A newspaper in Gladstone, Mich., recently spotlighted Scottish Rite for Children pediatric surgeon Amy L. McIntosh, M.D., and her role as the first U.S. surgeon to implant the Spring Distraction System (SDS), a dynamic growth-friendly spinal device for children with early-onset scoliosis.
The Daily Press feature highlights McIntosh’s connection to the town and the education and experiences that helped shape her career – from advanced science courses at Gladstone High School to discovering her passion for pediatric spinal deformity surgery during residency.
“I loved the opportunity to care for the whole child, and I was struck by how resilient my young patients were and how well they could heal,” McIntosh told the newspaper. “I also fell in love with pediatric spinal deformity surgery.”
Earlier this year, McIntosh, who also serves as a professor of orthopedic surgery and medical director of patient safety at Scottish Rite for Children, performed the first U.S. implantation of the SDS in a 6-year-old patient with neuromuscular scoliosis and spinal muscular atrophy.
Developed in the Netherlands and cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2026, the SDS is designed to provide continuous spinal correction while allowing a child’s spine to grow. McIntosh told the newspaper that the new technology offers another option for children with early-onset scoliosis.
To read the full article, click here.
