About the Program, Objectives, and the History

Organization:   The CU-MUSC Orthopaedic Research and Training Program is a cross-disciplinary collaboration and partnership between the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering as well as other clinical and engineering departments at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Clemson University (CU), and Synthes Inc. The clinical training and activities of the program are led by Dr. Langdon Hartsock, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at MUSC. The research activities of the program are jointly supervised by Dr. Langdon Hartsock and Dr. Martine LaBerge, Chair of the Department of Bioengineering at Clemson University.   An External Advisory Board provides guidance for program development, recruitment, and goal adherence and dynamism. The External Advisory Board, bringing industrial, academic, and clinical expertise, consists of worldwide leaders in orthopaedic research, development, and training. An Internal Steering Committee consisting of key administrators at CU and MUSC . Program objectives, goals, activities, and accomplishments are reviewed yearly on-site by the Board. Members of the External Advisory Board are invited to participate in monthly meetings of the internal steering committee through videoconferencing.   The researchers and scientists in the program include CU-MUSC Bioengineering Faculty, Clemson Bioengineering Faculty, and faculty in the College of Medicine at MUSC. The clinical supervision and involvement is provided by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at MUSC through the leadership of Dr. Langdon Hartsock and his colleagues. All residents in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery actively participate in the program as well as clinical fellows.   The Objectives: According to the original proposal, the mission of the program is to advance the treatment of patients with disorders of the musculoskeletal system through basic and translational research and train clinical residents and fellows, as well as students, and research fellows. Our vision is to lead biomaterials and implant research with a focus on 1) surgical fixation and 2) repair / regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues.  Our existing manpower and past accomplishments indicate the promise of the future success.   The routine work in the new program is directed by the Director who provides leadership for the program’s research and education activities, expands the program’s activities through fostering collaboration between scientists and clinicians, fosters close collaboration between clinicians and research staff, and implements a research mentoring program for orthopaedic residents and fellows as well as bioengineering graduate students.  More specifically, the Director of Research/Research Associate (1) manages and coordinates research activities in the program, (2) provides expertise and support for biomaterials and biomechanics, (3) provides technical directions and service as necessary on research and development projects for faculty members, (4) Provides the training and supervision of students, residents, and fellows, (5) plans the educational technology transfer activities with faculty. The Director is supervised by, and works in close collaboration with, Dr. Langdon Hartsock and Dr. Martine LaBerge to assure that the goals of the program are met.   The History: The former Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, a part of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina, was established in 1991 by Dr. Richard J. Friedman and Dr. Yuehuei H. An. The early Orthopaedic Research Laboratory (only one room) was physically located in the Basic Science Building. Since then, the laboratory grew from 400 square feet to 1400 square feet after moving to the Quadrangle Building in 1994. Last summer (2001), the laboratory moved again to the Basic Science Building and combined with Dr. Draughn's laboratory (Department of Materials Science). Today, the whole facility has four sublaboratories of different functions, occupying a total of 1200 square feet. The laboratory is a multi-functional orthopaedic research and education center involved in basic and applied research in multiple areas of orthopaedic research including improving bone or soft tissue ingrowth to implant surfaces; in vivo effects of growth factors on bone ingrowth, bone healing, and cartilage repair; prevention of bacterial adhesion and prosthetic infection; repair of bone defects using tissue engineering techniques; repair of cartilage defects using tissue engineering techniques; anatomy, biomechanics, and prosthetic design for shoulder arthroplasty; bone structure and biomechanics; ligament anchor and artificial ligament research; development of animal models for orthopaedic applications; and designing and testing of fixation devices for osteoporotic bone.

Webmasters: Qian Kang, MD and Yuehuei H. An, MD
Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Medical University of South Carolina
96 Jonathan Lucas Street, CSB708, Charleston, SC 2925, U.S.A
Tel (843) 792-7142; Fax (843) 792 3674; E-mail: kangqk@musc.edu or any@musc.edu

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