Principal investigator:
Stephen J. Lewis

Goal:
To understand the knowledge gaps and open questions regarding patients with adult spinal deformity, and to assess the effectiveness of knowledge translation for instruments and recommendations already developed by the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Deformity.

Principal investigator:
Krishna Kumar
Goal:
Intra Operative Neuromonitoring and Wake-Up Test forms an integral part of spinal deformity surgery. This survey aims to understand the current practice of usage of Intra Operative Neuromonitoring and Wake-Up Test among practicing spine surgeons.

Principal investigator:
Justin S. Smith

Co-Principal investigators:
Stephen J. Lewis, Michael P. Kelly

Goal:
To compare rod fracture rates after index surgery between patients having received supplementary rod constructs and patients having received dual-rod constructs

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06368245

Additional information
AO Spine Knowledge Forum Deformity launches study on supplementary rod constructs

Principal Investigator:
Stephen J. Lewis

Co-Principal Investigators:
Lawrence Lenke, Nasir Quraishi

Goals:
Aims to determine the incidence of intraoperative neuromonitoring alerts in complex, high-risk, spinal deformity surgeries and identify the events that lead to such alerts

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03880292

Remark: This project was awarded a Standard Research Grant (2018) from the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS).

Additional information: On the way to reducing neurological injury during surgery

Research Output: Publication summary

Principal investigator:
Stephen J. Lewis

Co-Principal investigator:
Sigurd Berven

Goals:
Aims to show an improvement in SRS-22 total score between baseline and 24 months and five years after surgery in patients at age 60 or older treated with major spinal reconstruction (spinal fusion of at least five levels) for adult spinal deformity

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02035280

Research Output: Publication summary

Principal investigator:
Stephen J. Lewis

Co-Principal investigator:
So Kato

Goal: To understand the current trends in perioperative adult spinal deformity surgery management based on an international survey

Remark: This project is in cooperation with the KF Degenerative.

Principal investigator:
Christopher Nielsen

Co-Principal investigator:
Stephen J. Lewis

Goals: To identify ideal sagittal parameters to minimize mechanical complications like proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and adjacent segment disease (ASD) following adult spinal deformity surgery. It involves two phases:

1. a retrospective review of patients who underwent fusion surgery, using musculoskeletal models to calculate vertebral loading and investigate the association between vertebral forces and mechanical complications.
2. an evaluation of the impact of various realignment criteria on adjacent forces to propose optimal alignment strategies
   * This AO Spine-sponsored study is executed with support from the AO Innovation Translation Center (AO ITC) Clinical Evidence.

** Award-winning project

• Principal investigators:

  Stephen J. Lewis, Lawrence Lenke

   

  Goal:

  Aims to provide a thorough review of the current status of adult spinal deformity surgery and highlight areas of controversy. The issue provides guidance through the current literature and help identify future directions to help answer some of the difficulties encountered in treating this complex and highly variable disorder. Visit Global Spine Journal Volume 15 Issue 3 Supplement to read the articles.

• Principal investigator:

  Marinus de Kleuver

   

  Co-Principal investigator:

  Manabu Ito

   

  Goals:

  Established an international consensus on what constitutes optimal operative care for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients between 12 and 20 years of age with curves ranging from 40 to 90 degrees Cobb angle

   

  Research Output:

  Publication summary

Principal investigator:
Sigurd Berven

Co-Principal investigator:
Marinus de Kleuver

Goals:
Identified the goals of care and management strategies that are appropriate for adult spinal deformity patients based upon worldwide expert opinion

Research Output:
Publication summary

Principal investigator:
Marinus de Kleuver

Co-Principal investigator:
David Polly

Goals:
Developed a core outcome set specific to spinal deformity that represents the minimum that should be measured and reported in all outcome registries of a specific condition

Research Output:
Publication summary

Principal investigator:
Kenny Kwan

Co-Principal investigators:
Kenneth Cheung, Ahmet Alanay

Goals:
Identified the dynamic radiograph(s) that can most accurately predict the curve behavior after surgical correction in patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03296228

Research Output:
Publication summary

Principal investigator:
J Naresh-Babu

Co-Principal investigators:
Manabu Ito, Jong-Beom Park, Kenny Kwan

Goals:
Developed a comprehensive classification that separates patients into clinically different subgroups that require different treatment strategies

Additional information:
AO Spine Adult Spinal Deformity Patient Profile—a new tool to optimize treatment of ASD

Research Outputs:
Publication summary

AO Spine ASD Patient Profile

Principal investigator:
Tim O’Connor

Co-Principal investigators:
Mary O’Hehir, Jeffrey Mullin

Goals:
Determined the optimal tension required for junctional tether systems by using cadaveric models and finite element analysis

Principal investigator:
Federico Landriel

Co-Principal investigator:
Santiago Hem

Goals:
Evaluated the effect of AI-assistance in the automatic calculation of radiographic spinal alignment parameters from whole spine x-rays on both measurement precision and time demand.

Principal investigator:
Ganesh Swamy

Co-Principal investigators:
David Hart, Paul Salo, Neil Duncan, Antoine Dufour

Goals:

1. Characterized the matrix proteome/degradome of the annulus fibrosus from patients with degenerative scoliosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis as compared to control IVDs.
2. Characterized the structure of elastin in the annulus fibrosus from patients with degenerative scoliosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis and its degradation products as compared to control IVDs.

Principal investigator:
Caglar Yilgor

Co-Principal investigators:
Ahmet Alanay, Altug Yucekul

Goal:
Using MRI, mid-term viability of the discs and facet joints of the intermediate and adjacent thoracic and lumbar levels were assessed for signs of degeneration, and the study evaluated signs of spontaneous fusion.

Principal investigator:
Lawrence G. Lenke

Co-Principal investigator:
Michael G. Fehlings

Goals:
Aim was to establish the risk of neurologic deficit related to surgical correction of adult spinal deformity and to identify characteristics associated with increased risk of neurologic complications related to the surgery

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01305343

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02949245

Remark:
This project received co-funding from the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and Norton Healthcare

Additional Information:
Evaluation of neurologic complications in adult spinal deformity surgery: insights from the landmark Scoli-RISK study

Research Output:
Publication summary