Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Research

Two doctors examine an x-ray film of a patient's hand.

Transforming sports medicine and orthopedic care through science, technology, and research.

Technology in orthopedics is rapidly changing, and the clinical practice of orthopedic surgery has advanced due to these innovations. The orthopedic and sports medicine research program at MedStar Health is closely aligned with its world-class clinical programs, where there is close collaboration between orthopedic surgeons, research fellows, and engineers. Surgical training and teaching laboratories are provided in a one-on-one setting. Multidisciplinary research focuses on degenerative, deformity, traumatic, and congenital pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

Two doctors examine an x-ray film of a patient's hand. MedStar clinician-researchers and scientists within the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Research Network have conducted collaborative research in conjunction with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the U.S. National Lacrosse program, among others. In addition, MedStar Health is proud to be the medical care provider for professional sports teams in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area, including the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics. View the full list of athletic team affiliations for MedStar Health here.

Research labs and resources

Researchers in orthopedic and sports medicine at MedStar Health have access to several state-of-the-art labs to conduct their research and train in the latest surgical techniques. These facilities support resident and fellow projects and education, company-sponsored grants, and NIH and foundation-funded research.

Musculoskeletal Research and Innovation Center

Onsite at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, the Musculoskeletal Research and Innovation Center (MRIC) is a state-of-the-art laboratory dedicated to teaching and musculoskeletal research.

Fully equipped with the latest advancements in robotics, 3D printing, and virtual reality powered laboratory training, the MRC is designed to serve as a regional resource center for researchers, residents, fellows, and attending clinicians within the MedStar Health network and a site for collaboration between private industry and academic centers.

Home to the Innovation in Motion Lab (iMo Lab), Surgical Technique and Training (STAT) Lab, a Robotics and Navigation Area, musculoskeletal simulation technology, a 3D Printing Lab and an office suite, the MRIC is a proving ground for innovation, education, and collaboration with the aim of advancing orthopaedic medicine and patient care.

Curtis National Hand Center

The Johnston Building at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital is a modern brick and glass building. The Curtis National Hand Center is the preeminent Center for hand and upper extremity surgery. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, the Curtis National Hand Center treats patients from around the country, performing cutting-edge hand and upper extremity surgical procedures. The Center also provides advanced Fellowship training to surgeons pursuing the hand and upper extremity sub-specialty.

For more information, please contact Aviram Giladi, Research Director, Curtis National Hand Center at giladi@curtishand.com.

Microsurgical Laboratory

The Microsurgical Laboratory, accredited by the AAALAC, is available for pre-clinical research studies and training in microsurgical procedures. The facility contains three dissecting microscopes and a full complement of related microsurgical instruments. In-depth training courses are available on a wide array of microsurgical neurovascular models.

For more information, please contact Sione Fanua, Microsurgery Instructor, Researcher, Microsurgical Lab, at Sione.Fanua@medstar.net.

Sports medicine and concussion

MedStar sports medicine’s orthopedic and sports health research division conducts clinical research that enhances patient outcomes and improves sports safety by performing innovative research in orthopedics and sports medicine. Investigations focus on clinical research in injury prevention and control, injury epidemiology, biomechanics, rehabilitation, and kinesiology to improve physical performance, reduce the risk of injury in sports and exercise, conduct clinical drug trials, and evaluate sports equipment.
Investigators within the sports medicine and concussion program have conducted numerous collaborative research which includes:

Trends in concussion Incidence in high school sports
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among active professional (NFL) football players
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among retired professional (NFL) football players
The epidemiology of mild traumatic brain injury in boys’ and girls’ high school lacrosse players
A study of head, face, and eye injuries in scholastic and collegiate lacrosse
Descriptive epidemiology of youth baseball injuries
A long-term prospective study of ACL repair vs. reconstruction
Creation of the MedStar NewClip Center for Knee Preservation, with a mission to advance the science of minimally invasive, anatomy preserving interventions in the knee that will allow the healthy fit and athletically inclined patients to continue their pursuits.

For more information, please contact James Dreese, MD, Director of Sports Medicine Research, James.C.Dreese@medstar.net.

Awards and recognitions

Recently, MedStar Union Memorial was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 orthopedic program in the country, ranking #48 out of more than 4,500 hospitals. We also earned the highest rating possible in hip replacement and knee replacement.
MedStar Health researchers have partnered with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the U.S. National Lacrosse program, among other sports teams, on studies examining injury prevention, minimally invasive treatment options, and recovery.
Our clinician-scientists have access to the latest technology and are making use of innovative surgical techniques, prostheses, and devices, including novel 3D printing technology, to find new and better ways to care for orthopedic conditions and joint injuries.
MedStar Health is home to world-class residency and fellowship programs in orthopedics.

Research and Teaching Awards:

The 2023 Roger H. Michael Resident Project Award for Outstanding Achievement in Orthopedic Research was awarded to Sean Sequeira MD, Brian McCormick MD, Mark Hasenauer MD, and Henry Boucher MD for their research: Home health care is associated with an increased risk of emergency department visit, readmission, and cost of care without reducing risk of complication: a propensity-score analysis.
The 2023 Roger H. Michael Fellow Project Award for Outstanding Achievement in Orthopedic Research was awarded to MitchTarka MD, and Greg Guyton, MD, for their research: Data censoring likely biased the largest randomized trial of Achilles tendon rupture treatment against surgery: a Monte Carlo analysis.
The 2023 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Orthopaedic Teaching was awarded to Mark Hasenauer, M.D.

Grants Awarded:

Haislup B, Wright MA, Sanghavi KK, Giladi A, Thomas A. The intersection of racial and spatial inequalities on utilization and outcomes for common orthopedic procedures. Awarded the 2021 MedStar Early Investigator Grant.
Miller SD. First MTP fusion using staple compression plates. Awarded a Depuy/Synthes IIS Grant.
Pivazyan G, Tortolani PJ, Lucas SL, Beaufort AR, Brooks DM, Mueller KB, Cunningham BW. Quantitative histomorphological characterization of human cervical nerve roots to determine the relationship with postoperative C5 palsy. Awarded the 2020 CSRS 21st Century Research Grant.
Wright MA, Murthi A, Stein JA, Ashmyan R. Limited health literacy in patients with rotator cuff tears: risk factors and outcome effects. Awarded ASES Candidate Research Grant.

Research and scientific leadership

Total joint replacement surgery

Henry Boucher, MD
Physician Executive Director MedStar Orthopedic Institute Baltimore
Chairman of Orthopedics, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital

Mark Hasenauer, MD

Robert McKinstry, MD
Foot and ankle surgery

Gregory Guyton, MD

C. Walter Hembree, MD

Stuart Miller, MD

Jacob Wisbeck, MD
Spine surgery

Mesfin Lemma, MD

Paul McAfee, MD

Brad Moatz, MD
Shoulder and elbow surgery

Anand Murthi, MD

Jason Stein, MD
Sports medicine

Wiemi Douoguih, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon, member MedStar Orthopedic Institute
Regional Medical Director, MedStar Sports Medicine
Director of Sports Medicine, MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Steven Svoboda, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital
Team physician - NHL’s Washington Capitals, Major League Rugby’s Old Glory DC Rugby Club, and Prince George’s County High Schools

James Dreese, MD

Allison Fillar, MD

Richard Hinton, MD

Richard Levine, MD

Milford Marchant, MD

Jason Hammond, MD
Surgical Technique and Technology (STAT) Lab

Pooyan Abbasi, MsC
Director, STAT Laboratory
PhD candidate in Robotics
Musculoskeletal Research

Bryan Cunningham, PhD
Scientific Director, Musculoskeletal Research and Innovation Center
Innovation in Motion Lab (iMo Lab)

Dario Martelli, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Director Gait and Motion Analysis Lab
Curtis National Hand Center

Aviram Giladi, MD
Scientific Director, Orthopedics at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Research Director, The Curtis National Hand Center

Christopher Forthman, MD

James Higgins, MD

Peter Innis, MD

Ryan Katz, MD

Kenneth Means, MD

Keith Segalman, MD

Neal Zimmerman, MD

Ryan Zimmerman, MD
Gait and Motion Analysis Lab

Dario Martelli, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Director Gait and Motion Analysis Lab
Microsurgical lab

Sione Fanua
Researcher, Microsurgical Laboratory
Research administration

Amy Loveland
Director, Scientific Center Administrator (SCA)
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Research

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