The Department of Orthopaedics is excited to announce that an interdisciplinary research team led by Joe Hart, PhD, has received听R01 funding for a 4-year study of over $1.5M from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.听
Dr. Hart鈥檚 award brings 大象传媒 Orthopaedics the first NIH R01 grant ever to the department. His research, 鈥楶redicting second injuries after ACL reconstruction using clinically accessible videography鈥� will work to utilize 3D markerless videography resulting in movement data that will be analyzed using advanced multi-joint approaches to derive specific and unique movement features.听These features听will enable the research team to develop predictive models to identify risk for second injuries after first-time knee surgeries in young patients. Movement data about lower body joint coordination will be combined with other features to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to identifying risk for bad outcomes in our patients.听
The movement data will be captured using OpenCap, a free open-access technology that uses smart devices to capture 3D movement features. 鈥淲e selected this technology specifically because it is precise enough to characterize movement in the way that we need and it is accessible enough to enable clinical translation,鈥� Dr. Hart said on the choice to use new OpenCap technology versus other, more established, technologies. 鈥淭his study won鈥檛 require an expensive and complex motion capture system鈥搃t鈥檚 something that can be done by nearly anybody, anywhere,鈥� he continued.听
The project will combine motion capture, muscle strength, jumping performance听and patient surveys administered at the time of discharge from care after an ACL reconstruction surgery. The participants being studied fall within the most at-risk age range (13-25) and are monitored for 18 months, during which time they will periodically complete surveys about their recovery.听听
Dr. Hart鈥檚 study team hopes to find the safest, most effective way for patients to re-engage in exercise, physical activity and sports after ACL reconstruction since these patients suffer from unacceptably high rates of reinjury, reduced levels of exercise and early-onset knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Hart hopes to improve outcomes after ACL reconstructions by creating easily accessed indicators that will help physicians and rehab specialists target at-risk patients before they are discharged from care.听
When asked what this grant means to him, Dr. Hart noted 鈥淭his award is a great achievement for our department and a testament to the existing talents we have in our clinical and research faculty. It feels good to be a part of this initiative that helps to advance science and help the people we care for.鈥�听
Dr. Hart would like to recognize his collaborators and colleagues; Robin Queen, PhD, from Virginia Tech University, who is leading a complementary project as a part of the ACL-Clinically Assessed Re-Injury Evaluation (ACL-CARE) study; Kevin Ford, PhD, from High Point University; Adam Kiefer, PhD, from the 大象传媒 Sports Medicine Institute (SMI); Devin Kelly, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Department of Orthopaedics at 大象传媒; and Jeff Spang, MD and Ganesh Kamath, MD, Clinical Faculty in the Department of Orthopaedics at 大象传媒.听