Topics of Interest for NASS Funded Research
(Based on a January 2001 NASS member survey)
Top Three Topics of Interest:
- Determine the natural history of back pain and various spine diseases, including disc herniation and stenosis.
- Study the effect of fusion on adjacent segments.
- Determine the role of fusion in spine surgery, including technical aspects and complications.
Short Term Goals
- Develop methods for studying results of surgical interventions when a randomized control trial is not appropriate.
- Develop guidelines for introduction of new technologies, including recommendations about presentations at meetings and studies beyond FDA requirements.
- Define stability and its significance as a source of back pain.
- Determine the role of discography in spinal disorders.
- Develop a database for recording complications from difference spine surgical procedures.
- Support the current activities to develop a standardized nomenclature used both by practitioners and radiologists.
- Study the best timing for surgery for cervical trauma, comparing early decompression with no treatment.
Additional patient safety topics for consideration (not contained on member survey):
- Determine what types of medical errors are most common to spine care and their origin (system vs human error)
- Study compliance rates and effectiveness of patient safety programs relevant to the care of the spine
Intermediate Goals
- Determine the role of fusion in spine surgery, including technical aspects and complications.
- Determine the effectiveness of nonoperative treatment for different types of spine disorders.
- Study long-term treatment options for chronic low back pain.
- Compare different types of bone graft materials with and without growth factors in spine fusion.
- Study the influence of individual factors, including age and physical condition, on surgical outcomes.
- Determine the influence of worker's compensation on the recovery period from spinal injuries and diseases when controlled for age, education and workplace factors.
- Determine if spinal cord electrophysiologic monitoring is useful and in which groups of patients.
- Study the natural history of central cord injury in determining whether immediate or delayed intervention is preferable.
- Study the treatment alternative for thoracolumbar burst fractures.
- Study results of metastatic tumor surgery, including fusion methods and lifetime longevity factors.
Long Term Goals
- Determine the natural history of back pain and various spine diseases, including disc herniation and stenosis.
- Study the effect of fusion on adjacent segments.
- Determine criteria for surgical treatment of low-grade spondylolisthesis, as well as rehabilitation and stabilization protocols.
- Compare various compounds and methods of vertebroplasty for treatment of osteoporotic fractures.