*Precision and accuracy are the guiding principles of all surgery. As innovation and technology have continued to improve, navigation has continued to evolve. Today, robotics in the operating room are at the forefront which has the potential to minimize the invasive nature of surgery, reduce surgical time, and improve the accuracy of surgery.
Orthopaedic surgery has relied on biomaterials for almost 100 years including metals, ceramics, and polymers. These materials provide support, function, or mimic the properties of bones. Emerging biomaterials require pre-clinical study to ensure safety and efficacy before being approved for clinical applications. As manufacturing methodologies for implants move past traditional machining techniques, the opportunity to create complex designs utilizing three-dimensional printing is now possible.
Innovative advancements in spine are the advent of motion preservation where the care algorithm has changed over the past decade to first always consider options that can preserve motion and avoid fusion, whenever possible.
Total disc replacement has made significant impact in motion preservation in spinal surgery. Clinical use of total disc replacement began in Europe in the early 2000’s and Dr. Cammisa worked with the inventor in France, bringing this cutting-edge technology to the US, partnering with the FDA to facilitate the first randomized multi-center trial in the US which led to clinical approval. Our laboratory focuses on many aspects of motion preservation with respect to their mechanical performance, material composition, and clinical outcomes.
Clinical outcomes research focuses on investigating surgical approaches and techniques, peri-operative and post-operative care plans, and understanding patient risk factors in surgical procedure.
Understanding surgical approaches begins with understanding the underlying condition. Dr. Cammisa served as one of the multi-center National Institute of Health clinical trial’s principle investigators to study the best treatment options for spinal stenosis, a degenerative condition related to aging.
Operating room and peri-operative care that can affect post-operative clinical progress. Biofilms (sub-clinical infection) and infection are significant concern in all instrumented surgical procedures. As a main focus of the ISRP, a multi-approach investigation strategy focuses on innovative technologies to reduce contamination and provide greater safety to the patient. Dr. Abjornson and team won Best Overall Paper at the 2020 conference of the International Advancement of Spine Surgery for their work on occult pathogens.
Pain management is a vital component in surgical procedures. However, the potential for opioid abuse is at the forefront of care strategies. Currently, the ISRP is studying newer pain management multi-modal approaches to reduce potential risks.
