Spinal

Key Objectives
To acquire a better clinical, biomechanical and pathological understanding on the spine in health and disease and apply this information in the development of better treatment methods.

Major Research Interests

• Intervertebral disc degeneration
• Biomechanical studies of spine in health and disease
• Outcomes of spinal surgery
• Diagnostic studies of spinal injury and disease

Summary
Spinal surgery involves the treatment of trauma and work related injuries, as well as correction of pathological or age related changes in joint function. Research has focussed on discitis, disc innervation, spinal injuries, basic research on annular tears and intervertebral disc degeneration and regeneration, disc prolapse, biomechanical studies on intervertebral motion in health and disease and clinical studies on the efficacy of various spinal procedures. In 2000, the Discipline's spinal research program progressed further with the establishment of the Adelaide Centre for Spinal Research, located in the IMVS. This initiative, funded by a 1.2 million-dollar grant from DePuy AcroMed, also received financial support from the State Government. This has allowed Dr Robert Moore, Head of the Centre and Professor Fraser, Chairman of the Board to significantly expand the clinical and in vivo investigations into the aetiology, clinical and pathological features and outcomes of treatment of different congenital and trauma induced back problems.

Laboratory and in vivo studies being undertaken on the pathoanatomy, biology and biomechanics of the spine represent a large component of the Spinal Research Program. These include studies of the pathomechanics of lower back pain, changes in the structure and biomechanical properties of the annulus fibrosis in the human intervertebral disc during aging and studies modelling degeneration and injury of the lumbar disc. The spinal research group has also assessed spinal implants, bone allograft and graft substitutes for spinal surgery.

Director of Program
Professor Robert Fraser
Email: rdf@adelaide.on.net

Director of Basic Research
Dr Robert Moore (Adelaide Centre for Spinal Research)
E-mail: rob.moore@imvs.sa.gov.au

Location
Spinal Unit, Bice Building, RAH.
Adelaide Centre for Spinal Research, Level 1, IMVS.

Staff
Mr Christopher Cain, Mr David Hall, Mr Andrew Fagan, Mr George Potter, Spinal Fellows(2), Spinal Resident.