Spinal Horizons Research Foundation
Pioneering the Future of Spine Health
The Vision
We envision a future where spinal disorders are managed with precision and efficiency. Our goal is to transform spinal health care through innovative research and technology, making effective treatments accessible and improving patient outcomes.
Our Mission
The Spinal Horizons Research Foundation (SHRF) is dedicated to pioneering advancements in spine health, with a particular focus on the treatment of spinal stenosis and related nerve compression disorders. Our multi-faceted mission is to:
Fund Breakthrough Research
Supporting groundbreaking studies in spinal stenosis, nerve compression disorders, and surgical outcome optimization
Advance Evidence-Based Practice
Developing innovative technologies and clinical insights that transform surgical decision-making from uncertainty to precision
Improve Patient Outcomes
Reducing revision surgeries, enhancing quality of life, and establishing new standards of care through collaborative research
Our Story
A Commitment Born from Experience
In 2024, a group of spine surgeons, medical device industry leaders, and patients who had experienced the challenges of spinal surgery came together around a shared recognition: despite decades of surgical advancement, too many patients still faced uncertain outcomes.
Led by experienced spine surgeon Dr. Ross Jones and other leaders in the field, these founding members had witnessed a persistent gap between surgical intent and patient outcomes. They saw talented surgeons making critical decisions with limited real-time feedback, patients facing unnecessary revision surgeries, and a healthcare system bearing the burden of suboptimal results.
The founding insight was clear: the field needed more rigorous, evidence-based research to bridge the gap between surgical technique and predictable outcomes. While various technologies and approaches showed promise, comprehensive research was needed to validate their clinical impact, establish best practices, and develop new methodologies for improving surgical precision.
Rather than wait for others to lead this research, our founders decided to take action. SHRF was born from the conviction that patients deserve better outcomes, surgeons deserve evidence-based guidance, and the medical community deserves research that directly addresses the most pressing challenges in spinal health.
Today, as we prepare to launch our first research initiatives, we remain driven by that founding vision: advancing spinal surgery through rigorous research that transforms uncertainty into evidence-based precision.
Our Current Research Priorities
SHRF is launching its initial research endeavors with a strong focus on areas promising immediate impact. Our first phase involves spearheading multi-center clinical studies on intraoperative nerve monitoring technologies to provide surgeons with real-time, objective data during spinal decompression procedures. Concurrently, we are supporting research into advanced minimally invasive techniques aimed at reducing patient recovery times and improving surgical precision. These foundational studies are critical to establishing new evidence-based protocols.
The Critical Challenges in Spinal Healthcare
The landscape of spinal health presents complex challenges that drive our mission. Despite advances, significant issues persist:
Lack of Real-Time Data
Surgeons often lack objective, intraoperative means to identify functionally impaired nerves or assess real-time changes to nerve function during decompression surgery. Critical decisions regarding the extent of decompression often lack hard quantitative criteria, and current tools like standard Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM), while valuable for detecting acute injury risk, do not directly measure the adequacy of decompression.
Variable Surgical Outcomes
Patients frequently experience incomplete symptom resolution post-surgery. While lumbar laminectomy can have success rates around 90%1 in appropriately selected patients, roughly 10-20%2 may experience only minimal improvement or continued symptoms after surgery for lumbar stenosis. Revision surgery rates after lumbar decompression can range up to 15-20%3 by 5-10 years post-surgery.
Significant Burdens
These variable outcomes and the need for secondary procedures place an unnecessary burden on patients, their families, providers, and the overall healthcare system. Unplanned 90-day hospital readmissions after lumbar surgeries can increase total episode costs from approximately $34,000 to $130,0004 per case. Even acutely, each new neurologic complication can add an estimated ~$4,5005 in direct hospital costs, and permanent nerve injuries can lead to tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime healthcare costs and lost productivity.
The Decompression Dilemma
Surgical nerve decompression is an intricate balancing act. Under-decompression can result in continued symptoms and a higher incidence of revision surgery, while over-decompression increases the risk of complications such as nerve injury, dural tears, and spinal destabilization.
These profound challenges underscore the urgent need for innovation and drive SHRF's commitment to funding research that provides surgeons with better tools and insights for optimized, patient-centered care.
References:
1. Lumbar Decompression Surgery: Uses and Success Rate (2023). Medical News Today
2. Diagnosis and Management of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Review (2022). PubMed
3. Incidence of Revision Surgery After Decompression (2021). Academia.edu
4. Economic Analysis of 90-day Readmission After Elective Spine Surgery (2023). AME Surgical Journal
5. Impact of Spine Surgery Complications on Costs (2019). PMC Study
Our Leadership: Guiding the Path to Innovation
SHRF is guided by a dedicated Medical Oversight Board composed of unpaid volunteers with diverse and extensive experience in spinal surgery practice, medical technology, research and development, business, healthcare economics, and charitable oversight. This Board ensures our initiatives are impactful, scientifically sound, and aligned with our core mission. The SHRF Board meets quarterly to discuss research priorities, financial strategy, and review/approve applications for research support.
Featured Leader:
Dr. Ross Jones, DO
Dr. Jones is a Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon actively practicing at Flagstaff Bone & Joint in Flagstaff, AZ. He is an active surgeon preceptor through the North American Professional Education Program, with a special emphasis on nerve safety and health assessment. Dr. Jones is actively engaged on various surgeon advisory boards with leading industry technologies and is a key thought leader in neurotechnology. He has a special interest in the utilization of intraoperative technology for improving clinical outcomes related to functional nerve health.
Our Unwavering Commitment
As we launch our initiatives, the Spinal Horizons Research Foundation is steadfastly committed to:
- Funding High-Impact Research: Identifying and supporting high-quality research projects that are directly aligned with our mission and have the potential to make significant advancements in spinal health
- Fostering Collaboration: Creating and nurturing partnerships between healthcare providers, researchers, academic institutions, and industry experts to accelerate discovery and innovation
- Maintaining Transparency: Ensuring a clear, fair, and rigorous process for our funding determinations and operational governance
- Disseminating Knowledge: Sharing research findings, insights, and advancements broadly to benefit the wider medical community, patients, and the public
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Spinal Health
Every breakthrough begins with a community united by purpose. Whether you're advancing research, providing care, or sharing our vision for better treatments, your involvement matters. Together, we can transform how spinal conditions are treated and ultimately defeated.
Connect with us to:
- Stay informed about research opportunities and breakthroughs
- Engage with cutting-edge developments in spinal health
- Explore collaboration possibilities that could reshape patient care