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Introduction
I am finalizing my Ninth Annual Chief’s Report to the
Orthopaedic Journal at Harvard Medical School while watching
the boats return to Chatham Bars Inlet during the evening
our Department Retreat. This year I will focus on the many
contributions by the Orthopaedic Staff at the Massachusetts
General Hospital. Our commitment to providing the highest
quality musculoskeletal patient care, teaching and research has
never been stronger in our 108-year history.
THE YAWKEY CENTER FOR OUTPATIENT CARE
In 2007 we saw over 75,000 patients at the Yawkey Center
and are our patients enjoy the ease involved in using the
facility which houses many clinical programs including the
Orthopaedic Service, the Mass General Hospital for Children,
Cardiology, Women’s Health, Radiology, the MGH Cancer
Center, and the In Vitro Fertilization Unit. The importance of a
facility, within the institution, such as the Yawkey center is best
underscored when you realize the greatness of the MGH is its
dedication to “caring for the patient…” this culture permeates
the institution.
We continue to marvel at the construction of the new
Liberty Hotel at the Charles Street Jail site. The hotel will
have over three hundred guest rooms and will feature three
restaurants, a health club, and conference facilities. Dr. David
Ring has already reserved the conference space for his annual
Primary Care Orthopaedics Course in 2008.
Unfortunately, I have lost my wonderful view of the Charles
River as a result of the new structure but in return I will get to
watch the construction of another great structure: the Building
of the 3rd Century (B3C) that will occupy the site of the former
Clinics Building. The B3C is expected to open 2011. This
facility will house radiation oncology, radiology, inpatient and
outpatient surgery, new operating rooms and related support
procedures, and acute and intensive care inpatient capacity.
In addition, the top five floors will house up to 150 acute and
intensive care beds, with floors dedicated to cancer, neurology
and neurosurgery patients. This new facility will also address
specific needs of the hospital’s emergency services including
the creation of the new Sumner M. Redstone Emergency
Department. Mr. Sumner Redstone, Executive Chairman of the
Board of Directors of Viacom, Inc. pledged $35 million in April
to the institution to develop a new Emergency Department
and to relocate and expand the existing Redstone Burn Center,
which was established in 1974 at the MGH. The MGH is the
only hospital in the country that has certification as a Level I
Trauma Center, a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and a Level
I Burn Center.
ORTHOPAEDIC AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER
The Orthopedic Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) in the
MG West Building in Waltham has been a spectacular addition
to our Department. The patient-friendly pre-and post-operative
care areas as well as the large waiting room and other modern
patient amenities has made this state-of-the-art facility a shining
star in the MGH family. From August 16, 2006 through
May 31, 2007, we performed nearly 1900 surgical procedures in
our three main operating rooms. Later this year we will open
the 4th room and we hope our volume to increase to approximately
4,000 cases per year. The Orthopaedic ASC is under the
apt direction of Medical Director, Jeffrey Wilson, MD, who has
led the center to its incredible proficiency in clinical care, and
regional anesthesia delivery. Charles Kelly, MD, Anesthesiologist,
and Claire O’Brien, RN, MBA, CNOR, Nursing Director, join
Dr. Wilson on the staff at the ASC. Ms. O’Brien brings her
incredible nursing management experience and outpatient
surgery center experience and has created an environment that
is dedicated to patient care
and staff satisfaction. Thank
you to the Medical Executive
Committee of the ASC
(Drs. Jon JP Warner, Jesse
B. Jupiter, Bertram Zarins,
Thomas Gill and Mr. David
Gaynor) for their oversight
of this magnificent facility.
DEPARTMENT RETREAT
In 2006, we held the first retreat for the Department of
Orthopaedic Surgery at the wonderful Chatham Bars Inn on
Cape Cod. At our first Retreat we established some strategic
goals for the Department and planned to work over the ensuing
year on the, “Taking it to the Next Level” program. In
this program we developed a new organizational chart for
the Department, defined the roles of the Service Chiefs and
Business Unit Directors and established service specific goals
and objectives. Our second Retreat, in June of this year has
firmly entrenched a new annual tradition for the department.
The Retreat occurred over a two-day period and included a
MGOA Business Meeting, on Day 1, followed by Larry Harmon,
PhD, Director Physician’s Development Program, who spoke
on Orthopaedic Leadership. Day 2 included the Service Chiefs
and Business Unit Directors presentations, followed by a presentation
by Dr. James Herndon on the state of the HCORP
Residency Program, and concluded with Dr. Henrik Malchau,
Director of the Orthopaedic Laboratory Council who gave a
research overview and spoke about the laboratory reorganization
plans. Ample time was built into each day for strategic
planning discussions. The experience at Chatham Bars Inn for
our group was truly special. We were treated to bright sunny
weather during the day. We thoroughly enjoyed the theatrics of
the rapidly passing electrical storm Friday night - which did not
deter from our group’s “Pillar of Fire” bonfire and my annual
“cigars under the stars.” Plans are already underway for our 3rd
annual event to be held May 30-June 1, 2008.
NEW FACULTY
It is also a great honor to welcome a 3rd Vice Chair into
the Department, Dr. Joseph McCarthy. Our previously named
Vice Chairs, Andrew Freiberg, MD, and Jon JP Warner, MD,
have been assigned to the important tasks of Operational and
Strategic planning respectively. Dr. Joseph McCarthy has
been named Vice Chair of Program Development at Newton
Wellesley Hospital (NWH). Dr. McCarthy did his undergraduate
work at the University of Notre Dame and his received his
medical degree from Georgetown Medical School. He has
been at the staff of the New England Baptist after completing
a fellowship with Dr. William Harris in 1981. Dr. McCarthy’s
contributions to the orthopaedic literature and to Orthopaedics
have been numerous. He is considered one of the premiere hip
arthroscopists in the world and has been a pioneer in this technique.
Dr. McCarthy recently opened the new “Jim and Ellen
Kaplan Center for Joint Reconstructive Surgery” at NWH. This
event to celebrate the new collaborative efforts of the MGH and
NWH Arthroplasty Services was attended by members of the
Orthopaedic staff, nursing staff, support staff, as well as patients.
We hope to leverage the many contributions of these two fine
groups of clinicians in the field of Arthroplasty Surgery. Our
current Harris Joint Registry at the MGH will be expanded to
include those patients from NWH Arthroplasty Service and we
have established a new rotation for the Arthroplasty Fellows.
Please join me, in welcoming, Dr. McCathy, his lovely
wife, Dr. Kathleen McCarthy, a Radiologist here at the MGH
and their children, Andrew, Kathryn and Stephanie. We look
forward to his many contributions to the NWH, the MGH and
the Department.
NEW CLINICAL FACULTY
I am pleased to report that Dr. Dempsey Springfield has
settled into the MGH and Boston. His clinical expertise and
his strategic insight have added immensely to the Orthopaedic
Oncology Service and the Department as a whole. Dr.
Springfield and his wife, Deanna, recently hosted a Valentine’s
Day Party at their house and included many of the clinical faculty
that interact with the Orthopaedic Oncology Service at the
MGH. Thanks to the Springfields for this wonderful event.
Dr. Peter Asnis has seen tremendous growth in his clinical
practice. He expands our capacity to treat hip and elbow problems
using minimally invasive techniques and he rounds out
an incredibly impressive staff in the Sports Medicine Service.
This year, Dr. Asnis and Dr. McCarthy, will Co-Direct the newest
addition to the 37th Annual Advances in Arthroplasty Course
a Pre-Course Seminar entitled, “Hip Arthroscopy and Hip
Disease in the Young.” The Pre-Course Seminar will include
a day’s worth of intensive work on hip disease in the young.
Dr. Asnis reports, “Hip arthroscopy is a rapidly growing area
of interest within the field of orthopaedics. We are learning
more about hip pathology and developing new techniques to
help treat young patients with hip pain. We are very excited
to host our first seminar in “Hip Arthroscopy and Hip Disease
in the Young” as a part of the very well established Harvard
Arthroplasty Course.”
It is a great pleasure to announce
Dr. Joseph Schwab as the newest member
of our Department. Dr. Schwab will
be a member of both the Orthopaedic
Oncology Service and the Orthopaedic
Spine Service and will focus approximately
50% of his time to clinical
activities and the other half to basic
science research in the areas of softtissue
sarcomas. Dr. Schwab received
his medical degree and a Master’s
Degree in Pathology from Finch University of Health Sciences/
The Chicago Medical School. He completed a Fellowship in
Orthopaedic Oncology in 2006 at Memorial Sloan Kettering and
he recently completed a Spine Fellowship from the Hospital for
Special Surgery in New York. He has made numerous contributions
to the literature and will bring a new expertise to our
Department particularly in the area of Orthopaedic Oncology
and in spine stabilization. Dr. Francis Hornicek, Chief of the
Orthopaedic Oncology Service, reports, “Dr. Joseph Schwab will
be joining the Orthopaedic Oncology and Orthopaedic Spine
Services on September 1, 2007. His training is unique with this
combination of fellowships. He has extensive research interests
in chordoma, a relatively rare spinal tumor, and will spend time
in the Orthopaedic Research Laboratories once he arrives in
Boston. Dr. Dempsey Springfield, Dr. Kevin Raskin, and I are
happy to have him join our service, which is part of the Center
for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology within the MGH
Cancer Center. Dr. Wood will mentor him in spine and the two
orthopaedic services will participate together in joint clinical
and basic science research projects.” We welcome Dr. Schwab
to the Faculty.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sports Medicine Center
In October 2006, the MGH and the Department opened
the new Sports Medicine Center. The new center is located at
175 Cambridge Street and is situated on the 4th floor of the
South Building and overlooks the Simches Building. A series
of speakers including Dr. Peter Slavin, Dr. David Torchiana,
Dr. Bertram Zarins and Dr. Thomas Gill celebrated this exciting
event. Many thanks were extended to David Gaynor, Ann
Prestipino, and Jeanette Ives Erickson for their oversight and
contributions to the new center. Dr. Bertram Zarins, Clinical
Professor and the Thorndike Chair of Sports Medicine at the
Harvard Medical School reports, ““The MGH Sports Medicine
Service in the largest such service in New England. The athletes
of four of the five professional sports teams in the Boston area,
and countess other active people receive their care here. We
finally have all the services and facilities we need conveniently
located in one modern facility.”
All patients including weekend warriors, amateur athletes,
household names, and professionals value this new site that
includes physician offices, examination rooms, digital radiology,
casting and bracing room, a library and conference room space, as
well as state-of-the-art physical therapy and rehabilitation services.
SERVICE UPDATES
Arthroplast y Service
Adult Reconst ructive (Arthroplasty) Service
The Arthroplasty Service, under the direction of Andrew
A. Freiberg, MD, has had another outstanding year. We have
the pleasure of welcoming Trish Zeytoonjian, RN, to our practice
and look forward to her involvement in the peri-operative
care of the Arthroplasty patients. This year also marks Joseph
McCarthy, MD, joining our practice to lead a Service at Newton
Wellesley Hospital.
The Arthroplasty Service had an outstanding presence
at this year’s AAOS and ORS Meetings with 25 podium presentations,
posters, and exhibits by our surgeons. We were
recognized for two outstanding awards: The Orthopaedic
Research and Education Foundation 2006 Clinical Research
Award for outstanding clinical research, presented to Dr.
Kevin Bozic (former Resident and HBS graduate), Dr. Daniel
Berry (former Harvard Orthopaedic Resident and Chairman,
Mayo), Dr. Michael Reis (UCSF), Dr. Patricia Katz, Dr. Jonathan
Showstack, Dr. James Naessens, and Dr. Harry E. Rubash. This
study entitled, “Using Clinical and Economic Outcome Data to
Influence Health Policy in the United States: The Case of Total
Joint Replacement,” was recognized for its multi-center perspective
on reimbursement for revision total hip arthroplasty.
The hypothesis and pilot work for this study was done at the
MGH and CMS, used the data from this study to modify the
payment for revision total hip arthroplasty. The Second award
honoring members of our group was The 2007 ABJS Marshall
Urist Award: “The Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising in
Orthopaedics,” which was presented to: Dr. Sanaz Hariri (PGY
4), Dr. Kevin Bozic (former Resident and HBS graduate), Dr. AR
Smith, Dr. S. Adeoye, Dr. J. Gourville, Dr. William J. Maloney,
Dr. Brian Parsley and Dr. Harry E. Rubash.
Our Adult Reconstructive Fellowship Training Program is
one of the oldest and most renowned in the field of Arthroplasty.
This year’s Fellows: Hari Parvataneni, MD, John Franklin, MD,
Andrew Dutton, MD and James Slover, MD have been an outstanding
group. Dr. Parvataneni will join the academic practice
at the University of Miami, Dr Franklin will join an excellent
private practice in Augusta, Georgia, Dr. Dutton will return to
practice at Singapore General Hospital, and Dr. Slover will join
the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. We wish them
well!
Our research program in crosslinked polyethylene is thriving
in new applications in total knee arthroplasty, shoulder and
spine. This year we reported results of our mid-term clinical
trials evaluating wear utilizing these materials using radiosterometric
analysis (RSA). These new materials have outstanding
wear resistance and, as a result, have few of the liabilities of first
generation crosslinked polyethylenes. In addition, we recently
reviewed results of our constrained acetabular component that,
for the first time, allows an increased range of motion, the use
of crosslinked polyethylene and provides a powerful constraint
to prevent dislocation and has early 2 - 3 years follow-up results
with no failures.
We congratulate Dr. Guoan Li and his team for their outstanding
contributions at the Orthopaedic Research Society
(ORS) this year with reports on the Kinematics of Knee
Arthroplasty and Posterior Stabilized Knee Arthroplasty Post
Impingement Using Robotic Technologies, as well as his outstanding
ORS symposium
on Kinematics of the Knee. Here, he
reported some of his newest knee kinematics research as well
as unicondylar knee arthroplasty and high flexion knee data.
In addition, Dr. Li has developed
an extensive and innovative
dual fluoroscopy program to evaluate the clinical performance
of a variety of different knee arthroplasty designs with a highly
reproducible and accurate kinematic evaluation. Early results
are now available comparing different implant designs and
kinematics using these innovative methods.
Dr. Freiberg reports, “Our future plans include expanding
our clinical practices with an emphasis on state-of-the-art
methodologies for primary and revision arthroplasty. In addition,
we will have continuing emphasis on studying advances
in bearing surfaces and crosslinked polyethylenes. It is an
honor and pleasure to be the Chief of such a fine Service with
rich heritage and an incredibly bright future.” Because of the
generosity of Katherine and John Gallagher, III, we have the
ability to add an additional Fellow for training at MGH and
Newton Wellesley Hospital. In addition, these funds will be used
to support a variety of functions for the Arthroplasty Service
including additional research support, and educational experiences
for our faculty.
Dr. Freiberg and Dr. William H. Harris and the Arthroplasty
Service celebrated
the “47th Year End Party,” in June 2007, at
Dennis and Martha Burke’s home. The program was a spirited
old-fashioned cook out with cocktails,
dinner, and speakers
including our graduating fellows. It was an outstanding yearend
event and we look forward to many more in the future.
Preparations are currently underway for our 37th Annual
Advances in Arthroplasty Course, September 26-29, 2007 at
the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cambridge. Our Keynote speaker
this year will be Dr. Daniel Berry, Chairman at the Mayo Clinic
who will be presenting a talk entitled, Dislocation After Total
Hip Arthroplasty: Progress on Prevention and Treatment of
the Hip Surgeons Scourge. For more detailed information, or
to obtain a registration form, contact Harvard Medical School,
Department of Continuing Medical Education at (617) 384-
8600 or e-mail: hms-cme@hms.harvard. edu. Visit them on
the web at http://cme.med.harvard.edu/.
Podiatry Service
The MGH Podiatry Service provides ambulatory foot care
at the main campus (Yawkey Center), the three MGH affiliated
health centers (Revere, Chelsea and Charlestown), and two
non-affiliate health centers (South End Community Health
Center and Lynn Community Health Center), and in-patient
consultation services at MGH and Spaulding Rehabilitation
Hospital. The Service provides state-of-the-art treatment for
our patients throughout the week including evenings and
Saturday sessions, weekly. Our voluntary community outreach
activities include a longstanding affiliation with Boston
HealthCare for the Homeless, providing foot care for patients
at the Pine Street Inn.
We have developed a strong relationship with the MGH
Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Service, both collaborating in patient
care and referring more complex cases, including foot and ankle
deformities and injuries. Negotiations continue with the MGH
Vascular Center in Waltham to bring a podiatry “high risk foot”
clinical practice to that clinical venue soon.
The curriculum of our 3-year residency program, one of
the most comprehensive podiatry post-graduate training programs
in the country, includes over twenty non-Podiatry one
month medical and surgical rotations, as well as longitudinal
training experiences in clinical podiatry. Our Residents receive
surgical training from both podiatrist and orthopaedist faculty
members at MGH and other Partners institutions. Our first
Resident to complete the new program curriculum in its entirety
will graduate in June 2009. As competition for residents is
now greater than ever, we hope to reactivate sponsorship of a
clerkship program for 4th year podiatric medical students soon,
in order to attract more resident applicants.
Dr. Robert J. Scardina, MGH. Podiatry Service Chief and
Program Director, maintains a busy clinical and surgical practice
in the Yawkey Center, in addition to his administrative
and teaching responsibilities. The Service also includes seven
additional staff members, three residents, a full-time certified
orthotic technician, and two full-time medical assistants.
“Our group proudly remains committed to the goals of
excellence in patient care and post-graduate education, in
a professional and collegial relationship with other hospital
Services. With the continued support and assistance of the
MGH Orthopaedic Department, we look forward to any and all
future opportunities to expand our practice within MGH. and
Partners,” notes Dr. Scardina.
Foot and Ankle Service
The Foot and Ankle service at MGH is under the leadership
of Co-directors, Drs. Richard de Asla and George Theodore. The
service continues to grow providing care for patients in both
the Yawkey outpatient center and the new MGH Sport Medicine
Center on Cambridge Street. The upcoming year is likely to see
the addition of a new full time faculty member as we look to
expand our services in communities outside of Boston.
The service continues its relationship with the MGH
Biomechanics Laboratory, under the Direction of Dr. Guoan
Li, on Jackson 12. Foot and Ankle has enjoyed exceptional
representation at both the Orthopaedic Research Society and
the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting two
podium and four-poster sessions in the past two years. The lab
is preparing to finish Dr. de Asla’s OREF “Career Development
Award” project in ankle biomechanics this summer. The goal
of the project is to better understand how ankle joint complex
kinematics differs in arthritic ankles as compared to normal
ankle. This understanding may have implications in future
ankle joint replacement designs.
Dr. George Theodore has also had a busy year. He recently,
became one of the first American members of the govern ing board of the International Society for Musculoskeletal
Shockwave Therapy. In addition he was named a team physician
for the World Cup Soccer qualifying events in 2007. Dr.
Theodore reports, “I am pleased by the clinical and academic
growth of the service including the excellent Resident education
experiences.”
The service plans to focus on establishing a Foot and Ankle
Fellowship in 2009. Watch for more to come from this productive
academic service.
Hand and Upper Extremity Service
The Hand and Upper Extremity Service, led by Service
Chief, Jesse B. Jupiter, MD, the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of
Orthopaedic Surgery, continues to be our busiest services. Dr.
Jupiter reports, “The past 6 years have witnessed the Service
become a comprehensive hand and upper limb unit providing
a wide breadth of expertise in virtually every problem in the
specialty. We now have four full time faculty members with
unique and varied expertise, as well as a Physiatrist. Our unit
is a center of excellence for brachial plexus problems, stroke,
microvascular reconstruction and trauma management, fractures
and posttraumatic reconstructions of the entire limb,
pediatric trauma and reconstruction, and all aspects of elective
hand and upper limb surgery.”
Collaborations have continued with the Orthopaedic
Trauma Service and the Hand and Upper Extremity Service
has become an integral part of providing expertise in all upper
limb trauma as well as education and research activities. In
addition, the Service has become an internationally recognized
center for the management of traumatic and reconstructive
problems about the elbow and wrist. The Hand Service has
integrated Fellowship rotations with the Brigham and Woman’s
Fellowship and with the MGH Plastic Surgery Department making
our Fellowship one of the most sought out Fellowships in
the country.
The service now has a multidisciplinary Upper Extremity
Pain Service along with Physiatry, Psychologists and
Occupational and Physical Therapists. Congratulations to Dr.
David Ring who recently received his PhD from the University
of Amsterdam on Psychosocial Aspects of Arm Pain.
The Annual Richard Smith
Lectureship, now in its 18th year, was
another tremendous success. Dr. Jesse
B. Jupiter, himself, presented as the as
the Smith Orator. His topic “Fractures
of the distal radius--an historical perspective
“was a beautifully prepared
summary of the field. Each year this
wonderful program offers an opportunity
for individuals in the Boston Hand
and Upper Extremity community a
forum to meet and present interesting ideas and the newest
innovative research.
Shoulder Service
Dr. Jon JP Warner has led the Harvard Shoulder Service,
a partnership between the Massachusetts General Hospital
(MGH) and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) since
1998. Dr. Laurence D. Higgins, Director of the Sports Medicine
and Shoulder Service (BWH) and Dr. Thomas Holovacs round
out the clinical expertise. Together, this service at trains 3 postgraduate
fellows each year and hosts over 100 international
visitors for varying periods of time ranging from one week to
one year.
Clinical growth at the MGH has continued to be very
vertical with over 900 shoulder surgeries performed by Drs.
Warner and Holovacs. The core expertise of this service is the
arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery for primary problems
of the shoulder and the management of complex revisions of
failed shoulder surgeries. Patient referrals are from the local,
regional, national and International sites.
Academic highlights have included over 40 peer review
publications this year. Members of this service have lectured
around the world. Three especially important papers were
published this year. The first entitled, “Pectoralis major tendon
reference (PMT): A new method for accurate restoration
of humeral length with hemiarthroplasty for fracture,” by
Murachovsky, J., Ikemoto, RY, Nascimento, LG. Fujiki, EN,
Milani, C., Warner, JJ was published in the Journal of Shoulder
and Elbow Surgery in October 2006. A second manuscript,
“An academic compensation for an orthopaedic department,”
by Warner, JJ, Herndon, JH, Cole, BJ was published in April
in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. The third was
“Anatomical Glenoid Reconstruction for Recurrent Anterior
Glenohumeral Instability with Glenoid Deficiency using an
Autogenous Tricortical Iliac Crest Bone Graft,” by Warner, JJP,
Gill, TJ, O’Holleran, Pathare N., Millett, PJ, was published in
February in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
The New England Shoulder and Elbow Society (www.
neses.com), which was founded by Dr. Warner four years ago,
continues to grow. This is a forum for shoulder and elbow
surgeons around New England to gather in a collegial environment
and discuss and argue about the best methods of treatment
for shoulder and elbow problems. This year our annual
meeting was held in Jay Peak, VT. In January and over 140 surgeons
attended the two-day event. Recently the worlds largest
live shoulder surgery course was held in Annecy, France and Dr.
Warner was one of 40 International Faculty who performed 33
live surgeries in 3 days in front of a audience of 750 shoulder
surgeons.
Other major developments in on our service include the
development of a patient database, which allows for prospective
documentation of operative cases and preoperative as well as
postoperative outcome for treatment of shoulder problems. Our
Educational Database is also growing to over 260 GB of videos,
case studies, and case documentations.
This years fellows have been very successful with their
job hunt. Dr. Bassam El-Hassan will join the staff of the Mayo
Clinic as an Upper Extremity Surgeon. Dr. John Goff will go into
Private Practice in Marin County near San Francisco where he
will be one of the only Fellowship Trained Shoulder Surgeons in
the region. Dr. Nathan Endres will continue on with postgradu-
ate training in Trauma, followed by a period of Sports Medicine
Fellowship at BWH while he waits for his wife to finish up her
postgraduate work. We wish them all success. This coming
year we welcome 3 more fellows who come from as far away
as Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Shoulder Service is currently recruiting a new surgeon
to add additional expertise in the area of shoulder and hand as a
combined program between the Shoulder and Hand Services.
Orthopaedic Oncology Service
The Orthopaedic Oncology Service led by the Service
Chief, Francis Hornicek, MD, PhD, continues to flourish.
Dr. Hornicek, Kevin Raskin, MD, Dempsey Springfield, MD,
and Senior Consultant, Henry Mankin, MD, comprise the
Orthopaedic Oncology Service, and are members of the Center
for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology within the MGH
Cancer Center. Dr. Springfield has reestablished himself in
Boston after a decade visit to New York. His addition to our
department continues to strengthen this service, which was
established about 30 years ago.” Dr. Raskin continues to grow
his practice and participate more in the Harvard Medical School
Educational process, and Dr. Mankin stays active with several
clinical research projects. In the fall the Sarcoma Laboratory
will have, Dr. Schwab and a new scientist, Zhenfeng Duan, MD,
PhD. Dr. Hornicek also reports, “the laboratories are considering
a new focus on stem cell research and continue to explore
mechanisms of drug resistance in tumor models. Together
with Dr. Gebhardt and Dr. Anderson, we have one of the largest
musculoskeletal tumor fellowships. We are pleased to continue
are relationship with Boston Children’s Hospital and BIDMC to
build further on this strong foundation.” The Oncology Group
is truly impressive and continues to prosper.
Pediatric Orthopaedic Service
The Pediatric Orthopaedic Service has had another outstanding
year. We continue to meet and exceed benchmarks we
have set for ourselves in terms of outpatient visits, volume of
surgical cases, patient satisfaction and management of complications.
Over the past year the Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery
Service saw a 10.3% increase in surgeries and a 28.5% increase
in patient visits. The Service enjoyed another productive year of
research and successfully established the Pediatric Orthopaedic
Lab for Tissue Engineering. They recently hired our first postdoctoral
fellow who is spearheading efforts. Members of the
Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Service were the recipients of the
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America’s basic science
research award at the 2006 Spring Meeting in San Diego. This
award is being utilized to carry out our first series of experiments
within the Lab for Tissue Engineering. We continue to
have a competitive clinical fellowship with Harjinder Bajwa,
MD currently in that position and have a new fellow starting
in August 2007.
Erin Hart, RN, MS, CPNP, was elected to the Board of
Directors for the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses
this past year. She continues to provide outstanding patient
care and contributes to many academic nursing journals and is
certainly a bright light for the future of orthopaedic nursing.
Great work and Congratulations to Drs. Grottkau, Albright,
Kim and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Team!
Sports Medicine Service
The MGH Sports Medicine Service expanded and underwent
major changes during the past year. In October 2006,
the Sports Medicine Service moved to its new location at 175
Cambridge Street. This Center is one block away from the hospital,
next to the Holiday Inn. This 18,000 square foot facility
contains physician offices, examination rooms, a digital radiology
unit, a cast and brace room, a library and conference room,
and a state-of-the-art physical therapy and rehabilitation suite.
The Service has a spacious, modern facility that will allow it to
provide better, more comprehensive patient care and to expand
its teaching and research missions. Dr. Thomas Gill was named
the Medical Director of the new center in the spring. Dr. Gill
reports, “We are building a truly comprehensive and integrated
Sports Medicine Service, which will provide our patients with
the best possible care. Our new Center will give patients access
to Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Foot and Ankle, Hip, Radiology,
Physical Therapy/Rehabilitation, Cast/Bracing, and now primary
care. We look forward to continuing to develop our Service,
with expansion to an exciting, state of the art new facility at
Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, as well.”
In 2006, Dr. Peter Asnis has joined the Sports Medicine
staff. Dr. Asnis completed the MGH/Harvard sports medicine
fellowship in July 2006. Dr. Asnis will specialize in sports medicine
and arthroscopic hip surgery. Dr. Asnis has become team
physician for Suffolk University, whose students will receive
their medical care at the MGH.
Dr. Boland continues his exceptional educational work with
the Service, and leads the weekly Sports Medicine Conferences
and Fellowship Curriculum. He continues in his clinical work at
Harvard College Athletics, and continues to see patients in the
office at the Sports Medicine Center.
Research continues to be a major focus of the Sports
Medicine Service. Over the past year, Dr. Thomas Gill III, former
Chairman of the Dept of Pathology and one of my teachers at
the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine has joined
the service as Director of Sports Medicine Research. The focus
of the Sports Medicine Service’s research efforts has been
on knee and shoulder biomechanics, and tissue engineering.
Together with Dr. Guoan Li and his staff in the Laboratory for
Orthopedic Bioengineering, a pioneering new line of research
in in-vivo knee and shoulder kinematics has been developed.
Currently, the in-vivo kinematic outcomes of anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstructions
are being studied in an effort to better optimize
clinical outcomes. Working in close collaboration and under
the direction of Mark Randolph, Director of the Laboratory
for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering, new approaches to
treatment of articular cartilage and meniscal injuries are being
investigated. Current approaches include the use of cell-seeded
scaffolds and hydrogel polymers in an effort to bring about
biologic repair.
In March of 2007, the MGH sent a delegation of physicians
from the Cardiology and Sports Medicine Services to Beijing.
The purpose of the trip was to consult on preparations for
the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and to develop a collaborative
relationship with the Peking University Third Hospital, the
premier sports medicine service in China. Dr. Zarins led the
MGH Sports Medicine delegation, and reported positively about
his experience.
In September 2006, the Augustus
Thorndike MD Professorship of
Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard
Medical School and Massachusetts
General Hospital was established and
Dr. Bertram Zarins was named the
inaugural recipient for this honor. Dr.
Thorndike was a pioneer in a field in
Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine
before Sports Medicine was even recognized
by our Academy as a separate
subspecialty. He established the rule that all contact sports
should have a doctor in attendance for all games and in addition
he created a physical therapy program for injured athletes.
If you were to ask me today the definition of sports medicine,
it would be exactly what Dr. Thorndike pioneered almost 5
decades ago. Dr. Thorndike authored two books related to
athletic injuries that became the gold standard of their time
and documented types, severity of injuries and the impact that
conditioning, protective gear and education had the reduction
and severity of these injuries.
In May 2007, Dr. Zarins was named the first incumbent
Augustus Thorndike Professor and became the fifth Chair our
department. Dr. Zarins will focus his energies on Orthopaedic
education. Speakers at this event included Dean Joseph Martin;
Dr. Peter Slavin, President of the MGH; Dr. Rubash stated, “I
have had the privileged of working closely with Dr. Zarins as
a friend, and a colleague. He is indeed a world-renowned specialist
in the surgical treatment of knee and shoulder injuries
sustained in athletic competition. Dr. Zarins is a role model for
any individual aspiring to greatness. I know that Dr. Zarins will
use the opportunities presented by the Thorndike Professorship
to reach new heights in patient care, medical research and the
education of tomorrow’s Sports Medicine practitioners.”
Orthopaedic Spine Service
The Orthopaedic Spine Service at the MGH under the skillful
direction of Dr.Kirham Wood is now in it’s eighth year. The
Service continues to be responsible for all aspects of spine care,
teaching, and research activities. Members of the multidisciplinary
Spine Unit include: Physiatrist, Dr. James Sarni, and
two newly hired Physiatrists, Dr. Leonid Shinchuk who joined
the service in July and Dr. David Binder who joined the service
in August.
In addition, Dr. James Rathmell, an Anesthesiologist from
the MGH Pain Service, works closely with Dr. Wood to improve
the efficiencies and the timeliness of the care of our patients.
This summer the Combined Harvard Spine Fellowship
(BWH – Drs. Mitchell Harris and Christopher Bono - and MGH)
will expand to three fellows (2 at MGH, and 1 at BWH). The
fellows are actively involved in teaching and research programs
in addition to their clinical duties. We also have two visiting
research fellows from Asia, and expect more next year. We are
in the process of establishing international multi-center collaboration
with teaching University hospitals in China, as that
country becomes more involved in the various academic Spine
societies.
Joseph Schwab, MD, will be joining the division this fall,
having completed both a Spine as well as a Tumor fellowship at
HSS. It is expected that he will be very actively engaged in both
basic science as well as clinical research right from the beginning.
We look forward to his many contributions.
This year the Spine service had numerous publications in
Spine, Journal of Spine Disorders, European Spine Journal as
well as presentations at national and international meetings.
In addition to chairing the adult spine deformity and data base
committees of the Scoliosis Research Society, Dr. Wood has
assumed the chair of the Evidence Based Medicine Committee
as well.
RESEARCH UPDATES
Harris Orthopaedic Biom echanics And Biomaterials Laboratory (HOBBL)
The Harris Orthopaedic Biomechanics and Biomaterials
Laboratory (HOBBL), led by Co-Directors Orhun Muratoglu,
PhD, and Henrik Malchau, MD, PhD, continues to play a significant
role in total joint arthroplasty research with many innovative
contributions. Members of the HOBBL have contributed in
fields of cementing techniques, hip and knee implant design,
revision total hip arthroplasty techniques, biology of bone in
growth, load bearing surface applications in total joints (such
as the first and second generation highly crosslinked polyethylenes)
and also in the area of hydrogels for joint applications.
Currently, there are a number of clinical studies underway
at the HOBBL. Dr Charles Bragdon, PhD is a leading staff member
in the clinical outcome projects in HOBBL. Furthermore
the outcome projects are staffed by four IT engineers designing
the web interfaces and databases utilized in the outcome studies.
Additional four staff members, two nurses specialized in
outcome research and two special trained technicians covers
the increasing IRB administration, patient recruitment, follow
for the clinical studies and evaluation of the unique radiographs
utilized in the outcome assessment.
One of the clinical outcome studies, in its fifth year, utilizes
a RSA technique to determine the wear behavior of a first
generation highly crosslinked polyethylene in conjunction with
large head femoral components. The analysis of the data is
shows a marked reduction in the femoral head penetration. In
addition, another clinical follow-up study, with a larger patient
population in its seventh year, is showing no detectable periprosthetic
osteolysis.
The HOBBL is also focusing on novel crosslinked polyethylenes
with low wear and high fatigue strength for applications
in high-stress total knee replacements. Under the direction of
Dr. Muratoglu, two novel methods of improving the fatigue
resistance of highly crosslinked polyethylenes. The first uses
mechanical annealing and the second uses vitamin-E to stabilize
the residual free radicals and plasticize the base polymer.
Both of these technologies were licensed and will be in clinical
use within the next few years. In the vitamin-E project Ebru
Oral, PhD has a leading role along with one laboratory research
manager and four technical staff members. The hydrogel projects
are staffed by additional two PhD’s Jeeyoung Choi and
Hatice Bodugoz-Senturk together with three researchers.
In addition, Dr. Oral and Dr. Muratoglu have started collaborating
with Dr. Kirk Wood to identify areas in need of
material improvement in the spine. The team is working on
technology using hydrogels for nucleoplasty of the intervertebral
disc and biodegradable polymer technology for fusionless
correction of scoliosis, a research area that could benefit
children and teenagers who develop severe spinal deformity in
their formative years. The team is currently seeking funding
from several orthopaedic companies and government sources
for these promising projects.
On an annual basis, the Laboratory brings in over $3 million
in funding from a variety of sources: government, foundations,
and industrial. The HOBBL is overflowing with new activity
and energy. The skillful scientists in the lab had a phenomenal
year at the ORS/AAOS. Congratulations to the members of the
HOBBL on these outstanding accomplishments!
Biom aterials Laboratory
It has been another fantastic year for the Biomaterials
Laboratory under the earnest direction of Arun Shanbhag, PhD,
MBA. Dr. Shanbhag reports, “This year we experienced the
vagaries of publishing with one manuscript accepted without
revisions while another journal took four revisions and one year
to be accepted. We celebrate all our publications – as means
to share our work with the larger community of scientists,
researchers and clinicians.”
Dr. Shanbhag and the Biomaterials Laboratory were instrumental
in conceptualizing and developing our Department
Newsletter, “Aches & Joints” for patients in our clinical areas.
Aches & Joints will translate the latest Orthopaedic knowledge
for patients, and is available in all Orthopaedic clinical waiting
areas in Yawkey Building, the Sports Medicine Center and the
Ambulatory Surgical Center in Waltham. The Newsletter is also
available on the web (achesandjoints.com).
Continuing investigations in defining osteolysis around
total joint replacements are progressing well. We now exclusively
use whole genome expression chips and custom targeted
multiplexed protein assays to identify pathways and markers for
the onset of osteolysis. In analyzing the proverbial mountain
of data, the challenges of bioinformatics are clearly evident.
Bioinformatics is still a work in progress limiting our ability to
leverage the promise of genomic technologies.
In addition to our own students and fellows, we have
also developed long-distance collaborations with the Manipal
Institute of Technology, India. Raw data from gene expression
studies is sent to a research team in India. There, a local
professor guides students in analyzing the data and weekly teleconferences
are used to keep everyone updated on progress and
identifying next steps. The team completed analyses in a superlative
manner and have a manuscript of their work in this issue
of the Orthopaedic Journal of Harvard Medical School. Also
see our recent Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery publication,
“Assessing Osteolysis with Use of High-Throughput Protein
Chips,” by Arun S. Shanbhag, PhD, MBA, Adam M. Kaufman,
MD, Koichiro Hayata, MD and Harry E. Rubash, MD.
Dr. Adam Kaufman, who started in the laboratory even
before starting at Harvard Medical School, has graduated and
will continue his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at Duke
Medical Center in Durham, NC. We congratulate Adam on
his excellent performance and wish him the very best in his
training. Dr Mahito Kuwahara completed his fellowship and
has returned home to start his clinical practice at the Tokyo
Women’s Hospital, Tokyo. Mahito will be a stellar surgeon and
scientist. Dr Claude Alabre, who was an important part of our
lab before proceeding to Boston University Medical School, will
start his residency here at the Massachusetts General Hospital
in Internal Medicine. We wish him continued excellent in his
academic pursuits.
Bioengineering Laboratory
Guoan Li, PhD, Laboratory Director, and members of
the Bioengineering Laboratory, have continued using their
dual-orthogonal fluoroscopic imaging technique for accurate
measurement of in-vivo musculoskeletal joint kinematics.
This cutting edge imaging technique, along with a robotic
testing system, is being utilized to provide baselines for the
development of new concepts in total knee arthroplasty, unicompartmental
knee arthroplasty, anterior and posterior cruciate
ligament reconstruction, in-vivo function of the lower and
upper extremities, and the human spine. The overall goal of
this research is to drive our understanding of musculoskeletal
joint functions, injury mechanisms, and efficiency of surgical
modalities.
Congratulations to Richard de Asla, MD for a newly
awarded OREF career development grant which has teamed up
bioengineers and clinicians to explore the mechanism of osteoarthritis
in human ankles. Congratulations also to Peter Passias
for the first place award at the New England Orthopaedic
Resident Symposium organized by OREF. He presented the
work entitled, “Novel Imaging Technique to Determine the
6DOF (Degree of Freedom) Positions of Vertebrae and Disc
Under in-Vivo Conditions,” with co-authors: Shaobai Wang,
Gang Li, Guoan Li, Kirk Wood. The research was conducted in
the lab on in-vivo spine kinematics measured with our fluoroscopic
technique.
This summer, the lab celebrated Jeremy Suggs’ completion
of his ScD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at
MIT. Dr. Suggs developed a dual plane image system and investigated
in-vivo biomechanics of cruciate retaining and cruciate
substituting TKA’s, especially the factors affecting high flexion
of TKA patients.
The laboratory also recently celebrated Miss Meng Li’s
Master’s Degree in the Department of Electrical Engineering
at Boston University. Miss Li joined the laboratory in 2005,
and has been developing a combined imaging segmentation
method to accurately delineate the complicated tissue interfaces
in MR and CT images in order to efficiently construct 3D
models of human musculoskeletal joints. Mr. Jeffrey Bingham,
a graduate from MIT, continues to investigate the in-vivo cartilage
contact mechanics of the knee after PCL deficiency in
collaboration with Dr. Thomas Gill.
The lab has an increasing contingent of graduate students
from MIT, including Lu Wan, Daniel Massimini, Ali Hosseini,
Shaobai Wang, and Kartik Varadarajan. Mr. Wan has been studying
in-vivo ankle joint kinematics and in-vivo articular cartilage
contact mechanics of ankles in collaboration with Dr. R de Asla.
Mr. Massimini continues to conduct research on in-vivo human
shoulder biomechanics in collaboration with Dr. JP Warner
as part of his Master degree thesis. Mr. Hosseini continues to
investigate in-vivo ACL tension using advanced imaging and
robotic technology in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Gill. Mr.
Wang joined our lab last year to study intrinsic biomechanics
of human lumber spine in collaboration with Dr. K Wood. Mr.
Varadarajan recently joined our laboratory to investigate in-vivo
biomechanics of knee with end-stage OA and the effect of surgical
treatment in collaboration with Drs. Andrew Freiberg and
Harry E. Rubash. Drs. Samuel van de Velde, Gang Li, Michal
Kozanek and Sabatian Souer have been productive postdoctoral
fellows in our lab and are actively working in-vivo human
knee joint, ankle hand and spine biomechanics. Ramprasad
Papannagari, George Hanson and Angela Moynihan, three
young, core bioengineers, have actively participated in a variety
of clinical and robotic projects, including in-vivo ACL/PCL, invivo
TKA, and in-vivo shoulder investigations. Congratulations
to Ramprasad, who recently joined Smith & Nephew as a
Senior Engineer at their Memphis Ortho Division. The team
had over 20 podium talks, posters, and symposiums at this past
year’s ORS, AAOS and Bioengineering meetings and published
extensively in various orthopaedic and biomedical engineering
journals. Wow!!! What a year!
Cartilage Biology And Orthopaedic Oncology Laboratory
The Cartilage Biology and Orthopaedic Oncology laboratory is under the direction of Christine A. Towle, PhD
and Dr. Henry J. Mankin. Dr. Towle’s research team is exploring
the mechanisms that regulate metabolism in normal articular
cartilage; aberrations in these mechanisms may lead to cartilage
damage in rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. The group is
especially interested in understanding how interleukin-1 exerts
its devastating effects on the integrity of the articular cartilage.
Through studies on a small molecule inhibitor, they have identified
a novel signal transduction mechanism linking IL-1’s
interaction with cell surface receptors to diverse pathways in
cartilage. They are exploring whether this novel mechanism
contributes to the regulation of cytokine signaling by mechanical
and osmotic factors to decrease extracellular matrix synthesis
in articular cartilage. A grant from the National Institute of
Aging supports this investigation of the interactions between
physical forces and IL-1. In a CIMIT-funded collaboration with
Tayyaba Hasan, PhD in the Wellman Center for Photomedicine,
the group has identified a promising photochemical for use in
the light-based technology photodynamic therapy or PDT. They
are working to develop PDT as a minimally invasive approach to
protect articular cartilage in conditions such as osteoarthritis.
The Oncology group continues to focus on clinical, molecular,
and biochemical markers that may serve as predictors of
metastasis in bone and soft tissue tumors. They use a variety
of approaches in their studies including the experimental
treatment of tumor cell cultures and the measurement of
DNA synthesis and apoptotic activity using flow cytometric
procedures. The laboratories have access to a computerized
database with information on almost 18,000 patients treated by
the Orthopaedic Oncology Service including 1200 treated with
allograft transplantation.
Drs. Henry Jaffe, Jakob Erdheim and Crawford Campbell
bequeathed to Dr. Mankin their pathology collections consisting
of thousands of cases, including histological slides, x-ray
films, and patient records. All of these are currently housed
in Dr. Mankin’s basement along with his own collection. The
Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) and
other organizations have recognized the value of these resources
and have provided support to convert the collection into
digital format. Dr. Mankin’s group hopes to make this resource
available on the Web for educational and research purposes. The
data from the collections have enabled numerous publications,
including some on rarely encountered orthopaedic pathologies.
In addition, they are continuing to maintain and expand their
bank of tumor tissue, which now contains over 1000 specimens.
The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, corporate funding,
and donations from patients and their family’s further support
Dr. Mankin’s clinical research projects.
Sarcom a Molecular Biology Laboratory
The Sarcoma Molecular Biology Laboratory (SMBL), under
the direction of Zhenfeng Duan, MD, PhD and Francis J.
Hornicek, MD, PhD. Dr. Duan was working with Dr. Michael
Sieden in Medical Oncology Laboratories until June 1st. He
has now joined the Sarcoma Molecular Biology Laboratory and
has worked extensively in the field of chemotherapy drug resistance.
His major interest is to explore and define the molecular
aspects of drug resistance in cancer cells.
This laboratory investigates novel approaches to further
advance the treatment of cancer. The overall objectives of this
laboratory are to explore biological mechanisms of tumors arising
in bone and other tissues. One of the major focuses of the
lab is to elucidate mechanisms of drug resistance. In addition,
translational research into new treatment options for sarcoma
patients has been undertaken. Continued collaboration with
Pharmaceutical companies has provided the foundation for
evaluation of new drug development. Many of these drugs are
derived from marine sources and their corresponding biochemical
structures quite complex. The Sarcoma Molecular Biology
Laboratory has published articles pertaining to sarcoma biology,
and has received funding from a variety of sources including
foundations, corporate sponsors, and benefactors.
A new addition to the laboratory will be Joseph Schwab,
MD. He has a research focus in chordoma and has experience
during his training at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He has an
interest in development of immunotherapy drugs for the treatment
of chordoma. The interest of the sarcoma group in this
rare tumor will become another major focus of the lab.
The sarcoma research group at the MGH includes investigators
from multiple disciplines, as does the clinical group. We
hope to continue research expansion and further collaboration
within the Harvard community.
Laborato ry of Orthopaedic Biochemistry
and Ost eoarthritis Therapy
Teresa Morales, PhD, directs the Laboratory of Orthopaedic
Biochemistry and Osteoarthritis Therapy. She explains, “The
mission of the Laboratory is to understand the regulation of
chondrocyte biology in health and disease and to apply this
knowledge towards investigations of cartilage repair”. Dr.
Morales and her team continue to examine how normal regulatory
pathways are altered during osteoarthritis (OA), with major
emphasis on the dysregulated actions of the Insulin-like growth
factor binding proteins, particularly IGFBP-3. The insulin-like
growth factors are important regulators of matrix synthesis.
This work extends to the international forum, by a 3-way collaboration
of the Morales group with those of Dr. Ernst Hunziker
(Muller Institute, Bern, Switzerland), Drs Joseph Buckwalter
and James Martin (University of Iowa and Iowa City Veterans
Medical Center, Iowa U.S.A). The work of this team has culminated
in the definitive description of the dual extracellular
and intracellular location of IGFBP-3, soon to be published in
Ostearthritis Cartilage. Taken together with studies on other
cell types, the novel intracellular location of the binding protein
in chondrocytes points the way to the possibility that this molecule
may control cell fate and survival during OA.
Additional work on analogs of IGF that do not recognize
the binding protein was initiated by Dr. Morales and her summer
student Ms. Emily Pfeil (Johns Hopkins Medical School)
under the combined auspices of the R01 from NIAMS (Morales,
P.I.) and a Summer Student Fellowship to Emily from the
Massachusetts Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Taken
together, the studies suggest that IGFBPs may exert dual
actions during OA, tuning the action of their target growth
factor, IGF-I, outside the cell while also acting within the
intracellular environment in a manner that is independent of
IGF-I receptor signaling. An additional interest of Dr. Morales
is chondrocyte motility. This interest in chondrocyte motility
has helped to seed new directions for the laboratory with the
initiation of studies into the motility, engraftment and invasiveness
of mesenchymal stem cells on and within cartilage. A new
review article by Dr. Morales,to be published in Osteoarthritis
Cartilage, addresses the complex topic of cartilage cell migration
and invasiveness.
Laboratory for Musculos keletal Engineering
The Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering,
under the direction of Mark Randolph and Dr. Thomas Gill,
focuses on cartilage repair and regeneration in the knee. Work
funded by the AO Foundation on tissue engineering strategies
to repair lesions in the avascular regions of the meniscus was
presented at the International Cartilage Repair Society, in San
Diego, California, in January 2006. The results demonstrated
an efficient means to seed chondrocytes onto polygalactin
(PLGA) scaffolds, and the capacity of these cell-scaffold constructs
to heal bucket-handle lesions in swine meniscus. This
study was published in November in the American Journal of
Sports Medicine in November 2006.
Their group also continues to explore alternative cell
sources and new hydrogels for articular cartilage repair and
regeneration. Working with Drs. Robert Redmond and Irene
Kochevar from the Wellman Center of Photomedicine, they
have developed a novel means to photocrosslink collagen gel
for use as an encapsulation gel for chondrocytes and neocartilage
formation. This work was presented at the Orthopedic
Research Society in Chicago, Illinois, in February 2006 and
published in Tissue Engineering in 2007. In collaboration with
Dr. Kristi Anseth, at the University of Colorado, the group has
been exploring photoactive substances that can form hydrogel
scaffolds for cartilage formation, specifically poly (ethylene glycol).
Results of this were presented at the Orthopedic Research
Society in San Diego, California, in March 2007. Additional
work with in collaboration with Dr. Lawrence Bonassar, from
Cornell University, is examining the ability of chondrocytes to
integrate with porous polyethylene for making flexible cartilage.
DEPARTMENT HOLIDAY PARTY
This year’s annual black tie Department Holiday Party was
held at the beautiful Massachusetts State House. This year we
had our largest turnout ever with close to 400 attendees and by
all accounts the evening was phenomenal. Our event was held
in the historic Memorial Hall, which is also known as the Hall
of Flags. Plans are underway for next year’s party, which will
return to one of our favorite sites, the Museum of Fine Arts. A
festive evening indeed!!!
CHILDREN’S HOLIDAY PARTY
Our seventh annual Children’s Holiday Party at the Boston
Children’s Museum this past December was a raucously fun
event for kids of all ages. Laughter, fun and smiles were the
name of the game for our group who enjoyed the museum
exhibits, a catered lunch and entertainment in the museum’s
private function room. Santa and Mrs. Claus were again in
town this year with gifts and goody bags for all the children.
PERSONAL NOTE
Kim and I continue to enjoy some additional personal
freedom and we are looking forward to our 30th Wedding
Anniversary this fall. Kim and I are also planning to travel to
Asia this year as guests of Asian Pacific Orthopaedic Society.
Kim has resumed playing tennis, a sport she has enjoyed for
years and she loves her new competition. I have been able to
resume my golf with a renewed level of participation after my
successful Unicompartimental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA).
Our daughter, Kristen, finished the 11th grade this year
and is now in the early phases of deciding where she would like
to go to college. She and I had the pleasure of attending the
Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in April. This four star event
includes Dressage, Cross-Country as well as Stadium Jumping.
We were amazed to see the caliber of these world-class athletes
as they competed for elite status and in some cases membership
on the United States Olympic Equestrian Team. It was a
competition that was a treat of a lifetime to see. Kristen competes
in these types of events throughout the summer and fall.
This sport requires tremendous dedication, athletic skill and
carries a year-round commitment to training.
We have a new member of our family, Rigaudon (a lively
17th Century French dance), also known as Miss Amber. She
is a 7 year old, Swedish Warm Blood and she will be Kristen’s
Eventing horse for the next several years. Kristen would like
to combine her riding skills as a collegiate athlete as well as a
student. Kim and I continue to marvel at Kristen’s continued
perseverance and resilience and we hope and pray that her
health continues to improve.
Steve finished his freshman year at Boston University (BU)
in the School of General Studies. When he returns to BU in
the fall he will be transferring to the School of Business. He has
been thinking a lot about career choices and we hope that he
finds one that can occupy his endless energy and will be able to
leverage his many talents. Steve’s summer will be filled with
events including a job, athletics, and a leadership program!
Brad finished a highly successful sophomore year at
Rollins College in Florida. He has now declared Anthropology
major and he intends to go to business school after receiving
his undergraduate degree. He had a wonderful swimming season
as a freestyle sprinter (50 and 100 yards) and he is working
for the summer at an elite swimming camp in Winter Park,
Florida. Brad and I are in the final phases of restoring our 1970
Chevelle Super Sport and this year it gets a new engine and
suspension system. We will miss not having Brad with us for
the summer. Our three children make for an incredibly busy
and complicated household!
Finally and importantly, I am most proud and honored
to continue as the Chairman of this world-class Orthopaedic
Department at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Our faculty
is superb, our collegiality is blossoming and our productivity
continues to amaze me. The Department continues on a
meteoric rise and I hope that we can sustain this path for the
indefinite future. It is a pleasure to serve as your Chairman.
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