AO Spine Knowledge Forum Trauma and Infection

Principal investigator:

 Klaus Schnake

Co-Principal investigators:

Sebastian Bigdon
Ratko Yurac

Goals:

Aims to establish international treatment recommendations to standardize treatment approaches for osteoporotic vertebral fractures and assist surgeons in better treatment decision that will promote fast mobilization and improve pain management for these patients.

Principal investigator:

Marcel Dvorak

Co-Principal investigators:

Cumhur Öner and Charlotte Dandurand

Goals:

The goal of the focus issue is to address a highly controversial topic regarding the optimal treatment of thoracolumbar burst fracture in neurologically intact patients, and to assess which factors guide surgeons in their decision-making process. Specifically, the aim is to determine the role of certain radiographic characteristics and classifications in guiding surgeons in their decision-making process and how these characteristics could be integrated into improved classifications, scoring systems and guidelines.

Principal investigator:

Cumhur Öner

Co-Principal investigator:

Said Sadiqi

Goals:

Phase 1: To investigate AO Spine PROST comprehensibility, relevance, acceptability, feasibility, and completeness among complete SCI patients.
Phase 2: To validate the extended AO Spine version among individuals with complete SCI

Principal investigator:

Richard Bransford

Co-Principal investigator:

Harvinder Chhabra

Goals:

The goal of the project to identify centers/individuals/organizations that have changed the way things are done in spine trauma care. This will be achieved through traditional bibliometric and Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) measures

Principal investigator:

Lorin Benneker

Co-Principal investigator:

Sebastian Bigdon

Goals:

Current classifications and treatment guidelines for thoracolumbar fractures only rely on the bony and ligamentous structures of the spine and leave out the intervertebral disc completely, even though in most fractures (A3 and worse) some disc injury is given by definition. The aim of this project is to investigate prognostic factors for posttraumatic disc degeneration at initial imaging and to assess the importance of the disc injury on radiological and clinical outcome.

Phase 1: Establish important parameters to be included in the DIS score through systematic review and modified Delphi process
Phase 2: Internal and International validation of the DIS score
Phase 3: Test the applicability of the DIS score in a prospective multicenter observational study

Principal investigator:

Matthias Pumberger

Co-Principal investigator:

Klaus Schnake and Friederike Schömig

Goals:

Aims to validate the SISS score amongst a network of leading spine surgery experts.
Phase 1: Establish international applicable gold standard
Phase 2: Internal Validation - assess SISS reliability and accuracy and identify areas of disagreement which required further refinement.
Phase 3: International Validation - assess SISS reliability and accuracy globally
Phase 4: Dissemination

Principal investigator:

Gregory Schroeder

Co-Principal investigator:

Alexander R. Vaccaro

Goals:

To develop and validate a simple and comprehensive scheme for the classification of primary spinal infections

Phase 1: Develop a classification system for primary spinal infections incorporating clinical factors relevant for surgical decision-making.
Phase 2: Internal Validation - assess the classification's reliability and accuracy and identify areas of disagreement which required further refinement.
Phase 3: International Validation - assess the classification's reliability and accuracy globally
Phase 4: Develop a global treatment algorithm

Principal investigator:

Klaus Schnake

Goals:

To develop an easy and reliable classification system to support therapeutic decision making in Osteoporotic Vertebral-Fractures

An observational, multicenter cohort study comparing surgical versus non-surgical treatment

Principal investigator:

Marcel Dvorak

Co-Principal investigators:

Cumhur Öner

Goals:

Aims to establish and quantify the difference in the patients’ clinical outcomes after surgical treatment as compared to non-surgical treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures within the first year after treatment with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)

Documents:

Read more about the study in the AO Spine Newsletter

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02827214

Development of a spine trauma injury classification system

Principal investigator:

Alexander R. Vaccaro

Co-Principal investigators:

Cumhur Öner

Goals:

Aims to develop and validate a comprehensive classification system of traumatic spine injuries and establish a global treatment algorithm

Phase 1: thoracolumbar system, validated
Phase 2: subaxial system, validated
Phase 3: sacral system, disseminating validated
Phase 4: upper cervical system, validation ongoing

Documents:

Classification toolkits and videos
Publication summary

Does erector spinae plane block decrease the amount of analgesia needed after mini-invasive posterior transpedicular stabilization in patients with vertebral body fracture. Are there any peri or postoperative complications?

Principal investigator:

Martin Holas

Co-Principal investigator:

Jakub Hlásny

Goals:

Aims to evaluate if the use of an erector spinae plane block (ESP) leads to reduction of analgesic demands in the perioperative period in patients undergoing Mini-invasive spinal surgery after fracture of the vertebral body in thoracic or lumbar spine.

AO Spine post-traumatic deformity and its relation to health-related quality of life outcomes in spine trauma (AOSpine PTDEF)

Principal investigator:

Lorin M. Benneker

Co-Principal investigators:

Gregory Schroeder
Cumhur Öner

Goals:

1. Aims to establish a definition for post-traumatic deformity through systematic review of the literature.
2. Aims to find consensus among experts on factors clinically significant to post-traumatic deformity.
3. Aims to understand the relationship between post-traumatic deformity and the long-term health-related quality of life outcomes measured with the ODI in patients who have undergone a traumatic injury of their spine.

Documents:

Publication summary

Principal investigator:

Alex Vaccaro

Co-Principal investigators:

Greg Schroeder

Goals:

The Spine Trauma Focus Issue aimed to synthesize the latest available knowledge regarding spine trauma and spinal cord injury controversies, AO Spine outcome instruments, AO Spine Classification systems and presentation of cases.

Documents:

Spine Trauma Focus Issue

Effect of riluzole on osteogenetic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and human osteoblasts

Principal investigator:

Alex Vaccaro

Co-Principal investigators:

Cumhur Öner

Goals:

Aimed to understand the effects of Riluzole on mesenchymal stem cells' ability to convert to osteoblasts, on osteogenic differentiation, and possible toxicity of the drug on these cells

Documents:

Publication summary

The additional value of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in determining the fracture severity and management in spinal column injuries

Principal investigator:

Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran

Goals:

Aimed to define and determine the value of a CT scan and an MRI in addition to plain radiographs in a cohort of spinal fractures of various severities

Documents:

Publication summary

Development of an AO Spine trauma outcome instrument

Principal investigator:

Cumhur Öner

Goals:

Aims to develop and validate a multidisciplinary and universal outcome instrument for spinal trauma patients, which includes both the patients’ and health professionals’ perspective on health and functioning:

Phase 1: Identify the most common problems in patients with spinal trauma from the clinical and patient perspective, using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories as reference
Phase 2: Consensus meeting to agree on a core set of ICF categories that are relevant to measure patient reported functioning, disability and health outcomes
Phase 3: Development and validation of disease specific outcome instruments for spine trauma—AOSpine PROST and AO Spine CROST
Phase 4: Extend and validate AO Spine PROST to patients with complete traumatic spinal cord injury

Documents:

Publication summary