In 2019 spinal surgeons Roozbeh Shafafy and Sherief Elsayed developed the idea for a mobile-based app providing access to the most common scoring and classification systems pertaining to spinal surgery.
Spine Score is a mobile app that has recently been launched to aid all healthcare practitioners involved in the management of patients with spinal pathology. Spine Score provides simple, easy access to the most common scoring and classification systems pertaining to spinal surgery. Created by surgeons Roozbeh Shafafy and Sherief Elsayed in the United Kingdom, the educational tool is available on both Android and iOS platforms.
Spine Score encompasses a wide variety of scoring and classifications systems, which have previously been described in the scientific literature. Surgeons, fellows, nurses, researchers, students or other healthcare professionals may use Spine Score for rapid calculation of scores or classification of pathology for clinical decision-making or research in the outpatient or inpatient setting.
In the current iteration of Spine Score, scoring and classification systems are subdivided into categories such as Myelopathy, Tumour, Infection and Trauma. They may be accessed and calculated rapidly through a sequence of questions or tables without the need for data connection once the app has been downloaded.
- MYELOPATHY scoring systems include the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score, used for functional assessment of patients with myelopathy, Nurick classification and Ranawat classification.
- TUMOUR scoring and classification systems include prognostic scores such as the Modified Tokuhashi and Tomita score, as well as the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score used to assess for spinal stability in the presence of spinal tumours.
- Within the INFECTION section the Brighton Spondylodiscitis Score has been included, a newly described scoring system, to aid surgical decision making in patients with spondylodiscitis. Researchers are currently working on further validating this scoring system.
- The TRAUMA section of the app is subdivided into Fracture and Spinal Cord Injury. Fracture classifications include easy access reference for the AO Thoracolumbar classification system, Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score (TLICS) and McCormack Score. These may all aid decision-making in the treatment of patients with thoracolumbar fractures. The Spinal Cord Injury section includes classification systems for spinal injury such as the ASIA Impairment scale, Frankel Grading System and classification of Incomplete Cord Injuries.
Future development of Spine Score includes expansion of established categories such as the Tumour section, to include the newly developed AO classification for spine tumours and the inclusion of more comprehensive classification systems for spinal fractures.
A Deformity subcategory, including scoring and classification systems, pertaining to both adult and paediatric spinal deformity, such as the Scoliosis Research Society-22 Questionnaire, Schwab classification and GAP score, is also in development.
Plans are also in place to include Patient Rated Outcome Measures (PROMS) such as the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and integrate features to allow researchers to download anonymised breakdowns of scores to personal devices.
Since its release there has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the app. Feedback is welcomed to help the future development of Spine Score.
Spine Score aims to become a useful tool for spine surgeons, healthcare professionals, students and researchers involved in the care or study of patients with spinal pathology across the globe.
