Meet the “Folded Boy”: After Four Surgeries, a Spine Bent at 180° Is Now Straight

Jiang Yanchen, 21, from Shandong province, endured a harsh reality few could imagine. Afflicted by a severe form of ankylosing spondylitis since childhood, his spine bent backward into a “Z” shape—his head touching nearly his buttocks, reducing him to barely one meter tall. He is now called the “folded boy”.

His lung capacity was just 20% of normal, making simple tasks like walking, eating, and even breathing agonizingly difficult. School meant lying or kneeling, as he couldn’t sit upright.

Four Surgeries to Reclaim Straightness: What Did the “Folded Boy” Go Through?

In 2023, Jiang sought help from Dr. Liang Yijian, a specialist in complex spinal correction. Over the next two years, he endured four major surgeries that shattered and realigned bones in his skull, spine, hips, and chest. The final procedure lasted 12 grueling hours.

Immediately after surgery, he could lie completely flat for the first time ever. Two months of intense rehabilitation followed—and then, a breakthrough: he took his first upright steps during a live stream, astonishing the world and himself.

Restoring Life and Breath

The surgical triumph exceeded physical correction. Following the reconstructions, Jiang’s lung and heart functions returned to near-normal levels. What was once inaccessible became possible: walking, studying, living as others do. “All the pain is worth it when I see myself more like an ordinary person,” Jiang reflected.

He is now expected to return to university, carrying with him the promise of a life once out of reach.

Education Against Odds

Before treatment, Jiang demonstrated rare resilience: in 2022, he completed his high school exam while lying on a yoga mat.

That same year, he was accepted to Dezhou University, majoring in Energy and Power Engineering—a testament to his grit in pursuing academic dreams despite immense challenges.

Surgical Feat and Its Legacy

Dr. Liang’s team called the interventions “the world’s first successful 180-degree spinal orthopaedic surgery.”

Experts noted the daunting surgical risks—anesthesia complications, bleeding, paralysis, respiratory failure—and the team navigated each with remarkable precision. Jiang’s recovery crowns both medical innovation and human determination.

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