Orthopaedics

Experience Interdisciplinary Orthopaedic Research

At Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, specialized teams of basic scientists, clinicians and surgeons perform cutting-edge research in all areas of orthopaedics with expertise ranging from sports medicine to tissue engineering, and everything in between.

Preclinical

From trauma-related injuries to age-induced degeneration, orthopaedic researchers at Wake Forest Baptist apply a translational approach to solutions for orthopaedic tissue treatments, repairs and therapies. Scientific questions relating to orthopaedic injuries and diseases are methodically addressed by assembling expert teams to fully understand the problem and to collaborate on solutions.

Our researchers study a variety of orthopaedic diseases and conditions in a range of translational models from rodents to nonhuman primates, including specialized models of segmental defect, closed fracture, window defect, tendon repair, bone formation, and biocompatibility. Orthopaedic research at Wake Forest also makes use of capabilities in osteoclast and osteoblast cell cultures.

Key Areas of Research

  • Nerve injury and repair
  • Muscle composition changes due to age and injury
  • Compartment syndrome monitoring
  • Bone regeneration therapies
  • Aging-related joint degeneration
  • Rotator cuff tears
  • Meniscus repair
  • Tendon and ligament tissue engineering
  • Brachial plexus birth palsy
  • Stem cell therapies for orthopaedic applications
  • Biomechanics
  • Modeling and computational simulation

Clinical

The orthopaedics department at Wake Forest Baptist is one of the busiest in the state of North Carolina, performing procedures not available at other hospitals. Drawing from that patient population, our clinicians and surgeons conduct research in orthopaedic biomechanics, sports medicine, microsurgery, joint arthroplasty and tissue engineering.

Orthopaedic trauma research, in particular, is an area of expertise for Wake Forest Baptist clinicians. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, our orthopaedic surgeons and specialists see a high volume of patients with acute orthopaedic injuries in both adults and children from all over the region. This comprehensive population allows you to test your novel interventions for orthopaedic trauma from first admittance through rehabilitation.

Key Areas of Research

  • Arterial reconstruction
  • Nerve regeneration
  • Therapeutic applications of botulinum neurotoxin
  • Molecular markers and premature hip osteoarthritis
  • Hand and upper extremity microsurgery
  • Compartment syndrome
  • Trauma
  • Total join arthroplasty
  • Stem cell applications
  • Keratin biomaterials
  • Pediatric orthopaedics
  • Orthopaedic oncology
  • Traumatic spinal cord injury
  • Back pain and scoliosis
  • Posture monitoring

Looking for an Orthopaedic Research Partner?

Start a conversation with us today to explore research opportunities in orthopaedics.
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