An Exploration for New Strategy: Degradation Modeling and Treatment Scheduling for the Degenerative Spine based on Predictive Models

As human ages, their spine undergoes degeneration over time. It keeps progressing and may develop into severe spinal disease if no proper intervention is provided in time. Treatment scheduling is needed to prevent irreversible outcomes. However, currently the treatment for the degenerative spine is mainly scheduled based on clinicians' experience without considering the future state of the spine. Those determined by inexperienced clinicians may result in unexpected failures of that. This study aims to improve the treatment scheduling for the degenerative spine. The regression and stochastic models are used for spine degeneration modeling, where predictive and reliability-centered treatment strategies are proposed. A case study is conducted and the results show that both strategies lead to accurate results.