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Orthopaedic Surgery Residency
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Resident Research

University Hospitals / Case Western Reserve University is at the forefront of much of the orthopaedic research being conducted in the United States and abroad. In fact, the department has substantial National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding for musculoskeletal research.

The Department of Orthopaedics maintains a large, interdisciplinary research program that occupies laboratory space at University Hospitals, the VA Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center and the Case School of Engineering. In addition to providing opportunities for direct involvement in research for residents, the program provides a valuable source for exposure to the state-of-the-art in orthopaedics research.

Significant research opportunities exist in both clinical and laboratory settings. Research topics studied in the past include biomedical engineering, biomechanics, arthritis, stem cell therapy, oncology, development and anatomy, applied neurophysiology, implant design, integration, and infection.

For over 50 years, resident research has been a requirement in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UH Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University. All residents are expected to complete two research projects, and Chief Residents are required to present the results of their research at our Annual Department Research Day. Their manuscripts, in publishable form, must be submitted one month in advance for review by our annual Research Visiting Professor. We have a formal presentation and critique of the research by the Visiting Professor and the entire department. Many of these manuscripts are accepted for publication in sub-specialty journals.

Six Year Research Track: The Dudley P. Allen Fellowship

  • The residency offers one position each year in a research track through a separate match, consisting of a six-year program that will incorporate one year of protected time to conduct basic science and/or clinical research. Applicants are invited to rank both the traditional five year track and the six year research track in their order of preference through the NRMP Residency Match.
  • The resident selected for the six-year research track will be awarded the prestigious Dudley P. Allen Fellowship prior to the first year of clinical training. The Dudley P. Allen Fellow is protected from clinical service during this year to focus on their research. At the same time, they continue to attend morning didactic lectures to maintain and develop their clinical knowledge. The Allen Fellow is expected to design and perform experimental studies under the guidance of one or more faculty mentors in basic science and/or clinical fields. Allen Fellows routinely receive prominent national research grants, present at national and international conferences, and consistently produce multiple first-author publications during their year. Applicants with a significant interest in an academic career are encouraged to seek the research track.
  • Research is performed within the Department of Orthopaedics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, one of the pre-eminent centers in the world for musculoskeletal research. The department is endowed with world-class researchers working on cartilage and bone biology, tissue engineering, biomechanics, material science, functional anatomy, and functional electrical stimulation, in addition to a number of clinical research interests.

Basic science research is conducted in the following programs:

  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Clinical Anatomy
  • Functional Electrical Stimulation
  • Musculoskeletal Mechanics and Materials

The Case faculty encourages the residents to publish and present scientific findings, evaluations and reviews. Resident travel is supported by the department for one-podium or poster presentations for each research project accepted at a major national or international meeting. Many recent resident papers have been published in the following journals, and presentations made to the following meetings, among others:

Journals

  • The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
  • Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
  • Bone and Joint Journal
  • Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
  • Journal of Hand Surgery
  • Spine
  • American Journal of Sports Medicine
  • Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
  • Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • The Journal of Arthroplasty
  • Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma
  • Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics

Meetings

  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • American Orthopaedic Association
  • Orthopaedic Research Society
  • Orthopaedic Trauma Association
  • The Cervical Spine Research Society
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • National Academy for Surgery of the Spine
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society
  • Scoliosis Research Society
  • American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
  • Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
  • American Shoulder and Elbow Society
  • Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society