Grants

The following grants are active within the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center.

Conservative and Surgical Clubfoot Treatment: Multi-Center Study

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Clubfoot is a congenital foot deformity occurring in 1 in 1,000 births. It is commonly treated at pediatric orthopaedic hospitals and its incidence has been constant and not expected to decrease. Treatment is ideally accomplished early in life, within the first year, and is often successful in accomplishing a satisfactory, plantigrade foot, which will fit in shoes. Little is known, however about the function of treated clubfeet.

This study is designed to compare two methods of clubfoot treatment: 1) the Ponseti technique of manipulation and casting and 2) progressive surgical release. The protocol is designed to improve our understanding of the function of the clubfoot during adolescence/young adulthood, and to allow a comparison with normal foot function. The methods are structured to establish the relationship between patient based outcomes, technical and functional measures. We hope to obtain a better picture of the variability of clubfoot pathology among the treated groups using patient satisfaction and self-perception, outcomes measures and quantitative functional tests.

Fracture Risk Prediction in Children and Adults with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI)

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Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an inherited disease of collagen synthesis which causes skeletal deformity and bone fragility. It is characterized by a broad variability among affected individuals that can include frequent fractures of the lower extremities. Treatment includes fracture prevention/management as a central focus with goals of maintaining ambulatory and functional abilities and quality of life. Current literature postulates that a deficient collagen network and abnormal mineralization are responsible for the mechanical properties of OI bone tissue. An accurate biomechanical model of the lower extremities is proposed in this work to better understand and predict and ultimately rehabilitate and better control fracture occurrence. In addition to an array of clinical assessment tools, state of the art technologies including nanoindentation, 3-D gait analysis and finite element analysis will be employed to develop the proposed model. A primary design goal includes model flexibility for more universal yet specific application in children and young adults with OI. Testing and evaluation is proposed for a group of twenty-four (24) patients with OI who will be followed at six-month intervals over the course of the study.

Pediatric to Adult Transition in Children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

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Designated as a Linked Clinical Research Center to conduct a longitudinal, multidisciplinary investigation of the natural history, current therapeutic interventions, morbidity, and mortality in people with OI, Bruck syndrome, osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome and idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Research

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Objective: To improve the treatment and care of children and young adults with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) through advances in clinical, scientific and technical knowledge. This collaborative effort will focus on improvement in orthopaedic, dental and rehabilitative care. The terminus of the three-year effort will include several publications, annual presentations and a capstone workshop with published proceedings. Highlights of the integrated program include our board of highly qualified consultants, a committee of patients and parents and our team of researchers who have a rich history of collaboration and productivity in the proposed areas of investigation.