Spinal Fusion and Pain Research Group

Group Leader

Ilkka Saarenpää, MD, PhD

Neurocenter, Department of Neurosurgery, Turku University Hospital

ilkka.saarenpaa@tyks.fi

Aims

Spinal Fusion and Pain Research Group concentrates on clinical and technological research on spinal fusion and pain.

 

Group Members

Senior Researchers:

  • Riitta Parkkola, MD, PhD, Prof. (radiology)
  • Jussi Hirvonen, MD, PhD, Prof. (radiology)
  • Juho Rantakokko, MD, PhD

Doctoral Students:

  • Jaakko Luoma
  • Cecilia Avellan

 

Collaborators & Partners

  • Jörg Franke, Priv.-Doz., Dr. med. habil., Klinikum Magdeburg, Germany
  • Martin Skalej, Professor, Dr. med. habil., Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, Germany

 

Main Funding

  • State Research Funding, Finland

 

Selected Publications

  1. Saarenpää I, Laine T, Hirvonen J, Hurme S, Kotilainen E, Rinne J, Korhonen K, Frantzén J. Accuracy of 837 pedicle screw positions in degenerative lumbar spine with conventional open surgery evaluated by computed tomography. Acta Neurochirurgica 2017; 159:2011-2017. DOI: 10.1007/s00701-017-3289-7.
  2. Saarenpää I, Stoor P, Frantzén J. BAG S53P4 putty as bone graft substitute – a rabbit model. Biomedical Glasses 2017; 3:30-40.
  3. Saarenpää I, Hirvonen J, Rinne J, Frantzén J. Bioactive glass putty (S53P4) as bone graft expander in minimally invasive lumbosacral interbody fusion. Journal of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery & Technique (JMISST) 2018; 3:52-58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21182/jmisst.18.0047.