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Spine Research Foundation

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Education

Spine Research Foundation promotes fellowships in spine surgery through the Association of Spine Surgeons of India – ASSI. Starting from the year 2008, we have auspiciously trained more than 30 fellows in Spine Surgery. Abiding by its tradition to transform health care in spinal ailments, SRF offers an exceptional environment for learning and preparing surgeons to be leaders in their profession.

With your inspiration and heartfelt support, our foundation has recently been approved to provide Fellowship in Spine Surgery (FNB-Spine) under the National Board of Examinations (NBE), one of the premier institutions in the country.

Fellowship Framework

Our fellowship program has a research driven curriculum which provides sufficient exposure to most spinal pathologies and ample opportunities for surgical training. This fellowship is a very structured and coveted training program in spine surgery.

  • The selection procedure is through a competitive online entrance examination conducted by the ASSI.
  • After that an open transparent counselling procedure takes place for allocating the centre according to the merit list.
  • At the end of 2 years, the candidate has to appear for an exit examination which consists of a theory and a practical/oral examination.
  • They also have to submit a thesis project and a detailed logbook which will be thoroughly evaluated at the exit examination.

Fellowship Commitments

  • Throughout the fellowship there is a lot of focus on academic involvement with mandatory presentations in conferences and publications in peer reviewed national and international journals.
  • The candidate for the ASSI long-term fellowship works in the capacity of a clinical registrar in spine surgery and is duty-bound to assist in the operating rooms, go round all admitted patients and see patients in the outpatient’s clinic.
  • He has specific targets so far as presentation and publications are concerned. The completion of this 2-year fellowship the candidates are quite confident and proficient in tackling most disorders of spine independently.
  • Applications are usually invited/ advertised in April/ May and the selection is over by August. The selected candidate joins from 1st October for a period of 2 years.

Course Highlights

  • Two-year full-time spine fellowship.
  • Mostly clinical with some research obligations.
  • Fellow works as a Registrar with full clinical responsibility.
  • Hands on surgical training in cases spanning from simple to severely complex difficulties, under supervision and guidance.
  • Library facility– serene ambience for studying, and technical support.

Stipend

Eligibility

  • MS/DNB in Orthopaedics or MCh/DNB in Neurosurgery.
  • Active interest in developing spine as a full-time specialty.
  • Must have permanent registration with the MCI (Medical Council of India).
  • Strong emphasis on publications and presentations.
  • Must have complete command in English and Hindi with an extra vernacular language skill (preferably in Bengali) an added advantage, though not mandatory.
  • Will have to maintain and submit complete logbook which has to have a systematic and accurate documentation of clinical cases and final evaluation form.
  • He/she has to meet the requisite criteria of minimum presentations/publications during his fellowship.

Research

With the rapid expansion of technology available for spinal disorders and with advanced diagnostic modalities, the field of spinal surgery has attained an enormous status. This has been possible due to the plethora of research activities related to spine across the globe. Our organization has been involved in intensive research work in various aspects in spinal disorders including deformity, trauma, tumor, infection, and degenerative disorders. The academic chores and research tasks are regulated and managed by Dr. Saumyajit Basu, who serves as the Director of Fellowships in Spine Surgery, along with other doctors in the team. In the process we won various research awards and more than 30 national/international publications have been possible. We hope to further enhance our potentialities in this field and contribute to the advancement of science behind the spine. Here are some of our current active projects-

1. Study of spinal deformities in parkinsonism

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder typically found in the geriatric age group. Many of them develop spinal deformities and gets tilted over to one side or stoops forward. The study is based on patients suffering from Parkinsonism, obtaining full spine standing radiographs and measuring the amount of deformity. This is to be corelated with existing osteoporosis in these individuals (for which a DEXA scan is done for each of them). It also is to be corelated with the severity of the disease vis-a vis the ongoing anti Parkinson’s medication. Status – Patient recruitment nearly completed. Analysis going on.

2. Role of PET-CT scan in Spondylolysis and low-grade lytic Spondylolisthesis

Patients with defect in the pars (a particular part of the vertebra) of L5 or L4, who presents with back pain is being studied. X-ray CT scan MRI findings are recorded. They are then subjected to whole body PET CT scan and the metabolic activity in the region of the pars defect is noted. The correlation of patients’ symptoms and the metabolic activity will be statically worked out. Status – Patient recruitment going on.

3. Role of Tractography in the diagnosis and prognostication of TB spine patients

This is a study to demonstrate the efficacy of a particular sequence in MRI – known as Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) or Tractography in which the various tracts of the spinal cord are imaged. All patients admitted for surgery for TB spine was subjected to MRI and tractography was done and the severity of neural damage was recorded. These patients were then followed up after surgery to note the improvement. After 1 year, the neurological improvement was correlated with the Tractography findings to see whether the latter was predictive for outcome or not. Status – Study completed; efforts to publish the same going on.

4. Study of microbiome of the cervical disc

There has been a recent spurt in study of degenerative changes in the lumbar disc from a microbiological perspective. To this end, microorganisms have been cultured from the normal and abnormal lumbar discs through DNA analysis. However, there is no similar data published for cervical discs. The current research focuses on a description of the microbiome of the human cervical disc which are in various stages of degeneration. Surgical specimens of cervical discs would be collected from patients undergoing anterior cervical decompression surgeries and will be stored at very low temperatures and followed by DNA extraction and microbiome analysis. Status – Ethics Committee approval obtained, and patient recruitment would be started soon.

5. The predictive value of intraoperative neural monitoring data changes in patients undergoing surgery for dorsal or cervical myelopathy in the perspective of neurological improvement

Literature is sparse regarding the functional and neurological improvement of patients undergoing decompressive surgeries for thoracic and cervical myelopathy as corelated to the data obtained during neuromonitoring at surgery. The research protocol includes baseline and subsequent recordings of SSEPs and MEPs and comparing it with the final recordings at the end of closure. The difference would be correlated with the neurological and functional improvement of patients at the end of 3, 6 and 12 months. Status – Ethics Committee approval obtained; patient recruitment started.

Take a look at our publications…

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is one of the oldest branches of healthcare profession which is related to rehabilitating patient by modern holistic services. In spite of its recent advances and excellent results in delivering quality healthcare, awareness of physiotherapy still lacks among not only among general population but also other healthcare professionals including medical professionals.

How...

Our patients have lots of spine related problems. It is documented that majority of patients do not require surgery; their problems are mainly cured by physiotherapeutic rehabilitation. These may include pain modulation through Electrotherapy modalities and different manual hands-on techniques, counselling, education, and proper exercise regimen after complete assessment of the patient with a focus on individualised, evidence-based approach.

Services Provided

Benefit of spine surgery can be maximally appreciated only if methodical, routine post-operative physiotherapy is done. Complying with guided protocols like one-to-one session which basically starts before operation by means of thorough assessment and education pertaining to the problem. Lots of surgical patients require long term rehab for their weakness in limbs/trunk, mobility impairment such as walking and balance control, poor chest condition etc. Here SRF plays a pivotal role in sponsoring economically challenged patients for their proper rehabilitation until they are brought to near normal life. SRF also delivers physiotherapy aid of the highest quality even in extreme peripheral regions of Bengal for rehabilitating homebound patients. We look forward to spread awareness on spinal health among general population and break the myths related to spine.

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