The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has a strong research infrastructure that positions us to pioneer new treatments and improve understanding of orthopaedic conditions. Our focus on research also provides our trainees with a variety of research experiences and opportunities to support faculty research.
Our department has benefited from Wake Forest Innovations, a new division of the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center that awards grants to support the commercialization of innovative ideas and products relevant to our mission.
The department also receives funding from the Department of Defense, the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and industry partners.
Research Faculty
Our faculty is committed to pursuing clinically important research designed to improve patient care, while training the next generation of academic orthopaedic clinician surgeons.
Support Provided by the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory
The faculty and staff of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory provide research support for the residents and faculty in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Specific areas of expertise available in the laboratory include:
- Development and use of animal models in research
- Cadaveric studies
- Tissue culture
- Molecular biology techniques
- Tissue engineering
- Basic statistical support
- Manuscript preparation/editing
- Development and implementation of clinical research
Research Lab Faulty
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| Kerry A. Danelson PhD, MS, MBA Vice Chair for Research Associate Professor |
Garrett S. Bullock PhD, DPT Assistant Professor |
Xue “Amy” Ma MD, PhD Assistant Professor |
Kristen F. Nicholson PhD Assistant Professor |
Orthopaedic Research Highlights
Our current research initiatives span all orthopaedic subspecialties, from orthopaedic oncology to trauma and sports medicine. Some of our current highlights include:
Large Peripheral Nerve Gaps Study
Zhongyu Li, MD, PhD, associate professor with a subspecialty in hand surgery, has received United States Department of Defense funding in collaboration with Thomas L. Smith, PhD, Emeritus Faculty, to study repair of large peripheral nerve gaps using acellular nerve allografts seeded with amniotic fluid-derived stem cells. This repair technique will be evaluated to determine if it promotes and accelerates nerve regeneration.
Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC)
Our orthopaedic trauma faculty members—Drs. Carroll, Halvorson, Scott, Pilson, and Babcock —are participating in the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), a multicenter consortium established with support from the United States Department of Defense. The consortium was initiated to develop a network of study sites to perform clinical outcome studies to provide treatment guidelines for managing high-energy orthopaedic trauma in wounded warriors and civilians. Our department is one of 24 core centers. These studies are supported by $80 million in Department of Defense funding. Our department is ranked as one of the top 10 centers of the consortium.
Physician Scientist Training Program
Our two-year Orthopaedic Physician Scientist Training Program provides participants with two years in our orthopaedic research laboratories to pursue basic science initiatives in their respective field of interest. Learn more about our Physician Scientist Training Program.
Wake Forest Pitching Lab
The Wake Forest Pitching Lab is a joint venture between the Wake Forest University School of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and Wake Forest University Athletics and opened in May of 2018.
Located inside the Chris Hurd Player Development Center at David F. Couch Ballpark. Featuring the latest biomechanical evaluation equipment and research technology with over 20 cameras, and a state-of-the-art facility, allows our researchers to conduct comprehensive 3-D motion analyses. For more information, please contact: Kristen Faith kfnichol@wakehealth.edu
Human Performance and Biodynamics Lab
The Human Performance and Biodynamics Laboratory is a 10-year collaboration between Wake Forest School of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and Winston-Salem State University's Department of Physical Therapy. Physical therapists, physicians, and biomedical engineers design and conduct research in movement science, clinical care and mentor students in motion analysis.
Located on the campus of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, this location serves as a key research footprint for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation. For more information, please contact: Kerry Danelson kdanelso@wakehealth.edu
Orthobiologics
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist offers several types of orthobiologics to get you back to your activities of daily living. These treatments are used to improve bone healing, muscles, tendons and ligaments. They can also help speed the healing process.
Clinical Trials
Our Orthopaedic Clinical Trials focus on a range of topics in our field. Find current trials at BeInvolved.