Predicting the impact of daily activities on the spine

What’s the title of the study? 

Prediction of the Vertebral Load and Motion Spectrum for Activities of Daily Living (ADL).

What’s the study about? 

Secondary breast cancer in the spine weakens the vertebrae, making the spine more at risk of fracture.

Researchers at Leeds University want to find out what could increase the risk of damage to vertebrae for people with secondary breast cancer in the spine.

They’re using a new computer modelling technique to calculate the impact in the spine during daily activities and tasks.

Who’s organising it? 

Name of project lead: Professor Anthony Redmond and Dr Faizal Kamarol Zaman 

Job title: Professor of Clinical Biomechanics and Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Spine Biomechanics 

Organisation: University of Leeds (and as part of OncoEng Research Consortium) 

Email address: M.F.KamarolZaman@leeds.ac.uk 

Phone number: 07984712164 

Who can take part? 

You can take part if you’re a woman who:

• Is over 18 (ideally between 40 and 60 years old) 
• Has no significant back or spinal problems 
• have never had an operation on your spine 

You can take part if you’ve finished treatment for primary breast cancer, including DCIS or a local or regional recurrence.  

In order to remove risk, you can’t take part if you’re living with secondary breast cancer, or if you have back or spinal problems.  

Why do you want me to be involved?  

By taking part in this study, you’ll help researchers be able to estimate the risk of fracture that people living with secondary breast cancer have. They’ll use this to design a new spinal implant prevent fractures.  

What will you ask me to do? 

To take part in the study, you’ll attend 1 session in the gait lab in Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds. The address is:  

Gait Laboratory 
Ground Floor 
Outpatients Area 5 
Chapel Allerton Hospital 
Chapeltown Road 
Leeds  
LS7 4SA

During the study, you’ll need to uncover some non-intimate parts of your body. The researchers will record you doing certain movements, like sitting down or bending forwards through some reflective markers on your skin. The session should last 1.5 to 2 hours. 

You will be reimbursed for travel costs.  

How do I get involved? 

If you're interested in taking part, or have any questions, please email your interest to Dr Faizal Kamarol Zaman at M.F.KamarolZaman@leeds.ac.uk. Or you can fill in the expression of interest form. 

When’s the deadline? 

31 December 2025