Clinical Research Directory

THE USE OF TWO DIFFERENT SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS IN MEASURING SAGITTAL SPINAL CURVATURE

This study will include healthy volunteers aged 18-25 years. Demographic information will be recorded, and an experienced physiotherapist will mark five reference points on the spine of the participants, starting from the cervical spine and extending to the lumbar spine. Angle measurements will then be taken from these five reference points using a gravity inclinometer, an Android smartphone, and an iOS phone. Measurements will be repeated twice on the same day and twice again 24-48 hours later using three different devices. The accuracy and similarity of the measurements taken with these three devices will then be compared.

Early Mobilization Following Elective Spine Surgery: Trial of In-bed Cycling

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if early mobilization using an in-bed cycling device can reduce the amount of time patients spend in bed after elective spine surgery in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does in-bed cycling on the day after surgery reduce the amount of time patients spend in bed over the next 24 hours? Does in-bed cycling reduce the length of hospital stay and improve participation during physiotherapy assessment? Researchers will compare patients who receive an in-bed cycling session plus standard postoperative care to patients who receive standard postoperative care alone to see if early in-bed cycling improves mobility and recovery after spine surgery. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to either a standard care group or an in-bed cycling group Wear a fitness tracker to measure activity levels and time spent in bed Receive standard postoperative care Complete a 30-minute in-bed cycling session on the day after surgery (intervention group only) Be monitored for pain and vital signs during the study period Undergo a physiotherapy assessment to evaluate mobility and participation

The Prevalence of Neck and Low Back Pain in FMSTRC Staff At the UWI Mona

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of neck and low back pain among full-time staff at the Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching and Research Complex (FMSTRC), The University of the West Indies, Mona. It also seeks to assess staff members' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding spine health and to evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-week standardised spine-specific exercise programme in reducing musculoskeletal discomfort among those experiencing neck and low back pain. The study will be conducted in two phases using a descriptive cross-sectional design followed by a prospective randomised controlled trial, in which participants reporting pain will be allocated to either a spine-specific exercise intervention group or a non-spine-specific exercise control group for comparative analysis of outcomes.

Differences in Mechanistic Measures (Oxytocin and Cortisol) of Therapeutic Alliance Between A Talk-Based Therapy and Soft-Tissue Mobilization in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Pain

The goal of this randomized cross-over mechanistic trial is to compare pre- and post-level cortisol and oxytocin changes in patients with chronic spine pain who receive either a hand's on (massage) or a hand's off (talk-based) approach. The study plans to address two primary aims. Specific Aim One: Directly compare pre- and post-session oxytocin and cortisol levels across two sessions of massage and talk-based therapy. Hypothesis 1: It is expected that in both treatments, oxytocin will increase and cortisol will decrease, demonstrating no significant between-group differences in hormone levels. Specific Aim Two: The study plans to compare pre- and post-session oxytocin and cortisol change scores a therapeutic alliance (TA) scale change scores and PROMIS patient-reported outcomes associated with pain, depression, and disability. Hypothesis 2a: It is projected that there will be moderate +/- relationships (R\>.4) between the therapeutic alliance change score and oxytocin and cortisol levels, suggesting that the hormones moderately reflect the construct associated with TA. Hypothesis 2b: It is expected that there will be weak (R\>.1) +/-relationships between hormone measures and PROMIS pain/disability/depression measures, which reflects similar findings to preliminary work. Participants will participant in a massage based treatment and a talk-based treatment approach. Participants will also complete patient report outcomes and will receive a total of four salivary swabs.

Evaluation of the Accuracy of the eCential Robotics Robot in Spinal Surgery

Spinal surgery has evolved considerably over the years, and the introduction of advanced technologies has played a crucial role in improving clinical outcomes. The use of surgical robots, such as the eCential Robotic system, has emerged as an innovative solution for optimizing the precision and safety of procedures, particularly the placement of pedicle screws in the spine. The eCential Robotics surgical robot offers several advantages for the placement of pedicle screws in the spine. Various studies have demonstrated a significant improvement in screw accuracy and stability, reducing revision surgery rates with surgical robots. The system enables advanced preoperative planning based on three-dimensional imaging, improving understanding of the patient's specific anatomy. This study will also provide a clinical basis for the CE marking process. The objective of this prospective study is to collect data confirming safety, performance and clinical benefits of the eCential Robotics robot when used during spine and pelvic surgeries.

Comparison of the Diagnosis Time of VET and SCL in Patients With Intraoperative Coagulopathy

The present study is a prospective, multi-center observational trial comparing the times taken to diagnose coagulopathies using point-of-care (POC) viscoelastic tests or standard central laboratory tests (SCL tests) in patients with intraoperative bleeding.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of STRATAFIX for Neurosurgical Cranial and Spine Procedures

This research is studying a device already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat wound closures. Researchers are studying a large group of people to continue to learn information about the safety of the STRATAFIX suture and how people's bodies react to using it over a long period of time. This research will provide additional information about using STRATAFIX sutures to close surgical wounds.

Reliability of PHAS in Postural Hyperkyphosis

This observational, cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the reliability of the Postural Habits and Awareness Scale (PHAS) in patients with postural hyperkyphosis. The PHAS is designed to assess individuals' postural awareness and habits through four subscales. A total of 128 participants diagnosed with postural hyperkyphosis will complete the PHAS and the Kyphosis-Specific Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (KSSA). Test-retest reliability will be assessed by reapplying the PHAS after two weeks. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity will be analyzed. The study aims to provide a valid and reliable tool for evaluating postural awareness in clinical practice and future rehabilitation studies.

Effect of Magnesium on Neuromonitoring

Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) is commonly used during complex spinal surgery to monitor the integrity of neural structures and improve the perioperative safety profile. Transcranial Motor Evoked Potentials (TcMEPs) monitor the integrity of the motor pathways and are one of the most commonly used monitoring modalities in spinal surgery. Because inhaled anesthetics can negatively affect the ability to monitor TcMEPs, anesthesiologists commonly use a combination of propofol and opioids to maintain the anesthetic state. Additionally, anesthesiologists will frequently administer intravenous infusions of medications that can decrease postoperative pain and opioid use (called opioid-sparing adjuncts) because spinal surgeries result in significant postoperative pain. Despite the increasing use of these agents, there is scant clinical data about how they may affect the integrity of TcMEP monitoring. Magnesium (Mg), a N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is one of the adjuncts with robust data supporting clinical efficacy to decrease pain and opioid use on TcMEPs. Mg has been used clinically for decades. The investigators commonly utilize intravenous magnesium as a component of our spinal anesthesia protocol. However, there is only a single case report that discusses the effects of Mg on TcMEPs. Here the investigators propose a prospective clinical trial to quantitatively assess the effects of various Mg plasma levels on TcMEPs. There is a lack of literature on the pharmacokinetics of magnesium in non-pregnant patients.

Evaluating and Establishing the Relationship in the Five Critical X-ray Time Points in Spinal Deformity Realignment

To establish the relationship in the five critical X-ray time points during multilevel posterior column osteotomies (MPCO) spinal deformity realignment in patients with adult spinal deformity and to follow the participants longitudinally to examine any follow-up X-rays and clinical data to compare to the post-operative standing scan and pre-operative data.

Serum Based Diagnosis of and Monitoring of Infection Recovery in Orthopedic Spine Implant Infections

The goal of this study is to test a new way to diagnose and track treatment of spine infections caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.