Ralph Schär, neurosurgeon and Head of Spine Surgery at Inselspital, is pleased: the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has decided to support the project «Novel Biomechanical Markers based on Dynamic Biplane Radiographic Imaging and Paraspinal Muscle Morphometry for Enhanced Decision Making in the Management of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis» with CHF 806,761.

New study investigates instability in spinal canal stenosis

Dr. Ralph Schär, MD, is head of spinal surgery at the Department of Neurosurgery

A study to investigate instability in degenerative spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis in the lumbar spine is starting at the newly opened Dynamic Imaging Center (DIC) at SITEM. This common condition is often associated with chronic back pain and neuropathic leg pain.

There is international disagreement as to whether surgical treatment should include additional fusion in addition to decompression of the spinal canal. The aim of the study is to clarify this important question and to develop universally applicable treatment recommendations.

The project will be carried out over a period of four years.

Drawing of a spinal canal stenosis
In the case of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal causes a constriction of the nerves running through it. With the help of an operation, the compressed nerves can be released again. Universitätsklinik für Neurochirurgie, Inselspital Bern © CC BY-NC 4.0

Further recipients of grants

Other recipients of the SNSF project grant are:

Prof. Christoph E. Albers, MD, deputy director and co-head of the Spine Unit, Department of Orthopaedics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital

Prof. Ameet Aiyangar, University of Bern

Prof. Johannes Heverhagen, MD, Dr h.c., director and chief physician, Department of Radiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital

PD Dr. Moritz Deml, Co-Head of Spine, Orthopaedics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, is a project partner.

 

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