The Spinal Research Foundation collaborates with our regional research partners around the country to prove the success of traditional approaches as well as develop new techniques and technologies. These results are shared with the medical profession and the general public to improve the overall quality and understanding of optimal spinal health care.
There are two areas of primary focus for The Spinal Research Foundation:
1- Neck and back pain currently affects Americans
in epidemic proportions.
The SRF is attempting to identify the degenerative mechanism which leads to
disabling neck & back pain and prove the optimal non-operative and operative
treatment for this process.
2- Patients often see a spinal surgeon for pain, numbness and/or weakness in their arms or legs. Even after the most successful surgical interventions, many patients will be left with permanent nerve damage.
A key goal of The SRF is the prevention and treatment of post-operative numbness in the spine patient. This encompasses the optimal timing of surgical intervention to relieve pressure from the nerves, the development of effective biologic adhesion barriers to prevent scar tissues formation and the investigation of pharmacologic methods of treating acute, sub-acute and chronic nerve disorders associated with the spine.
The Spinal Research Foundation is involved in numerous on going studies...
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The development of non-operative techniques to resolve disabling neck and back pain.
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Investigating the use of BMP (Bone Morphogenetic Protein) in minimally invasive spinal surgery
to minimize post-operative pain and dysfunction. -
The development of cervical and lumbar disc replacement technologies
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The development of disc regeneration technology through the use of stem cells derived from the bone marrow.
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The investigation of lactic acid polymers to prevent fibroblast in-growth in surgical wounds.
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A nation-wide multi-center prospective spine treatment outcomes study.
The Spinal Research Foundation has made remarkable progress
in the field of clinical research associated with neck and back pain. Located
in Reston, Virginia, the Foundation collects data relative
to patients' treatment and outcomes. The research staff carefully documents
the indications, symptoms, images, and outcomes associated with patients
undergoing treatment. Such an introspective approach allows us to identify
successful operative interventions, define associated complication rates,
and determine the overall benefit to patients. The time for spine specialists
to estimate the effectiveness of surgery or to simply rely upon memory
to calculate complication rates has long since passed. The future of spinal
health care is dependant upon clinical research documenting and proving
the benefits of treatment. Without outcomes data, patients with neck or
back problems will be denied appropriate care by government regulators
or insurance companies!
The research arm of The SRF is also responsible for the initiation and performance of prospective treatment trials, the maintenance of the Institutional Review Board certification, the confidentiality of information of patients involved in such trials, and the appropriate dissemination of the results and conclusions obtained from such trials. The need for absolute attention to detail and impartiality is imperative in ensuring that patient safety is paramount and that the study is completed without deviation. Through the dedicated efforts of the surgeons involved and the research staff, such goals are consistently met and such expectations consistently exceeded.