Abstract: Intervertebral discs are essential to spinal function, enabling mobility, stability, and load transfer throughout life. As we age, these discs undergo structural and compositional changes that often occur without symptoms yet are frequently linked to mechanical low back pain (LBP), a condition affecting up to 85% of people. Standard clinical imaging reveals spine structure but provides little insight into mechanical function — a key factor in both healthy and pathological states. In this seminar, we present new methods for quantifying lumbar disc mechanics using repeated MRI under controlled flexion and extension, including the first comprehensive assessment across a balanced age range. Our findings define normative mechanical responses, reveal unexpected age-independent behaviors, and suggest new approaches for identifying discs with potential pathological significance. This work lays the foundation for integrating mechanical assessment into clinical practice and improving our understanding of the disc’s role in aging, degeneration, and LBP.
Bio: Dr. Dawn Elliott is the Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education in the College of Engineering and is the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. She is the PI and Director of the NIH-funded Delaware Center for Musculoskeletal Research. Dr. Elliott was the founding chair of the BME department at Delaware from 2011-2020. Prior to joining Delaware, she spent 12 years as faculty in the University of Pennsylvania’s Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering, where she was promoted to full professor.
Dr. Elliott’s group studies structure and function of fiber-reinforced musculoskeletal tissues (disc, meniscus, tendon) during degeneration, injury, repair, and therapy. Her multi-scale approach integrates mechanical testing, mathematical modeling, and multi-modal imaging, spanning from the entire joint, to the tissue-level, and to the micro-scale.
She was recently awarded the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Edward Grood Medal for Team Science and was previously awarded the Robert Nerem Medal for mentorship and education, and the Van C. Mow Medal for significant contributions to the field of bioengineering. Within the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) she was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Mentoring Award in 2015 and the inaugural Adele L. Boskey Award for sustained commitment to mentorship and a track-record of impactful research. Dr. Elliott is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and a member of the Council of the World Congress of Biomechanics. Dr. Elliott was president of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and is currently the Secretary of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
Host: Jill Middendorf
Reception to follow in Hackerman South Lobby (LCSR wing)