Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2007

Mentor: Karl E. Rathjen, MD
Department: Orthopaedics
Room number: Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, 2222 Welborn St, Dallas, TX 75219
Mail Code: n/a
Phone number: 214-559-8471 (Tara Kristof-Summer Student Coordinator)
E-mail: karl.rathjen@tsrh.org, tara.kristof@tsrh.org (Coordinator)

Two projects

Project I title: Long Term Functional and Radiographic Outcome of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 092006-004

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): n/a

Project Type: Patient-based prospective research

Brief Description of Project:
PURPOSE: To develop a reliable, reproducible and validated radiographic classification system for developmental dislocation of the hip.

BACKGROUND: Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) is a common condition occurring approximately in 1/1000 live births. DDH encompasses subluxation of the hip (the hip sliding partially out of the socket), non-traumatic dislocation of the hip (the hip comes out of the socket), and acetabular dysplasia (incomplete development of the hip socket. Patients with DDH may be treated non-operatively (cast or brace) or operatively (surgically putting the ball in the socket or redirecting the proximal femur or acetabulum). DDH left untreated into adulthood can lead to pain and severe disability secondary to early degenerative joint disease (arthritis).

The outcome of DDH can be based on a patient's clinical and functional status or on the patient's radiographic findings. Unfortunately, there is no classification of DDH that is validated to predict a patient's clinical and functional status. For example, the Severin classification is most commonly used for classifying the radiographic outcome of treatment. However, its inter- and intra-observer reliability has been shown to be inconsistent and this classification is not validated to correspond with clinical outcomes. Therefore, the goal of this study is to develop a reliable, reproducible and validated radiographic classification system for developmental dislocation of the hip.

Students will assist in data collection from clinical charts and radiographs and will have the opportunity to see patients treated for DDH in the clinic and operating room.Project II title: Comparing Acute Angular Correction vs. Gradual Ilizarov Correction for the Treatment of Adolescent Blount's Disease

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 112006-002

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): n/a

Project Type: Patient-based retrospective research

Brief Description of Project:

Purpose: To compare acute angular correction to gradual angular correction and lengthening for the treatment of Adolescent Blount's disease.

Background: Adolescent Blount's disease can be difficult to treat because of frequent patient obesity and associated deformities in the affected extremity (distal femoral varus, proximal tibial varus and procurvatum, and distal tibial valgus). No previous studies in the literature compare acute vs. gradual correction for the treatment of adolescent Blount's.

Description of Proposed Research:
Chart and radiographic review of all patients who have undergone acute or gradual correction for the treatment of Adolescent Blount's disease at TSRH. Clinical data collection will include age, sex, height, weight, (BMI), previous treatment, number of operations and complications. Radiographic assessment will include pre and post operative assessment of: the mechanical axis, the medial proximal tibial angle, the lateral distal femoral angle and limb length inequality.

Summer students will assist in data collection from clinical charts and radiographs and have the opportunity to see patients with Blount's disease in the clinic and operating room.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

Summer 2006 - Recurrence Rate Following Curettage and Bone Grafting of Aneurysmal Bone Cysts of the Extremities - Analysis of data done and presently manuscript being written by Mustafa Alabhai

Summer - 2004 - Epidemiology of Hematogenous Osteoarticular Infection in Children in the USA and Texas - Abstract submitted to 43rd Medical Student Research Forum - Nicholas Andrade

Summer - 2005 - Long Term Outcome Following Removal of Posterior Spinal Implants - Abstract accepted for presentation at 2006 Annual meeting of SRS - Zachary Vest

Return to Medical Student Research Page