Spinal problems
Most neurosurgeons spend about half of their time dealing with spinal problems. These range from disc prolapses causing sciatica and arm pain to tumours causing paralysis. More workers compensation money is spent on back injuries than anything else yet we still do not know what causes the pain in many cases. A multitude of treatment options is available, both surgical and non-operative, but very often there is little evidence to support their use. Clinical research is required to validate treatment methods and basic research to define the underlying mechanisms.
We have an interest in the long-term effects of spinal cord injury and in particular a condition called syringomyelia. This is the development of a cyst in the cord some years after an injury. It can cause further damage to an already injured spinal cord and our research has discovered some of the basic mechanisms of formation of these cysts. We have also produced these cysts in the rat, which allows us to study their development and possibly find ways of preventing their formation.
PO Box 698, North Adelaide SA 5006, Australia
Telephone: +61 8 8371 0771
nrfginta@bigpond.com
