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Treating Patients with Spinal Stenosis: Dyneva Back Orthosis versus Epidural Infiltration (Fürth, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland)
This project aims to compare the outcome in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, treated with either a dynamic flexion orthosis or with epidural infiltration. The project will take place in the Schön Klinik Fürth, Germany (Dr. Klaus Schnake). Co-supervision: Prof. Wuertz-Kozak, ETH Zurich.
Keywords: Back Pain, Movement, Orthesis, Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in increased pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis often suffer from leg and back pain, numbness or weakness in the legs and hence reduced walking distances.
At early stages of the disease, conservative treatment is possible and focuses on strengthening of the abdominal muscles as well as on performing walking exercises in slightly forward bent posture. Epidural infiltrations or even surgery represent the invasive range of treatment options, associated however with higher costs and risks. The use of an Orthosis could represent an additional, non-invasive treatment modality, but little data on its efficacy currently exist - mostly because no products specifically designed for spinal stenosis patients were available up to recently,
The Dyneva Back Orthosis is a novel type of orthosis for spinal stenosis patients, with a unique spring mechanism that follows the three-point principle and hence actively stretches the muscles in motion. It aims to help the user to regain an active lifestyle with longer pain-free walking distances. Previous research of the project hosts confirms that the orthosis indeed has a positive effect on muscle activation in spinal stenosis patients within 3-4 weeks, leading to an improvement of symptoms as demonstrated through questionnaires (ODI, VAS, ZCQ, EQ-5D) as well as through physical activity tests.
Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in increased pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis often suffer from leg and back pain, numbness or weakness in the legs and hence reduced walking distances. At early stages of the disease, conservative treatment is possible and focuses on strengthening of the abdominal muscles as well as on performing walking exercises in slightly forward bent posture. Epidural infiltrations or even surgery represent the invasive range of treatment options, associated however with higher costs and risks. The use of an Orthosis could represent an additional, non-invasive treatment modality, but little data on its efficacy currently exist - mostly because no products specifically designed for spinal stenosis patients were available up to recently, The Dyneva Back Orthosis is a novel type of orthosis for spinal stenosis patients, with a unique spring mechanism that follows the three-point principle and hence actively stretches the muscles in motion. It aims to help the user to regain an active lifestyle with longer pain-free walking distances. Previous research of the project hosts confirms that the orthosis indeed has a positive effect on muscle activation in spinal stenosis patients within 3-4 weeks, leading to an improvement of symptoms as demonstrated through questionnaires (ODI, VAS, ZCQ, EQ-5D) as well as through physical activity tests.
The goal of this project is to compare the outcome in spinal stenosis patients using the Dyneva Back Orthosis (n=32) with patients undergoing spinal infiltration (n=32) after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Walking distance in a specifically designed parcours will constitute the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints include improvement in leg and back pain and quality of life (measured through questionnaires), as well as the use of analgesics.
The student will work directly with the patients in the Schön Klinik Fürth and will be involved in orthesis fitting, in evaluating the performance in the walking parcours, in archiving the results of the questionnaire and in analyzing the data. The project can be conducted on the bachelor and master level and is suitable as an internship, a semester project or a master thesis. Students with a background in movement science, medical technology, medicine or biomedical engineering are specifically suited for this project. The project duration is flexible, but should ideally be 3 months or longer. Accomodation with costs is possible in the clinic or nearby.
The goal of this project is to compare the outcome in spinal stenosis patients using the Dyneva Back Orthosis (n=32) with patients undergoing spinal infiltration (n=32) after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Walking distance in a specifically designed parcours will constitute the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints include improvement in leg and back pain and quality of life (measured through questionnaires), as well as the use of analgesics. The student will work directly with the patients in the Schön Klinik Fürth and will be involved in orthesis fitting, in evaluating the performance in the walking parcours, in archiving the results of the questionnaire and in analyzing the data. The project can be conducted on the bachelor and master level and is suitable as an internship, a semester project or a master thesis. Students with a background in movement science, medical technology, medicine or biomedical engineering are specifically suited for this project. The project duration is flexible, but should ideally be 3 months or longer. Accomodation with costs is possible in the clinic or nearby.
Karin Wuertz-Kozak, kwuertz@ethz.ch / Institute for Biomechanics, HPP-O12, ETH Zürich / Professorship Karin Wuertz-Kozak
Karin Wuertz-Kozak, kwuertz@ethz.ch / Institute for Biomechanics, HPP-O12, ETH Zürich / Professorship Karin Wuertz-Kozak