Tracking scoliosis and spine surgery outcomes for people with spina bifida
Penn State Spina Bifida Clinic Registry
This project uses clinic registry data to look at when people with myelomeningocele need scoliosis surgery and what happens to them afterward.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hershey, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11423403 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You will see that the team is using data from the Penn State Spina Bifida Clinic and the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry to learn about scoliosis and related surgeries in children and adults with myelomeningocele. They will count how often patients have scoliosis correction and compare rates across clinics while accounting for age, lesion level, and walking ability. The researchers will examine links between scoliosis surgery and other neurological or urological issues such as hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, syringomyelia, and tethered cord. They will specifically compare outcomes after scoliosis repair in people who did and did not have tethered cord release first to see if that prior surgery changes neurological or bladder/bowel outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People of any age with myelomeningocele (a form of spina bifida) who have scoliosis or are being considered for scoliosis or tethered cord surgery are the most relevant candidates for this work.
Not a fit: People without myelomeningocele, without scoliosis, or not facing spine or tethered cord procedures are unlikely to be directly affected by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help doctors decide whether tethered cord release should be done before scoliosis surgery and reduce the risk of neurological or urological worsening after spine surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous registry analyses and clinical reports have examined scoliosis in spina bifida, but the specific question of whether tethered cord release before scoliosis repair prevents neurological or urological decline remains incompletely answered.
Where this research is happening
Hershey, United States
- Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr — Hershey, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dias, Mark Steven — Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Dias, Mark Steven
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.