Welcome to the METASTRA Results page. Here, you will find the latest scientific findings and outcomes from our dedicated team of researchers. We continuously update this section with publications, reports, and data generated throughout the project, offering a comprehensive look at the contributions METASTRA is making to science and healthcare.
Publications
2026
- Prediction of compressive strength of vertebral body with metastatic lesions based on quantitative computed tomography-based subject-specific finite element modelsAuthors: Rajdeep Ghosh, Eddie Shearman, Robert Roger, Marco Palanca, Enrico Dall'Ara, Damien LacroixDOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2026.117961
- Assessing the reproducibility of a subject-specific finite element modelling pipeline for the human metastatic vertebraeAuthors: Robert Roger, Rajdeep Ghosh, Yuanrui Cai, Fiona Gibson, Áron Lazáry, Lingzhong Guo, Damien Lacroix, Enrico Dall'AraDOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-46900-4
- A GDPR-Aligned Infrastructure Enabling Secure Multicenter Research StudiesAuthors: Serena Moscato, Cleiston Rodrigues Da Silva, Antonino Amedeo La Mattina, Valerio Antonio Arcobelli, Sabato MelloneDOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/shti260474
- Toward Interoperable Variable Definitions: A FHIR-Based Standardization Strategy for the METASTRA ProjectAuthors: Serena Moscato, Alberto Marfoglia, Valerio Antonio Arcobelli, Maria Rita Intagliata, Cristiana Griffoni, Giovanni Barbanti-Bròdano, Alessandro Gasbarrini, Antonella Carbonaro, Sabato MelloneDOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/shti260393
- Diagnostic accuracy of dual-layer spectral CT for osteolytic vertebral metastasesAuthors: Simone van der Star, Netanja I Harlianto, Stéphanie V de Lange, Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, Arnold M R Schilham, Madeleine Kok, Pim A de Jong, Wouter FoppenDOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-025-05023-z
2025
- Microstructure of the human metastatic vertebral bodyAuthors: Giulia Cavazzoni, Enrico Dall’Ara and Marco PalancaDOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.1508504
- Degeneration of the nucleus pulposus affects the internal volumetric strains and failure location of adjacent human metastatic vertebral bodiesAuthors: Giulia Cavazzoni, Margherita Pasini, Christine L. Le Maitre, Enrico Dall'Ara, Marco PalancaDOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2025.01.018
- Comparing the predictions of CT-based subject-specific finite element models of human metastatic vertebrae with digital volume correlation measurementsAuthors: Chiara Garavelli, Alessandra Aldieri, Marco Palanca, Enrico Dall’Ara, Marco VicecontiDOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-025-01950-x
- Intervertebral disc degeneration increases surface strain on metastatic vertebrae in compression and flexion but not in torsionAuthors: Margherita Pasini, Giulia Cavazzoni, Enrico Dall’Ara, Samuele Luca Gould, Christine Le Maitre, Luca Cristofolini, Marco PalancaDOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107109
- Generation of severely scoliotic subject-specific musculoskeletal modelsAuthors: Samuele Luca Gould, Giorgio Davico, Monica Cosentino, Luca Cristofolini, Marco VicecontiDOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336211
- Development and Mechanical Testing of Synthetic 3D-Printed Models of Healthy and Metastatic VertebraeAuthors: Daniela Bruno, Riccardo Forni, Marco Palanca, Luca Cristofolini, Paolo GargiuloDOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp9110373
- The METASTRA Project: Development and Validation of Computational Tools to Stratify Patients with Vertebral Metastases at Risk of Fracture Authors: Luca Cristofolini, Giovanni Barbanti-Bròdano, Enrico Dall'Ara, Rudolf Ferenc, Stephen J Ferguson, José Manuel García-Aznar, Aron Lazary, Peter Vajkoczy, Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, László VidácsDOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.2025.9.091
- Clinically Relevant Parameters to Stratify The Risk Of Fracture In Vertebrae With Metastases: Insight From Biomechanical ExperimentsAuthors: Marco Palanca, Giulia Cavazzoni, Margherita Pasini, Enrico Dall'Ara, Luca CristofoliniDOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.2025.9.092
- We Need To Better Assess The Risk Of Fracture In Spine Metastatic PatientsAuthors: Giovanni Barbanti Brodano, Aron Lazary, Sabato Mellone, Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, Cristiana Griffoni, Peter VajkoczyDOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.2025.9.096
- Why Technical Innovations Are Needed To Facilitate Better Characterization Of Pathological Fractures In Metastatic Spinal DiseaseAuthors: Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, Peter Vajkoczy, Gastone Castellani, Giovanni Barbanti Bròdano, Floris van Tol, Anne Versteeg, Aron LazaryDOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.2025.9.095
- Comparison Of Spinal Load Predictions From Musculoskeletal And Statistical Shape ModellingAuthors: Florian Rieger, Guillem Fernandez, Enrico Dall'Ara, Dominique A. Rothenfluh, Stephen J. Ferguson, Dominika IgnasiakDOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.2025.9.094
2024
- Variability of intervertebral joint stiffness between specimens and spine levels Authors: Samuele L Gould, Giorgio Davico, Christian Liebsch, Hans-Joachim Wilke, Luca Cristofolini, Marco VicecontiDOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2024.1372088
- Experimental ex vivo characterization of the biomechanical effects of laminectomy and posterior fixation of the lumbo-sacral spineAuthors: Sara Montanari, Giovanni Barbanti Bròdano, Elena Serchi, Rita Stagni, Alessandro Gasbarrini, Alfredo Conti & Luca CristofoliniDOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-80741-3
- METASTRA: Computer-Aided Effective Fracture Risk Stratification of Patients with Vertebral Metastases for Personalised Treatment Through Robust Computational Models Validated in Clinical SettingsAuthors: Luca Cristofolini, Giovanni Barbanti Brodano, Enrico Dall’Ara, R. Ferenc, S. J Ferguson, J. M. García-Aznar, A. Lazary, P. Vajkoczy, Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, L. VidacsDOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.2024.18.059
- Identification of a lumped-parameter model of the intervertebral joint from experimental data Authors: Samuele L Gould, Giorgio Davico, Marco Palanca, Marco Viceconti, Luca CristofoliniDOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2024.1304334
- 3D Parametric Finite Element Model for the Mechanical Simulation of Vertebrae with Metastatic LesionsAuthors: Jaime Muñoz-Allué, José Manuel García-Aznar, María Ángeles PérezDOI: https://doi.org/10.26754/jjii3a.202410652