Feldberg Chair Supports Spinal Research and Quality of Life for Patients

Dr. Joel Finkelstein has been appointed to the Feldberg Chair in Spinal Research. “The Feldberg Chair in Spinal Research will assist us tremendously in our goal to provide unmatched care. It will help drive a research platform that will significantly improve long-term quality of life for patients affected by spinal cord injuries and spine trauma, metastatic disease to the spine, and degenerative spinal conditions,” says Dr. Finkelstein, who is an orthopaedic surgeon in the Holland Bone and Joint Program, an affiliate scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute, and head of Sunnybrook’s Spine Team.

In collaboration with clinician-scientist colleagues in the Holland Bone and Joint Program and other Sunnybrook researchers across oncology and neurosurgery, his research focuses on image-guided and minimally invasive spine surgery and delivery of therapeutics. He is also studying ways to better understand patients’ response shifts, after spine treatments, in perceptions of their health-related quality of life.

Dr. Finkelstein, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Surgery at University of Toronto, continues to lead minimally invasive spine surgery at Sunnybrook for better patient outcomes. He optimized both spine care pathways and the use of image guidance in pre-operative planning and intra-operatively, and has initiated less invasive techniques into surgical practice, such as the use of tubular retractors and cortical trajectory screws for stabilization.

The Chair will help support research including:

Ultrasound imaging with 3D Cone Beam CT-based spinal navigation for better soft tissue visualization during surgery:
During surgeries for trauma, degenerative disease, malformations, and metastatic disease, ultrasound imaging is currently used but is limited to single views and not linked to the patient’s spine anatomy. Dr. Finkelstein and colleagues are combining ultrasound imaging in real time, with 3D CT navigation technology for more accuracy in localization and visualization of soft tissues (discs, the spinal cord, tumours) to help with resections.

Innovations in RFA (radiofrequency ablation) to treat large bone tumours:
Radiofrequency ablation is the surgical removal of tissue using heat generated locally from medium frequency alternating current. The Feldberg Chair will also provide support for cutting edge research by Dr. Albert Yee and Dr. Cari Whyne who have developed new applications in RFA that target heat and maintain consistent temperatures to allow for the ablation of large tumours in the verterbrae while preserving nearby tissues.

Quality of life research for continuous improvements in spine treatments:
Research to better understand how and why, patients’ responses shift in their view of quality of life and positive outcomes will help evaluate the success of spine research translated to clinical care.