Orthopaedic Surgery Research Initiatives

Mike Jones, DPM, FACFAS, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, is investigating the feasibility and efficacy of infracalcaneal peppering injection with and without corticosteroid to reduce pain in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. With funding being provided by a CTS Pilot Grant, Dr. Jones’ pilot study proposes to address a critical knowledge gap in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis and breaches the translational roadblock of clinical implementation. The results from this rigorous pilot study will provide the framework for an anticipated full-scale efficacy trial with the potential of affording clinicians an upgraded evidenced-based treatment option that has been demonstrated to be safe, effective, and reproducible. Dr. Jones is collaborating with Drs. Dekarlos Dial, Garrett Bullock, and Kerry Danelson on study design, implementation, and data analysis.

Mike Jones, DPM, FACFAS is participating as a co-investigator in a multi-site, cross-sectional, and longitudinal NIH-funded study of people with Type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) across all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study team believes the CKD-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is the missing link in the foot bone and vascular pathway to DPN-associated non-traumatic lower extremity amputations (NLEA). Together with the collaborating institutions (Washington University in Saint Louis, High Point University, and University of California, San Francisco), the study’s aims are the following: 1) quantify the effect of CKD severity and progression on pedal bone quality & quantity and vessel, 2) determine the effect of CKD, mediated through bone quantity and quality and foot vessel calcification, on clinically relevant foot outcomes, and 3) explore the ability of CKD, bone quality and quantity, and vascular calcification variables to predict risk for clinically relevant poor foot outcomes. This study will be using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), an innovative state-of-the-art technology located here at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Zhongyu Li, MD is the Principal Investigator for a randomized double-blind superiority clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of in-situ (simple) decompression and subcutaneous anterior transposition for treating ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE). We will compare the treatments by assessing patient-reported and physiologic outcomes before and after surgery. The primary objective is to determine the effectiveness of in-situ decompression versus subcutaneous anterior transposition for UNE. Our secondary objective is to compare the recovery trend and complication rate between the two treatments. We also will develop a predictive model to identify patients who derive the greatest benefit from a specific surgical technique for UNE. The study is funded by NIH with the University of Michigan as the coordinator center.

Cynthia Emory, MD, MBA, Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery has received funding from IlluminOss to create a Registry to collect uniform and meaningful clinical data on the IlluminOss device when used to treat patients with traumatic or impending and pathologic fractures. The primary objective of the study is to collect safety and performance data on the IlluminOss Device when used to provide stabilization and alignment for the treatment of traumatic or impending and pathologic fractures. Drs. Jason Halvorson and Holly Pilson serves as Co-Investigators on the study.

Cynthia Emory, MD, MBA, Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery is conducting a clinical study to investigate whether the local delivery of bisphosphonate as a surgical adjuvant can decrease the local recurrence rate of giant cell tumor of bone. Local recurrence will be considered the end-point of evaluation for this study. The study is funded by St. Louis University who also serves as the coordinating center.

Tadhg O’Gara, M.D., Director of Spine Research and Co-Chair of Orthopedic Research, along with John Birkedal, MD and Beck McAllister, MD. are investigating the outcomes of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated with tubular decompression surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist since January 2014. Patient outcomes after ALIF surgeries have also been collected since 2021.

John S. Shields, M.D., Associate Professor with a subspecialty in Total Joint Replacement, received funding from Smith & Nephew to assess the cumulative revision rate of the REDAPT System Monolithic Sleeveless/Sleeved Stem, Fully Porous Acetabular Shell and Modular Shell Components (with or without Staple, Slice and Blade Augments) at 10 years.

John S. Shields, M.D., Associate Professor with a subspecialty in Total Joint Replacement, received funding from Smith & Nephew to assess long-term (10-year) survivorship of Primary THA using the OR3O Dual Mobility System. The secondary objectives of this study are to separately assess the safety and effectiveness of the OR3O Dual Mobility System and compatible components in primary and revision THA up to 10 years after device implantation.