years old.

After learning that patients experienced the split of an end cap in the device, revealing some of its internal mechanisms including alloy debris, it became the subject of a product recall notice. Furthermore, a source aware of the product mentioned the effects of the leaking components were still unclear. He said: “There is no advantage to leaving it in and there are many advantages to taking it out.”

Although the number of patients is unknown, US manufacturer NuVasive confirmed their product is being used in Ireland and surgeons have been informed about its faults. It said: “The decision to remove the device should be made by the physician in consultation with the patient and/or family.” The parent organisation for Ireland’s main paediatric hospitals, Children’s Health Ireland, issued a statement stating it was aware of the product recall and is evaluating the effect on patients.