The Department of Orthopaedics currently is involved in more than 15 research studies that are developing and testing new diagnostic tools, improving treatments while reducing costs to patients, objectively analyzing the effects of injuries and diseases on function, comparing function after treatment, improving rehabilitation techniques and studying new implant designs.

The Department of Orthopaedics research team has been awarded two prestigious research grants. The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) awarded funding to James W. Brodsky, M.D., and Fabian E. Pollo, Ph.D, to study the treatment and cost effectiveness of diabetic foot ulceration care. This study investigates the healing time and overall treatment costs associated with total contact casting, the current gold standard in conservative ulcer treatment, and a new diabetic walking boot.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) granted support to Shawn Bonsell, M.D., and Dr. Pollo to test the potential of a portable screening echocardiogram to detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a potentially deadly disease, during pre-athletic physicals. A full echocardiogram can detect HCM, but the test is impractical in both time and cost to implement during routine physical exams, and currently no screening device exists.

Jay Mabrey, M.D., is working with surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor to study minimally invasive total hip procedures utilizing the 12-camera motion capture system at the Baylor Motion and Performance Laboratory.

The Baylor Motion and Sports Performance Center is one of the Orthopaedic Department's main research laboratories. The 2,000-square-foot facility is located in the Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center on the campus of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

The center conducts research into the link between orthopaedics and the movement of the body to improve treatment, therapies and sports performance by analyzing three-dimensional computer assisted motion analysis. The laboratory uses a 12-camera motion capture system, force platform, electromyographical system, six-degree-of-freedom electrogoniometer and foot pressure measurement system.

Two major sports-related areas of focus are running and golf analysis. The Baylor Motion and Sports Performance Center has tested many US Olympic middle and long distance athletes. These analyses focus on performance enhancement and injury prevention. Some of the area’s top golfers and some PGA Professionals have also utilized the advanced services of the laboratory.