The laboratory has a long history of conducting research that improves the treatment of             fractures. This research and development is well grounded clinically due to the fact that             collaborating physicians – Drs. Ramon Gustilo, Richard Kyle, David Templeman, Andrew

Schmidt and Thomas Varecka – actively treat patients with complex orthopaedic trauma             at Hennepin County Medical Center. 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, a prospective randomized clinical outcome study on intramedullary nails             inserted with and without reaming for open and closed tibial fractures was complemented             by a laboratory study on the relative stability provided by these two competing treatments.             Patient care was efficiently affected in a direct and positive manner.             Much of the laboratory’s trauma research is based on the use of segmental defect and             closed fracture models for studying the efficacy of osteogenic agents in the presence of             factors that are known to clinically impair fracture healing – infection, diabetes, steroids             and nicotine. An ongoing clinical study of the use of platelet concentrates with autologous             growth factors in the treatment of long bone fractures is coupled with a laboratory study             comparing the cytokine levels from two competing commercially available methods for             obtaining the concentrates.             The Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory is involved with the development and evaluation             of a novel method of monitoring, preventing and treating compartment syndrome using             tissue ultrafiltration. The treatment of hip fractures has been addressed by laboratory             studies that determined the sliding characteristics of second–generation intramedullary             nails, and by the usefulness of calcium phosphate cement in helping stabilize comminuted             intertrochanteric fractures. In an attempt to reduce blood loss, surgical time, morbidity and             radiation exposure, an innovative intramedullary nail and flexible shape memory alloy drill             have been developed and are being evaluated for drilling interlocking screw holes from             within the nail rather than through the overlying skin and muscle.