Development and validation of PCCT-based biomechanical models for stratifying patients with vertebral metastases (PCCTSPINEFE)
Not stated
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
- Application deadline
- Year-round applications
About the project
About the Project Several primary tumours such as breast, prostate and lung cancers create bone metastases in the spine, increasing the risk of fracture in these patients. Even treatments in some cases (for example androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer patients) may reduce the bone density and increase risk of fracture. Current clinical assessment of vertebral risk of fracture in these patients is based on scoring systems and it is not specific enough, making it dependent from the clinical team’s experience. Therefore, it is paramount to develop better diagnostic tools for better identifying patients with high risk of fracture and treat them with interventions that project the skeleton. In our group we have developed Subject Specific Computed Tomography (CT)-based Finite Element (FE) models (CT-SSFE) to predict the bone strength in metastatic vertebrae, showing that they are reproducible [1], they can replicate deformation patterns measured experimentally [2], they can identify critical lesions to be treated [3], and can be used to evaluate the effect of cancer treatments on bone strength [4]. Recently, the development of CT scanners that use photon counting detectors (PCCT) is revolutionising the way CT imaging is done, thanks to their higher resolution and lower radiation dose. Therefore, PCCT-SSFE models have great potential in assessing the effect of metastatic lesions on the vertebral strength. This PhD project, linked to the METASTRA and SPIRO projects at the Insigneo institute of the University of Sheffield, aims at developing, validating and applying the first PCCT-SSFE for metastatic vertebrae to identify the cancer patients at high risk of fracture and optimise their treatment. Proposed start date: 01 March 2027 or 01 October 2027 Entry Requirements: Candidates must have a first or upper second class honours degree or significant research experience. In addition, candidates must be self-motivated, have the ability to think independently, use own initiative, have good communications skills and be well-organised including good time management. Experience in biomechanics and/or image processing would be desirable but not essential. How to apply: Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply