Investing in spine research: Grammer European Spine Journal Award 2017

Investing in spine research:
Grammer European Spine Journal Award 2017

Four scientists from the University of California receive highly endowed award for research considering the causes of back problems due to lack of compression and decompression of the spine


Amberg, 16 October 2017 - During the largest European Spine Congress, the "Eurospine 2017" held in Dublin from 11-13 October, the Grammer European Spine Journal Award has been presented in its eighteenth year. With 20,000 euros in prize money, it is the world's most lucrative award in spine research and is awarded every year for outstanding achievements in basic research and applied science. The coveted award is sponsored jointly by Grammer and the "European Spine Journal". An expert panel consisting of editors and members of the scientific advisory board of the "European Spine Journal" chooses the best article published in this renowned journal during the preceding year.

This year the coveted award goes to a group of researchers from the University of California: in their in-vitro study, Cory J. Laws and Britta Berg-Johansen from the Medical Technology Department and Alan R. Hargens and Jeffrey C. Lotz from the Orthopaedic Surgery Department explored the reasons why the risk of back pain and herniated discs increases significantly when the human spine is no longer exposed to the daily change of load and decompression during alternating work and resting periods. This also occurs during lengthy space flights in zero gravity conditions. In order to discover the reasons for this phenomenon, the group of researchers exposed human spine samples to simulated absence of gravity in order to determine the resulting biomechanical changes. The experiments carried out in the course of the study showed that the intervertebral discs swell up during the prolonged phase of decompression, and that this swelling alters the shape and flexibility of the spinal column, which in turn leads to an increase in the pressure and tension within the intervertebral discs.
The findings of this study are currently being integrated into astronaut rehabilitation programmes aimed at helping the intervertebral discs become re-accustomed to gravity, and thus reduce the risk of spinal injury.

In the "European Spine Journal", the study findings were published in an article titled "The effect of simulated microgravity on lumbar spine biomechanics: an in-vitro study".

Scientifically sound product development
For Grammer, one of the world's leading manufacturers of operator systems, the topic of "ergonomic seating" is of vital importance. At the end of September, Grammer successfully held the 3rd Grammer Ergomechanics^(R) Conference in Amberg. The congress, which presents the latest findings from spine research and solutions for improving spinal health at the driver's workplace and in mobility applications, was well attended with 200 participants. Furthermore, Grammer has been actively supporting spine research since the year 2000 with the annual allocation of the European Spine Journal Award. Thanks to the resulting close cooperation with experts from science and research, Grammer has access to the latest findings in the field of spine research, and these directly influence the product development performed at Grammer. This ensures that Grammer seats are designed to offer maximum comfort and represent state of the art ergonomics.

All the information about past and present winners of the European Spine Journal Awards as well as more information on the topic of ergonomics can be found at the Grammer website, which you can access directly using this link:
https://www.grammer.com/produktwelten/ergonomie.html

Company profile

Located in Amberg, Germany, Grammer AG specializes in the development and production of components and systems for automotive interiors as well as suspension driver and passenger seats for onroad and offroad vehicles. In the Automotive Division, we supply headrests, armrests, center console systems and high-quality interior components and operating systems to premium automakers and automotive system suppliers. The Commercial Vehicle Division comprises seats for the truck and offroad seat segments (tractors, construction machinery, forklifts) as well as train and bus seats. With over 12,000 employees, Grammer operates in 19 countries around the world. Grammer shares are listed in the SDAX and traded on the Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges via the electronic trading system Xetra.