MORF has a long history of conducting research that improves the treatment of fractures.             Drs. Ramon Gustilo, Richard Kyle, David Templeman, Andrew Schmidt and             Thomas Varecka – treat patients with complex orthopaedic trauma at Hennepin County

Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis. This environment provides a close and productive             connection between laboratory work, development of improved fracture fixation devices and

techniques, clinical outcome studies, and patient care.             For example, scientists compared the relative stability of two treatments for open and             closed fractures of the tibia (shinbone). Finding the most effective method to treat the             fracture led to improved patient care for people with this injury.             Much of the laboratory’s trauma research is based on studying the effectiveness of growth             factors in the presence of conditions that are known to impair fracture healing – infection,             diabetes, steroids and nicotine.             The Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory is also involved with the development and             evaluation of a novel method of monitoring, preventing and treating compartment syndrome             using tissue ultrafiltration.