Translational Spine Research & Biomechanics

In Switzerland, 1.5 million people suffer from low back pain (LBP), which is often the cause of disability [1]. Non-specific LBP is a major cause of high healthcare costs in developed countries and often leads to early retirement [2]. The development of musculoskeletal assessment through remote app-assisted therapeutic home training may be useful for individuals with non-specific LBP, providing initial support for its implementation in primary care in the patient's home [3]. App-supported therapeutic solutions allow healthcare professionals to prescribe and monitor rehabilitation programs remotely. These innovative solutions have the potential to reduce healthcare costs and provide clinical outcomes comparable or even better than conventional physiotherapy (PT), especially for patients in remote areas [4]. Akina Cloud, a digital health application developed by an ETH spin-off to support therapeutic exercises in people with musculoskeletal disorders, is the first remote app-assisted therapeutic home training solution available in Switzerland. It provides patients with exercise and educational content and facilitates communication between patients and therapists via the application. The aim of this study is to show the efficacy of the remote app-assisted physiotherapy through Akina Cloud in patients with non-specific LBP. 

In December 2021, the new research unit ‘Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Engineering’ (CADENCE) was formed at Department of Biomedical Engineering (DBE) at the University of Basel (https://dbe.unibas.ch/en/research/biomechanics-and-biomaterials/cadence/) comprising the research groups ‘Functional Biomechanics’, ‘Robot-assisted Theragnostics’, ‘Paediatric Orthopaedic Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Modelling’, and ‘Spine Biomechanics’. CADENCE facilitates innovative and groundbreaking interdisciplinary research in biomedical engineering and biomechanics and serves as teaching facility for courses on diagnostic and therapeutic technologies within the new Master of Science program and the PhD programs at the DBE. The R`Equip grant supports CADENCE in the purchase of a range of state-of-the-art sensor technologies and the world’s first 3D gait rehabilitation robot ‘The FLOAT’. This investment is critical for the unique and internationally leading role of the research groups in the research and innovation ecosystem in the Basel region.

RoLSSroice - Role of spinal load in the pathophysiology of lumbar spinal stenosis: a translational approach combining clinical, functional and radiological parameters, in vivo biomechanical experiments and advanced in silico musculoskeletal modeling