Clinical Research Directory

Comparing Lumbar Fusion With and Without Stress Endplate Augmentation in Patients With Low Bone Mass

Degenerative lumbar disease can cause back pain, leg pain, and difficulty with daily activities. Some patients require lumbar fusion surgery. In patients with low bone mass, the bones may provide less support for the interbody cage, an implant placed between two vertebrae. The cage may sink into the surrounding bone after surgery, a complication known as cage subsidence. Stress endplate augmentation strengthens the bone near the surfaces supporting the cage, but its benefits and risks require further evaluation. This single-center prospective observational cohort study will compare outcomes in patients undergoing oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) with or without stress endplate augmentation. Consecutive eligible patients aged 50 years or older with low bone mass and degenerative lumbar disease will be enrolled before surgery and followed for 18 months afterward. Whether stress endplate augmentation is performed will be determined by the treating surgeon and patient through routine clinical decision-making. The study will not assign treatment. Patients will be grouped according to whether they receive stress endplate augmentation. The main outcome will be cage subsidence at 18 months after surgery. Other outcomes will include spinal fusion, changes in spinal measurements on imaging, back and leg pain, functional disability, surgical and hospitalization measures, and complications. Clinical information, bone density measurements, imaging findings, and patient-reported outcomes will be collected before surgery and during follow-up. Comparisons will account for differences in patient characteristics and surgical factors. The study aims to clarify the benefits and risks associated with stress endplate augmentation in patients with low bone mass undergoing OLIF.

Rehabilitation Interventions for Postoperative Degenerative Lumbar Disease

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of different rehabilitation interventions on patients who have undergone surgery for degenerative lumbar disease. The study focuses on assessing improvements in neuropathic pain, functional recovery, and overall quality of life. Participants will be randomly assigned to different rehabilitation programs to determine which approach provides the best outcomes for postoperative recovery.

Osteo Match Cages Versus PEEK Cages in Osteoporotic Patients

This is a multicenter, prospective cohort study. The osteoporotic patients requiring posterior lumbar interbody fusion(LIF) with cages are prospectively enrolled and followed up. The patients undergoing LIF with the biomechanical-matched 3D-printed titanium cages (Osteo Match) are compared with those using routine PEEK cages. The hypothesis is that the use of Osteo Match cages can reduce the rate of cage subsidence and increase the rate of lumbar fusion in osteoporotic patients.

Priority-Matching Correction Technique in Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis

Surgical outcomes, including radiographic outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, postoperative complications, and revision surgery rates, were compared in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) who underwent correction surgery with reference to our priority-matching correction technique and the standard reported by Obeid and colleagues. Our findings may provide tangible guidance for surgical decision-making in DLS.