VIJAYAWADA : Guntur-based Mallika Spine Centre has been honoured with two prestigious prizes -- International Society for Study on Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) Award in Milan, Italy, as well as the Whitecloud Award 2024 from the Scoliosis Research Society in San Diego, USA. Mallika Spine Centre’s director and spine surgeon Dr J Naresh Babu received the award.
The Centre won the ISSLS Prize-2024 in Clinical/Bioengineering Sciences for research on nutrient transport across the intervertebral disc. For the first time, this research has showed the world how the intervertebral disc obtains nutrition in standing and sleeping positions.
The award was presented in a grand ceremony during the 50th ISSLS annual meeting held at Milan in Italy. While researchers from Japan won the award in the basic science category, Mallika Spine Centre won the prize in the Clinical and bioengineering sciences categories. The award carries a $20,000 cash prize. Mallika Spine Centre is now the second Indian spine research team to win the prestigious award in the last 50 years.
The award-winning paper delves into how natural body positions influence nutrient transport within intervertebral discs, crucial for spine health. Using MRI scans in a standing position, the study observed rapid solute loss from the disc’s centre during standing, followed by solute regain during immediate post-standing rest. This dynamic interaction between loading and unloading showcases the disc’s adaptability. Understanding these dynamics could potentially shape preventive and therapeutic strategies for spine health. These groundbreaking findings were published in ISSLS’s sister journal European Spine Journal last month.
Established in 1974, ISSLS is a non-profit organisation of spine surgeons and researchers across the world. The ISSLS Prize, which is presented annually, is considered to be the highest recognition a researcher can receive in the field of spinal disorders and low back pain. It is awarded by a select committee consisting of 6-10 world-renowned spine researchers. Another research work by Dr Naresh Babu on Dynamic Evaluation of Cervical Spondylitis also won the Scoliosis Research Society’s Dr Thomas E Whitecloud Award in San Diego, USA. The WhiteCloud Award recognises innovation in spinal research and is highly-coveted within the global spine surgeons.
Out of the 1,500 submissions from spine experts worldwide, the top 15 were selected.