Superelastic NiTi springs for corrective skull operations in children with craniosynostosis.

This paper concerns the formation and characterization of superelastic springs and rings of NiTi alloys for long-term skull correction. Superelastic properties of the rings were induced in the process of ageing of the already formed rings which cause hardening of parent phase by the precipitation of coherent Ni(4)Ti(3) particles. The efficacy of the worked out springs and rings were successfully proved in several clinical applications.