Ongoing projects

National multicentre studies and PhD:

• NORDSTEN-study – clinical trials comparing the efficacy of different surgical methods for spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis. Most hospitals in Norway performing spine surgery participate, including orthopaedic and neurosurgical departments. Christian Hellum is the leader of the scientific committee. He has been the superviser of Ivar Austevoll and co-superviser for Frode Rekeland and Hasan Banitalebi.
• Modic study – started in May 2015 (financed by NFR, The Western Norway Regional Health Authority and Central Norway Regional Health Authority, and including 3 doctoral students ). This is a double- blind clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of antibiotics in selected patients with back pain and altered endplate morphology. Main outcomes published in 2019. Futhermore a biopsi study on patients with Modic changes was planned in 2016, and started in 2018. Mads Peder Rolfsen is a PhD candidate in this project, supervised by Christian Hellum. AHUS, Stavanger University Hospital and Haukeland University Hospital participate in the biopsy study. This collaboration also include the department of Microbiology by Karianne Gammelsrud, Pathology and Medical Genetics at Oslo University Hospital.
• A study on patients with chronic low back pain is in planning comparing non surgical treatment with fusion surgery. Sverre Mjønes is the PhD candidate supervised by Christian Hellum and Philip Dolotowski. This is a multicenter study in collaboration with Haukeland University Hospital and AHUS.
• SIFSO study – (SacroIlilac Fusion vs Sham Operation) The inclusion was finalized in october 2021. This is a double blinded randomized controlled trial comparing sacroiliac joint fusion vs sham surgery. Engelke Randers is the PhD candidate and the project is supervized by Britt Stuge, Stephan Røhrl and Lars Nordsletten. This is a collboration with prof. Gerdhem in Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Improving the diagnostic accuracy, reproducibility and clinical usefulness og MRI and X-ray in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (Data from the NORDSTEN-study)
  PhD student Hasan Banitalebi
  Supervisor: Anne Negård, Christian Hellum, Anvar Masoud Status: Protocol in planning
  Other studies and PhD:
• “Physical activity, motor function, lung function and quality of life in children with early onset scoliosis treated with non-fusion spine correction”
  PhD student: Ragnhild Molland, physical therapist
  Supervisors: Thomas Kibsgård, Jens Ivar Brox, Britt Stuge, Inger Holm
  Status: One article publishedand data collection finished. Second paper written but not submitted.
• “Sacroiliac joint fusion for treatment of sacroiliac pain”
  PhD student: Engelke Randers, resident
  Supervisors: Britt Stuge, Stephan Røhrl and Lars Nordsletten Status: Study started
• “The gluteal muscles in severe osteoarthritis of the hip”
  PhD student: Kjetil Kivle, consultant
  Supervisors: Lars Nordsletten, Svein Svenningsen
  Status: One article published, two articles about to be written
• “Scoliosis in patients with cerebral palasy”
  PhD student: Sven Vinje
  Supervisors: Thomas Johan Kibsgård, Terje Terjesen, Reidun Jahnsen Status: Study started
• “Indications and Treatment of Adult Kypho- Scoliosis” (INTRAKS Study) PhD student: Vinjar Myklevold
  Supervisors: Stephan Röhrl, Christian Hellum Status: study started