Back pain is the most commonly reported musculoskeletal problem and causes the most disability across the globe; however, our understanding of the biological pathways to regulate the development and health of the intervertebral disc is limited. To address this research need the London Spine Program research group is working closely with collaborators at the University of Western Ontario to establish a tissue bank of intervertebral disc material from patients undergoing spine surgery to identify and validate biomarkers of disc pathologies.
A large part of our basic science research also encompasses the design and biomechanical testing of spinal fracture models and spinal implants. In collaboration with researchers at the University of Waterloo our team validated a model of type II odontoid fracture using a finite element model of the upper cervical spine. The study was published in 2017 in The Spine Journal. More recently we have designed a spinal construct called the DC2 for the treatment of type II odontoid fractures.
Select Biomechanical Publications
Lasswell TL, Cronin DS, Medley JB, Rasoulinejad P. Incorporating ligament laxity in a finite element model for the upper cervical spine. Spine J. 17 (11);1755-1764, Nov 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.06.040.
Yao R, McLachlin SD, Rasoulinejad P, Gurr KR, Siddiqi F, Dunning CE, Bailey CS. Influence of graft size on spinal instability with anterior cervical plate fixation following in vitro flexion-distraction injuries. The Spine Journal 16:523-529, April 2016.
McLachlin SD, Rasoulinejad P, Bailey SI, Gurr KR, Bailey CS and Dunning CE. The importance of the posterior osteoligamentous complex to sub-axial cervical spine stability in relation to a unilateral facet injury. The Spine Journal 12:590-595, July 2012.
Maxwell M, McLachlin SD, Gurr KR, Bailey CS and Dunning CE. The effect of soft tissue restraints following type II odontoid fractures in the elderly – A biomechanical study. Spine 37: pg. 1030-1035, May 2012.
McLachlin SD, Bailey CS, Gurr KR, Bailey SI, Dunning CE. Comparative Assessment of Sacral Screw Loosening Augmented with PMMA versus a calcium triglyceride bone cement. Spine 36:pg. E699-704, May 2011.