Authors: Constance R. Chu, MD
Summary: While statistics on the decline of the clinician-scientist are sobering and the barriers for Orthopaedic surgeons are substantial, this manuscript is about the privilege and joy of integrating bench to operating room as a clinician scientist in Orthopaedic surgery. The Orthopaedic surgeon scientist retains the deep satisfaction of successful surgery with the excitement of scientific discovery. Clinical observations regarding unsolved problems in turn motivate research.
“During this initial phase of my independent research program, studies from my laboratory have contributed to changes in the handling of fresh osteochondral allografts, influenced the design and use of radiofrequency probes for cartilage debridement, reduced intra-articular administration of 0.5% bupivacaine in operating rooms around the country, and permitted translation of novel imaging technology into clinical practice. As a practicing Orthopaedic surgeon, it has been the quest for a biological solution to joint replacement that led me to study cartilage homeostasis at cellular and molecular levels, to develop new scaffolds for cartilage repair, and to genetically engineer bone marrow stem cells for mechanistic in vivo study of chondrogenesis. In turn, lessons learned from and collaborations with basic scientists specializing in these areas permitted me to answer clinically driven questions. Moving between both the Orthopaedic community and the scientific community, it has been my privilege to approach new technologies both as someone who understands its laboratory application and as a potential clinical end-user. The process by which I translated a novel imaging technology called Optical Coherence Tomography from bench to operating room, for arthroscopic evaluation of articular cartilage, illustrates the central role of the clinician scientist as a vital link between new discoveries and the patient.”
Source: American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Kappa Delta 2007 Young Investigator Award
Read more…
AAOS press release (02/19/07)
Paper