One-year-old Rory Potter is doing well a year after becoming the first patient in the world to receive a new type of treatment for a rare skull condition.

Rory, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, was diagnosed with severe sagittal craniosynostosis shortly after he was born. The condition occurs when the skull fuses before birth.

In September, he underwent a 45-minute operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to have custom-designed “super elastic” springs inserted. The springs gradually reshaped his skull before they were later removed.

Rory only needed to stay in hospital for one night after the operation, according to GOSH.

His mother, Jo Potter, said: “You wouldn’t know what he’s been through.” She described him as “happy, cheeky and full of energy” and said he was meeting developmental milestones.

How the springs work

Treatment for craniosynostosis usually involves surgery to reshape the skull during the first months of life. Stainless-steel springs have been used over the past two decades to gradually widen the gap in the skull, creating space for the brain to develop and new bone to grow.

The new springs are made from nitinol, a nickel and titanium alloy. Their super-elastic properties allow them to adapt to a child’s growing skull, experts said.

The springs are custom-designed for each patient and remain in place for several weeks to months while the skull is gradually reshaped.

The technology could help children avoid longer and more invasive operations and may reduce blood transfusion rates, according to experts.

Professor Owase Jeelani, a consultant neurosurgeon at GOSH who led the operation, said the new springs offered greater flexibility than traditional stainless-steel springs and could, in some cases, prevent the need for further surgery.

“This first surgery is important progress for children with craniosynostosis and, so far, we have seen fantastic outcomes,” he said.

The springs were developed by specialists at GOSH and University College London. Professor Silvia Schievano, who led the biomedical engineering team at UCL, said the technology had been developed following years of research.

Rory’s mother said she and her husband, Harry, were grateful for the care and support provided by the medical team. She added that Rory would have “a great story to tell when he’s older”.

The research behind the operation was funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and the National Institute for Health and Care Research GOSH Biomedical Research Centre.