Keystone, CO – In order to recognize and encourage cutting-edge research in key areas of orthopaedic sports medicine, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) will present eight research awards and two grants during its Annual Meeting, July 9-12th in Keystone, Colorado. As a leader in orthopaedic sports medicine, AOSSM annually provides more than $150,000 to research initiatives and projects around the country. Highlights of this year's award recipients include:
2009 Young Investigators Grant
The Young Investigator Grant (YIG) is specifically designed to support young researchers who have not received prior funding. Dr. Brian Feeley of the University of California at San Francisco received this year's $40,000 grant for his work with computer assisted navigation to evaluate different pediatric ACL reconstruction techniques using a custom pivot shift apparatus to evaluate the rotational stability of the reconstruction techniques.
2009 Sandy Kirkley Clinical Research Outcome Grant
The Kirkley Grant provides start-up supplemental funding for an outcome research project or pilot study in the amount of $20,000. This year's winner, Dr. Joseph Hart of the University of Virginia, will investigate mechanisms that underlie quadriceps strength gains in ACL-reconstructed patients exhibiting persistent quadriceps weakness and inhibition.
Aircast Award for Basic Science
Voted by the AOSSM's Fellowship Committee, this year's recipients are David Kovacevic, MD, Asheesh Bedi, MD, Alice J. Fox, MSc, Xenghua Deng, MD, Russell F. Warren, MD, Scott A. Rodeo, MD for their paper "The Effect of TGF-B3 on Tendon-to-Bone Healing in a Rotator Cuff Repair Model." The authors found that augmentation with the human gene TGF-B3, during a rotator cuff repair improves the strength of the repair more than surgical repair alone. Awardees receive a monetary compensation of $1,500.
Aircast Award for Clinical Science
"Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture in Patients with Significant Growth Remaining: What is the Risk to the Meniscus and Cartilage when Treatment is Delayed?" authored by J. Todd R. Lawrence, MD, PhD, Nina Agrawal, BA, and Theodore J. Ganley, MD quantified the risks of delaying anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in pediatric patients and found that patients who delayed surgical reconstruction for more than 12 weeks experienced increased risk for irreparable tears and injuries, in addition to the already present ACL injury. Voted on by the AOSSM's Fellowship Committee, awardees receive $1,500.
Cabuad Memorial Award
Given to the best paper researching hard or soft tissue biology, this year's recipients are Braden C. Fleming, PhD, Kurt P. Spindler, MD, Matthew Palmer, BS, Elise Magarian, BS, and Martha M. Murray, MD, for their paper "Collagen-platelet composites improve the biomechanical properties of healing ACL grafts in a porcine model." The paper studied how the application of a collagen-platelet composite to an anterior cruciate ligament graft at the time of surgery was more successful in decreasing knee movement and increasing the structural strength of the graft after 15 weeks of healing compared with a traditional graft. This award is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with awardees receiving $500.
Excellence in Research Award
Benjamin R. Coobs, MD, Coen A. Wijdicks, MSc, Bryan M. Armitage, MD, Stanislav I. Spiridonov, BS, Benjamin D. Westerhaus, Steiner Johansen MD, Lars Engebretsen, MD, PhD, and Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD, are the recipients of this award for the best paper submitted in any category with a primary author under the age of 40. Their paper, "An In Vitro Analysis of an Anatomic Medial Knee Reconstruction," found that an anatomic medial knee reconstruction restores near-normal stability and ligament load distribution in patients with chronic or severe acute medial knee injuries, such as a ligament tear of the knee. This award is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with principal investigators receiving $1,000 and $1,500 for the sponsoring institution.
O'Donoghue Award.
This award is given to Thomas J. Gill, MD, Samuel K. Van de Velde, MD, David W. Wing, MD, and Luke S. Oh, MD, Guoan Li, PhD for their paper "Tibofemoral and patellofemoral kinematics following reconstruction of an isolated posterior cruciate ligament injury: In vivo analysis during physiologic loading." The paper was voted the best overall research paper based on clinical research or human in vivo research. The authors explored how abnormal movement of the shin bone and decreased knee rotation and tilt may play a part in the development of cartilage degeneration after a posterior cruciate ligament injury reconstruction. This award is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with awardees receiving $2,500.
The NCAA Research Award
This award is given to the best paper submitted that pertains to the health, safety, and well-being of collegiate student-athletes, Julie Gilchrist, MD, Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, Heidi Melancon, MPH, George W. Ryan, PhD, Holly J. Silvers, MPT, Letha Y. Griffin, MD, PhD, Diane S. Watanabe, MA, ATC, Randall W. Dick, MS, and Jiri Dvorak, MD are this year's recipients for their paper "A Randomized Controlled Trial to Prevent Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Female Collegiate Soccer Players." The paper found that the risk of potentially devastating tears to an important knee ligament may be reduced in female college soccer players by an alternative warm-up program that focuses on stretching, strengthening, and improving balance and movements This award is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with awardees receiving $500.
Hughston Award
The paper "Characterized Chondrocyte Implantation Results in Better Structure Repair when Treating Symptomatic Cartilage Defects of the Knee in a Randomized Controlled Trial Versus Microfracture," authored by B.F. Saris MD, PhD, Johan Vanlauwe, MD, and their associates, is awarded for being the most outstanding paper published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2008. During the course of their research, Saris et al found that structural regeneration with a cell therapy proved more successful than traditional microfracture surgery repair. The winning paper is chosen by a panel of AJSM editors and reviewers and receives $5,000.
AJSM Systematic Review Award
This award for the best systematic review paper, in the American Journal of Sports Medicine will be presented to Britt Elin Øiestad, PT, MS, Lars Engebretsen, MD, PhD, Kjersti Storheim, PT, PhD, and May Arna Risberg, PT, PhD for their paper "Knee osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament injury - A systematic review." In this paper, the authors reviewed published studies and concluded that the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is lower than once thought, thus adding more fuel to the conversation regarding the relationship between ACL reconstruction and knee osteoarthritis. The winning paper is chosen by a panel of AJSM editors and receives $5,000.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries.
For more information, please contact AOSSM Director of Communications, Lisa Weisenberger, at 847/292-4900 or e-mail her at lisa@aossm.org. Additional information and press releases can be viewed in the newsroom on AOSSM's Web site at www.sportsmed.org