Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2009

Mentor: Joseph Borrelli, Jr, MD with Scott McClure (MS3)
Department: Orthopaedic Surgery
Room number: WA4.312
Mail Code: 8883
Phone number: 214-645-3336
E-mail: Joseph.borrelli@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Project #1) Ultrasound Monitoring of Fracture Healing and
Project #2) The Mechanism for Chondrocyte Apoptosis Following Mechanical Injury

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

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):
1) Animal approval pending
2) IACUC approved - APN #2007-0160

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
Animal-based research

Brief Description of Project:

1) Project #1 - will involve creating femur fractures in rats using the technique described by Einhorn et all following the healing of the fracture with an ultrasound device developed by Peter Antich, Ph.D.

The medical student (Scott McClure) will play an important part in all aspects of this project including; he will perform the pinning of the rat's femur, creation of the femur fracture as well as post-oprative care of the animal. At well defined intervals, he will assist with x-raying the femur, measuring the quality of the developing fracture callous and biomechanical testing of the callous after euthanasia of the animal. Scott will play an important role in data collection and work with a statistician on data analysis. Once complete, Scott will participate in the preparation of the manuscript, subsequent presentations and designing future studies.

2) Project #2 - we have developed a mouse cartilage injury model to study chondrocyte apoptosis. We would now like to apply this model in transgenic mice to delineate the pathway for chondrocyte apoptosis following mechanical injury.

The medial student will play and integral role in this experiment. Scott will perform the surgery necessary to injure the mouses xiphoid and harvest the xiphoids at predetermine time points. Once harvested these specimens will be embedded in paraffin and sectioned for later processing. Scott will work with our pathology technician in the preparation of these specimens. Scott will also work with our technician to analyze the specimens after staining, collate the results and analyze our findings. Scott will be involved in preparing the manuscript, subsequent preparations and grant proposals.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
Borrelli J, Lashgari C: Vascularity of the Lateral Calcaneal Flap: A Cadaveric Injection Study. J Orthop Trauma 13(2):73-77, 1999.

Borrelli J, Prickett W, Song E, Becker D, Ricci W: Extraosseous Blood Supply of the Tibia and the Effects of Different Plating Techniques: A Human Cadaveric Study. J Orthop Trauma 16(10):691-695, 2002.

Borrelli J, Peelle M, McFarland E, Evanoff B, Ricci WM: Computer Reconstructed Radiographs
Are As Good As Plain Radiographs For The Assessment of Acetabular Fractures. Am J Orthop
37(9):455-460, 2008.

Borrelli J, Leduc S, Gregush R, Ricci WM. Tricortical Bone Grafts for the Treatment of Malaligned
Tibias and Fibulas. Clin Orthop 467(2):1056-1063, 2009.