Sit-to-stand in Spinal Cord Injury Patient
InjuriesSpinal CordWere there differences in functional ability between ambulatory individuals with SCI who passed and failed the independent sit-to-stand (iSTS) task? Did the ability of iSTS relate to ability of walking as determined using a type of AAD used? What were factors associated with the ability of iSTS?
Posterior Ligament Complex Assessment Without Magnetic Resonance Image in Thoracolumbar Fractures...
Spinal DeformitySpinal Fractures2 moreThe objective of this investigation is to confirm the results obtained in a pilot study showing that certain radiological parameters based on computed tomography (CT) scans seem to reliably detect posterior ligament complex (PLC) injury without the need for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Spinal Clearance Study: Expediting the Spinal Clearance Process in the Major Trauma Patient
Multiple TraumaTraumatic Brain Injury1 moreThe Alfred Hospital receives approximately 40% of the major trauma patients in Victoria, all of whom are at risk for spinal injuries. The potential for spinal injuries necessitates the undertaking of appropriate spinal investigations, and a delay in the completion of these investigations exposes the patient to the risk of a missed diagnosis of spinal instability and of complications of immobility; the potential spinal patient is required to wear a neck collar and be nursed lying flat whilst awaiting the completion and the appropriate documentation of spinal X-ray investigations. The purpose of this study is to identify the issues causing a delay in the process of the completion of the appropriate spinal investigations and the documentation of the results. The outcome of the proposed research will be the development of a clinical management protocol to expedite the process, with the aim of optimising patient care and reducing complications.
Spine Trauma in the Elderly
Spine InjuryTrauma1 moreOur study aims at investigating short and long-term outcomes following surgery for subaxial spine injuries in the elderly (octogenarian) population.
Prospective Study of Post Surgical Continued Spinal Pain Patients
Low Back PainCervical Pain3 moreContinued spinal pain following spine surgery is reported in up to 50% of patients. Disability and pain following spine surgery occurs. Repeat back surgery outcomes on Workers Compensation low back patients demonstrated larger number of patients did not come back to work. Such continued pain has biopsychosocial health relationships between the physical and the psychological and social factors that are associated with back pain and disability. Chiropractic consultation by post surgical continued pain (PSCP) patients occurs but the frequency, clinical treatment and outcomes of chiropractic treatment are not sufficiently documented. Conditions reported in continued pscp patients seeking care following spinal fusion are reported as sacroiliac joint pain, internal disc disruption, and zygapohyseal joint pain. Sacroiliac joint pain is more common after fusion, while internal disc disruption is more common in nonfusion patients. Very few studies are available on the outcomes of PSCP patients seen by chiropractic. This study proposes to investigate the clinical outcomes of PSCP patients presenting with pain in lumbar, thoracic, and cervical regions and had prior surgery in the respective regions, seeking care from field Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) certified in Cox flexion distraction decompression procedures.
Predictive Models for Spine and Lower Extremity Injury After Discharge From Rehab
Musculoskeletal InjurySpinal Injuries1 moreThe purpose of this study is to develop algorithms that will help predict future injury and/or re-injury after being returned to duty from a musculoskeletal injury. After completion of an episode of care with a physical therapist, the subjects will undergo a battery of physical performance tests and fill out associated surveys. The subjects will then be followed for a year to identify the occurrence/re-occurence of any injuries. Based on the performance on the physical evaluation tests, algorithms will be derived using regression analysis to predict injury. Subjects will be recruited from the pool of patients that have recently completed physical rehabilitation in physical therapy clinics for their lower extremity or lumbar/thoracic spine injury.
ReWalk Personal Device Postmarket Study
InjuriesSpinal CordThis study seeks to further evaluate the Multi-Tiered Training Program and to further explore the overall safety profile of the ReWalk Personal Device outside of the institutional setting under conditions of routine medical practice.
Real-Time Accurate Pathology Inspection and Decompression Study
Spine Injuries and DisordersPain6 moreThe primary objective is changes in spine and lower limb pain following a laser-assisted neural decompression (LAND) procedure for the treatment of lumbar, thoracic, or cervical spine and/or extremity pain. Secondary objectives will be changes in quality of life, prescription pain medication use, and patient satisfaction with procedure outcomes.
Development and Testing of a Pediatric Cervical Spine Injury Risk Assessment Tool
Cervical Spine InjuryCervical spine injuries (CSI) are serious, but rare events in children. Spinal precautions (rigid cervical collar and immobilization on a longboard) in the prehospital setting may be beneficial for children with CSI, but are poorly studied. In contrast, spinal precautions for pediatric trauma patients without CSI are common and may be associated with harm. Spinal precautions result in well-documented adverse physical and physiological sequelae. Of substantial concern is that the mere presence of prehospital spinal precautions may lead to a cascade of events that results in the increased use of inappropriate radiographic testing in the emergency department (ED) to evaluate children for CSI and thus an unnecessary, increased exposure to ionizing radiation and lifetime risk of cancer. Most children who receive spinal precautions and/or are imaged for potential CSI, and particularly those imaged with computed tomography (CT), are exposed to potential harm with no demonstrable benefit. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a Pediatric CSI Risk Assessment Tool that can be used in the prehospital and ED settings to reduce the number of children who receive prehospital spinal precautions inappropriately and are imaged unnecessarily while identifying all children who are truly at risk for CSI.
Response Shift in Patient Expectations and Functional Outcome
Spinal InjuriesThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of elective lumbar spinal surgery as it relates to shifting patient expectations for outcome. Patients undergoing elective posterior spinal surgery for degenerative conditions of the spine at SWCHSC will be evaluated.