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A young British research group got the Grammer Award 2009/2010.

The largest European conference of spinal researchers took place in Vienna from September 15 – 17 2010. The “EuroSpine” conference was host to well over 2,000 biomechanics experts, biologists and doctors, who exchanged the latest findings from their fields. During the conference in Austria’s capital, the GRAMMER European Spine Journal Award was awarded for the eleventh time. Each year, the world’s largest prize for spinal research is bestowed in recognition of outstanding achievement in fundamental research; this highly coveted award is sponsored by leading seat manufacturer GRAMMER AG and the European Spine Journal. The 2010 prize went to a research team around Dr. Christopher A. Sharp. In their research work, the group detected molecular proof that spinal disk cells are equipped with a defense mechanism that might protect the spinal disks from further damage. A better understanding of these processes would make new forms of therapy possible in which the defense mechanisms were directly targeted in order to counteract pathological changes.

Handover of the Grammer Award 2009/2010: From left to right: Alexandra Polster (Senior Manager, Research & New Technology GRAMMER AG), Prof. Sally Roberts (Cellular & Neural Engineering theme lead, Keele University), Prof. Hans-Joachim Wilke (Vice-director Institute of Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanics, University of Ulm)

10 Years GRAMMER Award – the current winner is nominated

It began in the year 2000 and since then it is the highest amount (20.000 Euro) of any award in spinal research worldwide. Here we talk about the GRAMMER Award, which is donnated annualy since 10 years. This is ensured because of the cooperation of three organizations: the Grammer AG, Sato Office GmbH (in earlier days known as SID Seating GmbH) and the European Spine Journal.
The goal of this award is to honour outstanding research papers of the basic science in spinal research. Since 10 years the GRAMMER AG maintains these contacts to the spine research community and supports the scientists in their area of expertise. The GRAMMER AG and the European Spine Journal decided to keep the Award nevertheless the longterm partner Sato Office GmbH will get off. During the last 10 years lots of information out of the basic science in spinal research was involved in the development of new seats.
Again this year 4 brilliant spinal scientists were honored for their remarkable work. The GRAMMER Award winner 2008/2009 ist Dr. Haschtmann and his team. The scientists observed basic mechanisms of the disc specimen following a fracture of the vertebral body. To get deep insight the mechanisms the team established a modell which simulates the interface of disc and vertebral body. In the lab, fractures of the bony strucuters were generated and the following biological changes of the tissue were observed. Out of this, some short-time changes of the spinal disc after such a trauma are now known. These might be important milestones for the therapy of these illnesses.

Interesting findings of the Spine Research:

The BMW group in cooperation with the Institute of Ergonomics of the Technical University of Munich published a study about a pressure measurement of the human spinal disc in an automotive seat. This is the first study of such a special pressure measurement of the spine in an automotive seat (multifunctional leather seat). The test procedure is done by a pressure sensor which is incorporated into a cannula. This cannula is then implanted into the lowest spinal discs (L4-L5, L5-S1).
The test person was a sporty and healthy 50th percentile man (42 years, 176 cm and 83 kg). Different seat settings with resulting seat pressure patterns have been observed. This was done with the help of a seat pressure mat with 1024 single measurement points. The optimal setting is known and well established from earlier studies – 2 less optimal settings have been incorporated to compare the differences. The less comfortable settings produced higher and lower pressure under the thighs, respectively. As a result the pressure under the tuber ischiadicum resulted controversial in a lower or higher value. The angle between backrest and seat pan did not differ.
As a result the optimal seat setting showed the lowest pressure value (0,5 bar) in the spinal disc. Less comfortable seat settings showed higher values of 0,95 bar (higher pressure under the thighs, lower pressure under the tuber ischiadicum) and 1,5 bar (lower pressure under the thighs, higher pressure under the tuber ischiadicum). The authors presume that the difference in the pressure is due to the different work of the muscle and ligaments. A neutral seat posture results in a pretension of the ligaments to stabilize the spine but the muscles have only little work to stabilize the spine. In a less optimal posture the muscles must work more and the tension of the ligaments is higher. As a result the pressure in the spinal disc increases. The reason for the increase of spinal disc pressure is therefore a combination of flexion and stabilization of the spine by the cooperation of the ligaments and the muscles. An ideal seat posture might occur in lower pressure in the spinal discs.

References:
Zenk, R., Franz, M., Bubb, H.: Spinal load in the context of automotive seating. 2007-01-2485, SAE International

„The GRAMMER European Spine Journal Award-Winner 2007/2008“

A Japanese research team got the award 2008. Head of the group was Masao Koda. The researchers observed the regeneration of nerve structures of the spinal cord. The cells of the brain, the sense organs and the spinal cord of the adults can't regenerate in the same way like the other human tissues can. Researchers from all over the world try to get deeper insight the functions of these cell systems to reveal the differences between the more or less possibilities to regenerate. This might help patients with spinal cord injuries.

The goal of Masao Koda and his research group was the observation of the influence of a growth factor on the regeneration of nerve structures after spinal cord transaction. To study this, a section of the spinal cord of rats was transacted and displaced by bone marrow cells containing the growth factor BDNF. The results showed that the gene BDNF influences the repair capacity of cells of the nervous system. This causes a better functionality of the lower limbs.

Hand-over of the cheque to the japanese research group. Persons from left to right: Marion Kurz (Sato), Alexandra Polster (Grammer), Hermann Meiller (Ergomechanics), Masashi Yamazaki (Chiba University), Prof. Wilke (University of Ulm).