Non-Invasive Assessment of Lumbar Spine Tissue Quality: A Framework for Future Translation and Intervention
Project Summary: Low back disorders (LBDs) are a considerable problem worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence of 80% among the global population. Additionally, LBD claims are the most common of any body region, rank highest in years lived with disability, and account for over $100 billion annually in medical compensation costs. While LBDs are complex and multifaceted, a mechanical origin is a leading hypothesis. A growing body of evidence shows that the muscles and soft tissues supporting the spine play a critical role in LBD development, and these tissues can deteriorate in ways that diminish the likelihood of recovery and increase the risk for reinjury. Unfortunately, changes to these soft tissues can only be detected by biopsies taken during surgery, meaning opportunities for earlier intervention were missed. Therefore, this project will develop the first non-invasive framework to assess the quality of spinal tissues, combining mechanical testing,
advanced muscle recordings, and clinical measures. We will apply this framework in sedentary older adults, with or at elevated risk for LBDs. In partnership with the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging (CCAA), participants will also take part in activity programs to test whether movement can improve spinal tissue health. The results have the possibility to transform early detection and treatment of back problems, reduce failed spine surgeries, and provide scalable, community-based strategies to improve spine health.
Project Duration: October 2025 – September 2027 Amount: $50,000
Team Leads: Kayla Fewster (Kinesiology) & Kevin Shoemaker (Kinesiology)
Team Members: Anita Christie (Kinesiology), Christopher Bailey (Orthopaedic Surgery), Kevin Shoemaker (Kinesiology), Daniel Keir (Kinesiology), Jamie Melling (Kinesiology), Alison Rushton (Physical Therapy), Dave Walton (Physical Therapy), Stephen Brown (Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph), Grieg Inglis (Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Brescia), Ryan Graham (School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa), Jim Johkman (Patient Partner)
Summary: Low back disorders (LBDs) are a considerable problem worldwide, with a lifetime prevalence of 80% among the global population. LBD claims are the most common of any body region, rank highest in years lived with disability, and account for over $100 billion annually in medical compensation costs. While LBDs are complex and multifaceted, a mechanical origin is a leading hypothesis. A growing body of evidence shows that the muscles and soft tissues supporting the spine play a critical role in LBD development, and these tissues can deteriorate in ways that diminish recovery potential and increase reinjury risk. However, these changes can currently only be detected through surgical biopsies, missing opportunities for early intervention.
This project will develop the first non-invasive framework to assess spinal tissue quality, combining mechanical testing, advanced muscle recordings, and clinical measures. The framework will be applied in sedentary older adults with or at risk for LBDs. In partnership with the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging (CCAA), participants will also take part in activity programs to test whether movement can improve spinal tissue health. The results have the potential to transform early detection and treatment of back problems, reduce failed spine surgeries, and provide scalable, community-based strategies to improve spine health.
Completed Milestones
- Secured collaboration with orthopedic surgeon (expertise: spine surgery)
- Secured collaboration with patient partner as part of research team
- Applied to NFRF-E in Oct 2025 (pending)
Future Milestones
- Finalize non-invasive assessment and pilot testing for research study
- Apply for Ethics approval for Western–CCAA partnership research study
- Recruit and enroll participants in research study and CCAA programs
- Research Study Data Analysis:
- Tissue quality and clinical measures
- Tissue quality and physical activity intervention
- Public engagement event to disseminate results to community
- Conference presentation
- Prepare scientific paper for publication
