Our community

 

The AO Spine RECODE-DCM community connects surgeons, healthcare professionals, researchers, and people with lived experience of DCM, from all regions of the globe, to accelerate progress in DCM. The equitable input from all stakeholders is crucial to ensure that the outcomes of the initiative are relevant to all who live or work with the disease.

AO Spine RECODE-DCM welcomes new members to the community. Please join us! Click here to receive updates and our quarterly newsletter.

Lack of interaction between research groups can be a barrier to progress. To find answers for a global problem, we must increase global synergy. Our diverse, inclusive community aims to break down geographical barriers and build synergy between research groups.

The initial survey (2019) brought together contributions of 429 different people, from 68 countries, including 17 different types of healthcare profession. This is the first time such a diverse community has come together to build a ‘Research Toolkit’ for DCM.
Darker shaded countries have more participants. Countries shaded in white currently have zero participants. Global representation is required to solve this global problem.

In 2020, the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Spinal Cord Injury called for Ambassadors to join the AO Spine RECODE-DCM Community, with the goals of enhancing synergy between research groups, focusing knowledge discovery, and translating knowledge to improve patient outcomes They have formed international special-interest ‘incubators’ (groups of clinicians, other healthcare professionals, and individuals with lived experience) focused on: Natural History, Diagnostic Criteria, and Peri-Operative Rehabilitation. These groups are led by Knowledge Forum representatives.

 

  • Diagnostic criteria - Incubator

    The formation of a specific set of Diagnostic criteria will enable earlier diagnosis but also foster improved diagnosis accuracy, timely therapy, reduce heterogeneity in research, establish standards for medical curriculum, facilitate inter-disciplinary communication and ultimately raise awareness for degenerative cervical myelopathy.

    Ongoing activities:

    • Scoping out methodology for formation of diagnostic criteria
    • Scoping raw elements for DCM; patient survey, literature review, database analysis
    • A multi-stakeholders Delphi procedure to establish diagnostic criteria based on signs, symptoms and imaging factors

    Diagnostic criteria chair:

    Fehlings, Michael
    Neurosurgeon, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Leadership committee:

    Tetreault, Lindsay
    Scientist & Neurology resident, New York University, Langone Health, Graduate Medical Education, Department of Neurology, New York, NY,  United States

    Rodrigues-Pinto, Ricardo
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Spinal Unit (UVM), Department of Orthopaedics, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto - Hospital de Santo António, Porto, Portugal

    Wilson, Jamie RF.
    Neurosurgeon, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Omaha, Nebraska, United States

    Kimmatkar, Nitin
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Government Medical College Nagpur, Nagpurq, India

    Milligan, Jamie
    Family Physician, McMaster University Department of Family Medicine, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    AO Spine RECODE-DCM Co-PCI:

    Davies, Benjamin
    Scientist & Neurosurgery resident, Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Team members:

    Yurac, Ratko
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile

    Cameron, Lucy
    MSK Physiotherapist, University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's or Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Zipser, Carl
    Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

    Abdel-Wanis, Mohamed
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag Governorate, Egypt

    Sarewitz, Ellen
    Person with lived experience and communication specialist. Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, United Kingdom

    Bruno Lourenço Costa
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Hospital de São Teotónio (Centro Hospitalar Tondela - Viseu, Epe), Coimbra, Portugal

    Widdop, Shirley
    Person with lived experience, former nurse. Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, United Kingdom

    Betz, Michael
    Orthopaedic surgeon, University Spine Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

    Obadaseraye, Oke
    Senior Registrar- Orthopaedics and trauma, Nigeria, Africa

    Pedro, Karlo
    Neurosurgeon, University of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital, Manila Philippines

    Wood, Lianne
    Spinal Advanced Practice Physiotherapist, Nottingham University Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Margetis, Konstantinos
    Neurosurgeon, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States

    Allan Martin
    Neurosurgeon, University of California, Davis, United States

    Chad E Cook
    Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, Duke University, United States

    Liz Roberts
    Project Manager, myelopathy.org, United Kingdom

  • Natural history - Incubator

    Ongoing activities:

    • Guidelines on asymptomatic management of spinal cord compression
    • Scoping design and feasibility for a prospective and international registry

    Natural History criteria chair:

    James Harrop
    Department of Neurological Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States 

    Leadership committee:

    Ratko Yurac
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile 

    Joost Dejaegher
    Neurosurgeon, Faculty of Medicine KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Aria Nouri
    Scientist & Neurosurgery resident, Division of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Switzerland

    Enrico Tessitore
    Neurosurgeon, Division of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Switzerland

    Vishal Kumar
    Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dept. of Orthopaedics PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    AO Spine RECODE-DCM Co-PCI:

    Benjamin Davies
    Scientist & Neurosurgery resident, Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom 

    Team Members:

    Rory Murphy
    Neurosurgeon, Barrow Neurological Institute, Arizona, United States 

    Guy Wynne-Jones
    Neurosurgeon, The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom

    Jose Joefrey F. Arbatin
    Orthopedic surgeon, Spine and Orthopedics, Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu, Philippines

    Iwan Sadler
    Person with lived experience and Graphic Designer. Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, United Kingdom

    Juan José Zamorano
    Orthopaedic surgeron, Clinica Alemania de Santiago, Santiago, Chile

    So Kato
    Consultant Spinal surgeon, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Manabu Ito
    Orthopaedic surgeon, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Hokkaido Medical Center, Sapporo, Japan

    Oliver Mowforth
    Scientist & Neurosurgery resident, Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, United Kingdom

    Manjul Tripathi
    Neurosurgeon, Dept. of Neurosurgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    Molliqaj Granit
    Neurosurgeon, Division of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Switzerland

    Jefferson Wilson
    Neurosurgeon, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    David B Anderson
    Physiotherapy/Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Ronie Romelean
    Jayapalan Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nicolas Dea
    Spine surgeon, Combined Neurosurgical and Orthopedic Spine Program. Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Canada

    Olesja Hazenbiller
    Senior Research Project Manager, Network Clinical Research, AO Foundation, Davos, Switzerland

  • Perioperative rehabilitation - Incubator

    Ongoing activities:

    • Enviroscan of current practice, access and opportunities

    Chair, AO Spine RECODE-DCM PCI

    Mark Kotter
    Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge. Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, United Kingdom 

    Leadership committee:

    Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan
    Affiliate Scientist, KITE|Toronto Rehab|University Health Network. Clinic/Scientific Lead - Rocket Family Upper Extremity Clinic-Lyndhurst Site, Canada 

    Timothy Boerger
    Person with lived experience & Scientist. Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, United States

    Fahim Anwar
    Consultant Rehabilitation Medicine, Cambridge University Hospital, United Kingdom

    Aref-Ali Gharooni
    Scientist & Neurosurgery resident, Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy, United Kingdom

    Vishal Kumar
    Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dept. of Orthopaedics, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    Harry Mee
    Academic Rehabilitation Registrar at Addenbrookes hospital, United Kingdom

    AO Spine RECODE-DCM Co-PCI:

    Benjamin Davies
    Scientist & Neurosurgery resident, Myelopathy.org, International Charity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom 

    Team Members:

    Andreas Demetriades
    Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon, Edinburgh, United Kingdom 

    Pedro Luís Bazán
    Spinal Surgeon, Hospital Italiano de La Plata, Argentina

    Caroline Treanor
    Physiotherapist in the national neurosurgical service, Ireland - Team MembersRam Hariharan, Consultant in Spinal Injuries at Sheffield Spinal Injuries Centre, United Kingdom

    Wunna Aung
    Consultant in Spinal Injuries at South Tees Hospital, United Kingdom

    Jeetinder Makkar Kaur
    Pain Physician, Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Post graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

    David B Anderson
    Physiotherapy/Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Liz Roberts
    Project Manager, myelopathy.org, United Kingdom

Why build a multi-stakeholder community?

When all stakeholders are brought together, they can work most efficiently to give the maximum benefit to those living and working with DCM. Everybody who works or lives with the disease is invited.

How do I get involved?

Click here to subscribe to updates and the AO Spine RECODE-DCM quarterly newsletter.

For all other queries, please contact the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Spinal Cord Injury research project manager, Olesja Hazenbiller at ohazenbiller@aospine.org.