Department of
Orthopaedics

Clinical Research

Welcome to the Department of Orthopaedics Clinical Research home page. The mission of the clinical research section is to provide the faculty and residents with the resources necessary to conduct innovative musculoskeletal clinical research. Available resources include assistance with research design, Institutional Review Board protocol and grant submissions, data collection, statistical analysis and manuscript preparation.

Researchers in the clinical research section collaborate with other Departments and Centers at WVU including Radiology, Trauma, Statistics, Neurosurgery, Physical Therapy, Community Medicine, Aging, Exercise Physiology and Rural Emergency Medicine, as well as physicians, nationally and internationally.

Clinical Research Areas

Cervical Spine

  • Utilization of CT Angiogram in the Setting of Cervical Traumatic Injuries
  • The Effects of Perioperative Steroids on Dysphagia Following Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: A Randomized, Prospective, Double-Blind Study

Post Capsular

  • Evaluation of post-capsular contracture following shoulder capsulorraphy procedure

Shoulder

  • Plate fixation versus intramedullary fixation of displaced clavicle fractures: a prospective, randomized study
  • A retrospective evaluation of partial resurfacing hemiarthroplasty for humeral head defects
  • Comparison of Local vs. Regional Anesthesia during ORIF of the Clavicle
  • Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) versus acute ligament reconstruction of AC joint dislocations
  • Cost Analysis of Plate Versus Pin in Clavicle Fractures

Hand

  • Ascension proximal interphalangeal humanitarian device study
  • The Diagnostic Value of MRI ordered by Primary Care Physicians Prior to referral to an Orthopaedic hand surgeon: a Look at Efficiency and Quality of Imaging
  • Patient Satisfaction and Cost Analysis of One to Four Carpal Tunnel and Cubital Tunnel Surgeries done Simultaneously

Lumbar Spine

  • Lumbar Fusion with TLIF Cages and Posterior Instrumentation: Are We Improving Segmental Lordosis?
  • Intraoperative ocular pressure in lumbar spine fusion patients

Hip

  • Hemi Arthroplasty
  • Outcome Comparison of Wagner Hip Devices in Adults (A Retrospective Chart Review)
  • A review of long term results of Wagner hip stem fixation
  • Outcome of total joint arthroplasty after treatment for prior infected total joint arthroplasty
  • Outpatient compliance with Portable Pneumatic Compression Device
  • Treatment of Acetabular Fractures in the Elderly
  • American Joint Replacement Registry

Knee

  • Biofilms in Total Joint Infections: Presence, Location, and Association with Markers of Infection
  • Fusion rate and clinical outcomes of first tarsometatarsal arthrodesis and first metatarsal basilar opening wedge (BOW) osteotomy using locked plates and early weight bearing for hallux valgus
  • Biofilms in total joint infections: presence, location, and association with markers of infection
  • ACL reconstruction in Adolescents: Retrospective Review
  • Bacterial Identification in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty
  • Assessment of knee joint motion using smartphone technology

Tibia

  • Outcome measure of fractures in the proximal 2/3 of the fibula that are not fixed with Intramedullary nailing

Foot/Ankle

  • Fusion rate and clinical outcomes of first tarsometatarsal arthrodesis and first metatarsal basilar opening wedge (BOW) osteotomy using locked plates and early weight bearing for hallux valgus
  • Radiographic outcomes after computer assisted total ankle arthroplasty
  • The economic impact of syndesmosis hardware removal
  • Total ankle arthroplasty: Comparison of computed tomography-assisted technique to computer generated templating
  • A look at Precontoured plates as a potential source of malalignment in arthrodesis of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint: a cadaveric study to determine the importance of correct placement.

Whole Spine

  • Tissue-specific extracellular matrix enhances human nucleus pulposus cell expansion and redifferentiation capacity
  • Adjunctive treatments for cervical osteophytes causing mechanical dysphagia
  • Use of percutaneous pedical screw fixation in traumatic spinal injuries in ankylosing spondylitis and DISH patients
  • Hardware Removal in Spine Fusion Patients
  • Low Lumbar Burst Fractures: A Study of Long Term Outcomes

Whole Body

  • Musculoskeletal Oncology Research Registry and Tissue Bank
  • Image Grid Review of CT Scan Adequacy in Trauma Patients
  • Engineering Hyaline-like Cartilage Tissue from Synovial Derived Stem Cells in Humans
  • Bone Mineral Density Compared to Lifestyle Factors and Vitamin D levels in Resident Physicians
  • A method to quantify physician well-being in an era of the ACGME duty hour regulations
  • Establishing GPSM3 as a novel biomarker and/or drug discovery target for inflammatory arthritides
  • Expression of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Delayed Fracture Healing: A Multi-Center Study

Clinical Outcomes Database (ROSIE)

The Department of Orthopaedics uses an electronic patient reported outcomes data collections system to better patient care, improve clinical effectiveness and conduct state-of-the art clinical research.

The system uses HIPAA compliant Internet based software to collect and store patient information in a database.   Patients can complete the condition specific validated progress report from home or any location with access to the Internet, before their outpatient clinic visit. The updated information is then available to the physicians before the visit and will reflect any changes in the patients’ status.

The database is also a valuable resource for researchers who want to answer specific clinical research questions. The database is populated with self-reported, de-identified data of surgical spine, surgical shoulder, scoliosis, musculoskeletal oncology, hand, foot, total knee and total hip replacement patients. The data can also be aggregated and analyzed with data from other institutions that are using the same electronic data collections system.

The Clinical research section of the Department of Orthopaedics is located in the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory.

The Orthopaedic academic offices which are on the third floor of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center at WVU.

Research participants may be seen in the Orthopaedics Clinic on the second floor of the Physician’s Office Center in the WVU medical center complex in Morgantown and WVU Medicine Fairmont Gateway Clinic.

Participants are also seen at the WVU Sports Medicine Center and the WVU Healthcare Center for Joint Replacement.

More Information

For more information regarding Orthopaedics Research at WVU click here orthoresearch@hsc.wvu.edu