Research
Research at St-Mary’s hospital is centered on three axes of patient care. A fourth group of cross-sectional projects contributes to the development of our research group.
Three Main Axes
Adult Hip and Knee Arthroplasty
Director: Dr. Anthony Albers
The surgeons at St-Mary’s Hospital are expected to perform around 1100 hip/knee joint replacements this year. This includes specialized treatments such as revision joint replacement for various pathologies such as fractures, infections, wear and dislocations. They also perform partial joint replacements of the patello-femoral joint and medial or lateral tibiofemoral joints. Given the large volume of cases performed each year and the high level of expertise offered at our center, the group has invested in research looking at improving outcomes by reducing infection rates, decreasing the length of stay in hospital, speeding up early recovery and improving pain control. Future research will look at increasing outpatient joint replacements through enhanced recovery pathways and using robotic assisted surgery to allow for more reducible and accurate surgeries.
Sports Related Injuries and Upper Extremity Surgery
Director: Dr. Moreno Morelli
The management of sports related injuries as they relate to soft tissue injuries encountered in the active population has been a mainstay at St. Mary’s Hospital. The main focus of practice for many years revolved around shoulder and knee pathologies and with the addition of more fellowship trained staff in recent years, this has expanded to include the treatment of soft tissue pathology in upper and lower extremities. The research interests of the group include patient outcomes following open and arthroscopic shoulder surgery, peri-operative pain management following shoulder surgery, accuracy of soft tissue imaging and injury prevention in sports, to name a few. The St-Mary’s upper extremity group is currently participating in two multicentric studies across Canada with the aim of improving the outcomes of shoulder arthroplasty as well as improving pain control following shoulder surgery. Future research will continue to look at methods to improve post-operative pain control as well as to develop effective and efficient minimally-invasive options for hand and wrist surgery using ultrasound technology.
Management of Hip Fractures
Director: Dr. Jennifer Mutch
St-Mary’s hospital treats a large volume of mainly geriatric patients who sustain hip fractures, often after a simple fall. Treating these patients while avoiding complications requires a multidisciplinary team with members from the Emergency, Medical, Geriatric and Surgical Departments and includes key players from nursing, occupational/physio therapy, pharmacy, nutrition, PABs, etc. Our research focuses primarily on optimizing surgical outcomes and preventing complications such as delirium and pressure sores, which are major causes of morbidity after hip fracture surgery. Future research hopes to create enhanced recovery pathways in this vulnerable population in order to improve outcomes, reduce complications and decrease time spent in hospital.
