Guntur surgeon wins ‘Best Paper Award’ at Singapore Spine Conference

Guntur-based surgeon Dr. J. Naresh Babu, Chief Spine Surgeon at the Mallika Spine Centre, has been honored with the Best Paper Award at the Singapore Spine Conference, held from July 16 to 19, 2026. The award ceremony took place during a press conference in Guntur on August 3, 2026.

His groundbreaking research, titled "Ligamentous Instability in Structurally Stable Cervical Myelopathy – A New Paradigm Shift in Understanding Disease Worsening," proposes a fresh perspective on the worsening of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The study reveals that everyday activities like sitting and normal neck movements could alter the ligamentum flavum and bring about spinal cord compression, even in patients whose cervical spine appears stable on traditional scans.

Utilizing weight-bearing Sitting MRI, Dr. Babu's research identified "ligamentous instability" as a potential cause for disease progression. He believes these findings can enable doctors to diagnose patients earlier, gauge risks more accurately, and prevent permanent spinal cord damage through timely treatment. The study also emphasizes the significance of Sitting MRI in evaluating cervical spine disorders in normal physiological conditions.

Dr. Naresh Babu expressed immense pride in receiving the award, recalling his previous recognition as the Young Orthopaedic Investigator Award recipient from the Singapore Orthopaedic Association in 2007. He emphasized that this latest award underscores the Mallika Spine Centre's ongoing commitment to spine surgery, innovation, and clinical research on an international scale.