About our research

The World Health Organization Global Burden of Disability Initiative reports that fewer people are dying but more people are living with disability. Of more than 300 health conditions studied, musculoskeletal conditions ranked among the top leading causes of health loss due to disease or injury - with low back and neck pain ranked as the fourth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years - behind ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lower respiratory infection.  
 

The tremendous health burden of musculoskeletal conditions of the spine is reflected in the rapid increase in healthcare expenditures for spine care, both operative and non-operative. In the United States, spinal fusion surgery is the fastest-growing healthcare expense for Medicare (approximately $1 billion annually in 2005 and similar to expenditures for cardiovascular disease and diabetes). 
 

It is in this setting that the Spine Outcomes Research Center seeks to answer its mission of improving patient safety and outcomes through furthering knowledge and increasing the efficiency of spine care.

The Surgical Outcomes Research Center is an academic collaboration between health services researchers, spine surgeons, psychologists, physical therapists,  epidemiologists, statisticians, engineers, and many others that seeks to improve the care that we provide patients with musculoskeletal conditions of the spine.

We maintain an ongoing prospective registry of patient-reported outcomes assessments for patients undergoing spine surgery. The knowledge learned from the exploration of this registry data has led to multiple presentations, published manuscripts, and funded research projects. For those who are interested in collaborating with us, please review our policies and procedures.