Empa researchers looking into spinal degeneration

Researchers from Empa and Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich are on the trail of degenerative diseases of the spine. As Empa writes in a press release, initial studies have indicated that the stabilizing ligament in the spine may, for example, play a decisive role in the development of lumbar spinal stenosis, a medical condition in which patients suffer from a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower part of the back. For this reason, a group of researchers led by Annapaola Parrilli from the Center for X-Ray Analytics at Empa is investigating the influence of the Ligamentum flavum, as this stabilizing ligament is known, on spinal degeneration as part of a project supported by foundations and private individuals.

“We are investigating the Ligamentum flavum using various imaging and biomechanical methods to gain a better understanding of how its structure and stability change over time”, comments PhD student Raluca Barna, who is part of Parrilli’s team, in the press release. The team is able to use real Ligamenta flava donated for research purposes. It is hoped that the research results will lead to the faster identification of the appropriate treatment method. According to Parrilli, the first tests have already produced a series of promising data.

The project was financed via Empa’s Zukunftsfonds platform. Under this initiative, the research institute is seeking private donations for research projects that are not yet supported elsewhere. The corresponding Empa webpage contains information regarding the Zukunftfonds as well as a link through which donations can be made. ce/hs