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Scoliosis Research Society celebrates its Dr. Thomas E. Whitecloud winners

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MILWAUKEE (PRWEB)

Late last month, the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) announced the winners of the Thomas E. Whitecloud Awards, honors which are given to the best basic science/translational and best clinical papers each year.

Named after Dr. Thomas E. Whitecloud, co-founder of the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST), the nominees are selected from abstracts submitted for IMAST, a scientific forum for leading spine surgeons, innovative researchers, and the most advanced spine technologies from around the world.

This year’s winner for best clinical research paper is Decompression With or Without Fusion for Grade 1 Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: 60-Month Outcomes From the QOD. In a common degenerative lumbar condition called lumbar spondylolisthesis, where one vertebral body slips forward relative to an adjacent vertebral body, there is debate as to whether the addition of a fusion—after decompression of the nerves—is associated with any benefit to patients.

According to lead author Dr. Andrew Chan, the now award-winning study focused on the age-old question, “Is fusion necessary after decompression?”

“There have been multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the topic, and they have come to conflicting conclusions, with some favoring the addition of fusion and others finding the decompression alone is sufficient,” Dr. Chan explains. “There are multiple reasons for these disparate conclusions but a major one is that RCTs rely on strict inclusion criteria that may not be applicable to the ‘real world’ patient we see in clinic.”

In response, Dr. Chan and his team of researchers leveraged data from a prospective spine registry, the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD), to compare decompression alone and decompression with fusion in that real-world setting. An additional strength of the study lies in its five-year follow-up period.

Ultimately, the study found fusion helps in maintaining the leg-pain benefit of decompression and helps to prevent restenosis after decompression alone.

“This evidence, along with the observations that patients had more clinically appreciable improvements with surgery and were more satisfied, may provide evidence supporting the addition of fusion in well-selected patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis,” Dr. Chan adds.

This year’s winner for best basic science/translational research paper is What Are We Transfusing? A Prospective Trial Evaluating the Quality of Intraoperatively Salvaged Red Blood Cells in Spinal Deformity Surgery. This prospective clinical trial hypothesized that elements related to modern spine surgery can cause irreversible cellular injury that decreases red blood cell (RBC) survivability and suitability for transfusion.

The group of researchers, including presenting author Dr. Darryl Lau, found that intraoperative salvaged blood is, in fact, composed of high proportions of irreversibly injured RBCs with HI even exceeding levels suitable for transfusion by US FDA and Council of Europe standards, properties that may decrease the suitability of salvaged RBCs as a blood replacement. Further research regarding this matter continues .

Each award-winning group of researchers says they find the award a tremendous honor.

“We set out over half a decade ago to find out how to better treat patients with grade 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, so this is a wonderful acknowledgement that our peers view the study to be as important as we do,” adds Dr. Chan of the award.

For more information about the winners, you see profiles of each paper here: What Are We Transfusing? A Prospective Trial Evaluating the Quality of Intraoperatively Salvaged Red Blood Cells in Spinal Deformity Surgery; and Decompression With or Without Fusion for Grade 1 Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: 60-Month Outcomes From the QOD.

Founded in 1966, the Milwaukee-based Scoliosis Research Society is the premier international society aimed at fostering optimal care for all patients with spinal deformities. Learn more about its causes, leaders, staff, positions on important matters, and the many ways to support SRS—from corporate financial backing to getting involved with the Scoliosis Awareness Month Campaign, at srs.org.

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