Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2005

Mentor: Charles E. Johnston, M.D.
Department: Orthopaedics
Room number: TSRHC
Mail Code: 2222 Welborn St, Dallas, Tx 75219
Phone number: 214.559.7558
E-mail: charles.johnston@tsrh.org
Project title: Prospective Study of Deformity Management and Pulmonary
Function in Early-Onset Scoliosis

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 062004-059

Project Type : patient-based research

Brief Description of Project:
This is a prospective study to determine pulmonary function and thoracic volume outcomes in a series of patients with early-onset scoliosis treated by multiple methods (operative and non-operative). The goal of this study is to prospectively document pulmonary function (physiologic) and thoracic volume (anatomic) in patients at risk for thoracic insufficiency syndrome due to early onset scoliosis. No studies at this time have been able to demonstrate objective efficacy of spine deformity management in relation to the development of respiratory failure due to the lack of data on pulmonary function or chest volume prior to treatment, and lack of data from 'control' patients studied prospectively.
Nicholas Andrade (MSI) will be responsible for determining inclusion criteria and identifying patients who meet inclusion criteria. He will be involved in interviewing and making clinical measurements of patients and recording data from patients' medical records, radiographic studies, and pulmonary function tests. He will also create and maintain a database and assist in performing statistical procedures.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students: Results after high tibial valgus osteotomy and physeal resection - IRB # 1103-752; a retrospective analysis of the results after high tibial valgus osteotomy and physeal resection (epiphysiolysis) in patients with infantile Blount's disease. Nicholas Andrade

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