Can shedding weight reshape the spine? a study tracks the changes
NCT ID NCT07794553
First seen Aug 31, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This observational study follows adults with morbid obesity who undergo bariatric surgery to see how substantial weight loss affects the alignment of the spine and pelvis. Researchers measure spinal and pelvic positions on X-rays before surgery and again at 3, 6, and 12 months after. The goal is to describe whether and how posture and balance change as weight drops, without assigning any treatment. The findings may help explain the musculoskeletal effects of severe obesity and weight loss.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Bariatric surgery (weight-loss surgery)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could clarify how major weight loss changes posture and spinal balance, possibly guiding future care for spine health in people with obesity.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small observational study, so it cannot prove cause and effect. Results may vary widely between patients, and changes in spine alignment might not translate to clear health benefits.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2026
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Adults with morbid obesity who are scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery as part of routine clinical care will be prospectively enrolled and followed. Participants will undergo serial assessment of spinal, pelvic, and spinopelvic alignment using standing radiographs obtained during the preoperative period and at approximately 3, 6, and 12 months after bariatric surgery. The study population is intended to characterize longitudinal changes in spinopelvic alignment and sagittal balance associated with substantial postoperative weight loss.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 years or older. * Patients with morbid obesity who are scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery according to routine clinical indications. * Ability to stand independently for standardized weight-bearing radiographic assessment. * Availability of an appropriate preoperative standing whole-spine radiograph for spinopelvic measurements. * Planned postoperative clinical and radiographic follow-up at approximately 3, 6, and 12 months. * Ability and willingness to participate in the prospective follow-up protocol. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous spinal fusion, spinal instrumentation, or major spinal deformity surgery that may substantially alter spinopelvic alignment. * Previous major pelvic surgery or structural pelvic disorder preventing reliable spinopelvic measurements. * Neurological or neuromuscular disorders that substantially affect standing posture or sagittal balance. * Inability to obtain technically adequate standardized standing radiographs. * Pregnancy at a time when radiographic assessment would otherwise be required. * Development of a major spinal, pelvic, or lower-extremity condition or surgery during follow-up that may independently alter spinopelvic alignment. * Incomplete or unavailable radiographic data required for longitudinal analysis.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Marmara University, Pendik Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Pendik, 34899, Turkey (Türkiye)
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