Image-driven Subject-Specific Spine Models V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Image-driven Subject-Specific Spine Models: In-vivo Pilot Study
IRAS ID
310093
Contact name
Catherine Holt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Back problems are common around the world with low back pain the leading cause of people living with disability and neck pain the 4th most common reason. 1 in 6 of the UK population have back pain and costs the UK economy £12 billion per year.
There are a wide number of diseases and conditions that can affect the spine. Common disorders include injuries due to heavy lifting, disc problems, and fractures.
The spine is subject to forces when we move but we have very few tools to understand what these forces are within the body. Our study will recruit healthy adult volunteers aged 18-60 with no history of back pain for two visits to Cardiff University research laboratories. Volunteers who are pregnant, unable to give consent, or are unsuitable for other reasons will be excluded. The first visit at Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) will involve having an MRI scan of the spine. The second visit will be at the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility (MSKBRF) within Cardiff University School of Engineering. This visit will involve wearing special markers whilst bending, twisting and lifting some weights in front of an X ray machine. Both visits should take no more than 2 hours and we will also ask participants some information about general activity levels.
This data collection is part of a three year study to create a model of spine function. By testing our model on real people in a laboratory we can see how the spine performs with everyday forces, and with an abnormal force – e.g. lifting a weight. Our model will then create a tool that can be used for further research.Lay summary of study results:
The outcome from this study is the development of new and novel spine imaging and movement analysis techniques. These enable measurement of how the individual vertebra of the lumbar spine of healthy people move during a range of weight bearing activities.Data was collected on 15 healthy volunteers; the first five participants allowed development and refinement of the research methods. The results provide new information about how the spine moves during activities including picking up a 10 kg weight, bending from side to side, and twisting.
The results are being analysed and will be published in scientific journals. The published data will be made available to other researchers. They will be used by the scientific community to develop further research objectives which will have clinical significance and benefit patients in the future.
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0127
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion