BME Seminar Series: Beth Winkelstein, PhD, Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Winkelstein will present "Bioeng. Approaches to Understand Spine Injury & Pain: “Back” to the Basics & Integrating for the Future"

Bioengineering Approaches to Understand Spine Injury & Pain: “Back” to the Basics & Integrating for the Future

Beth A. Winkelstein, PhD

Departments of Bioengineering & Neurosurgery

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Although a variety of injury mechanisms are hypothesized to cause pain, a clear mechanical understanding of injuries and the tissue loading scenarios that produce and mediate pain and injury remain largely uncharacterized.  Our work incorporates the simultaneous measurement of joint and tissue biomechanics, behavioral sequelae (pain) and neuronal molecular and physiological cascades that contribute to the onset and maintenance of pain from the spinal facet joint.  We integrate in vivo, cadaveric and computational modeling to define a mechanistic understanding of how pain can be initiated and maintained, even for subfailure loading of ligamentous tissues.  This presentation will focus on our work in ligament-based painful injury, integrating basic biomechanics approaches with neurophysiology and immunology research to related tissue injury/loading to physiological function, dysfunction and failure.  We are defining the spatio-temporal regulatory mechanisms by which mechanical signals from loading to the facet capsular ligament regulate local responses in that joint, as well as those cellular systems in the spinal cord that contribute to persistent pain. Our work focuses on the biomechanics of these painful loading scenarios, and integrates findings from traditional mechanical testing approaches with application of novel imaging techniques and in vivo modeling to examine – and potentially re-define – the meaning of “mechanical failure” in the context of pain.  Using these coordinated studies we have been able to begin to define mechanical thresholds for tissue tolerance, pain, and cellular dysfunction; and are able to determine mechanical and physiological meanings for subfailure injuries in the spine.