Dr Matteo Briguglio and Prof Tom Wainwright

The Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI) is pleased to announce the publication of a new study, Malnutrition and Disability: A Retrospective Study on 2258 Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Spine Surgery, in the journal Medicina. This research, co-authored by ORI Visiting Fellow Dr. Matteo Briguglio, Professor Robert Middleton, Professor Tom Wainwright, and colleagues, examines the impact of malnutrition on functional ability and disability levels in patients undergoing elective spine surgery.

The study analysed data from over 2,200 patients and found significant associations between nutritional status and disability scores. The findings highlight the importance of integrating nutritional assessments into pre-operative evaluations to improve patient outcomes.

“This research underscores the role of nutritional status in surgical recovery,” said Professor Wainwright. “By identifying malnourished patients before surgery, we have an opportunity to optimise their care and enhance recovery.”

The full paper is available via open access: https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61030413.