Dr. David Wartinger, a urologist at Michigan State University, investigated this unusual claim after a patient reported passing three kidney stones following a roller coaster ride. As a dedicated researcher, he set out to verify the story scientifically.
Teaming up with colleague Marc Mitchell, Dr. Wartinger created a 3D-printed synthetic kidney model filled with urine and three kidney stones, each under 4 millimeters. They took it on 20 rides aboard Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Florida—the very ride where the patient's experience occurred. The results were striking: sitting in the back expelled 64% of the stones, compared to just 16% from the front. Note that, so far, only Big Thunder Mountain has shown this effect—not all coasters.
While promising in the model, it's unclear if these findings translate directly to human kidneys, which function differently. Still, this innovative approach highlights creative ways to tackle kidney stones.
