AAOS and OREF Announce Strategic Partnership

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) have announced a strategic partnership to help narrow the gap between clinical research funding and prioritized clinical research needs in musculoskeletal care. The partnership aims to highlight areas of clinical research for which there is a need for increased, targeted funding to evaluate the effectiveness of various orthopedic interventions and ultimately improve the quality of care for patients. 
 
“Orthopedic surgeons rely on the AAOS clinical practice guidelines to provide high-quality, unbiased evidence-based recommendations for a variety of musculoskeletal treatments. However, there are several orthopedic interventions for which there is a dearth of evidence evaluating their effectiveness,” said Kristy Weber, M.D., FAAOS, AAOS past president. “Together with our partners at OREF, we have designed a unique funding opportunity for clinical researchers looking to design and execute studies across musculoskeletal specialties­­, including orthobiologics. To help jump-start the effort in 2020, the AAOS is making an initial financial investment.”
 
The inaugural list of clinical research topics prioritized by the AAOS includes research addressing the efficacy of biologics for treatment of orthopedic diseases with a particular focus on platelet-rich plasma and growth factor injections for full-thickness rotator cuff tears and osteoarthritis of the knee. Additionally, the AAOS has prioritized funding for clinical research reviewing the effect of tobacco, vaping, and/or marijuana use on postoperative outcomes for total joint arthroplasty, as well as the effectiveness of antibiotic bone cement for prevention of periprosthetic joint infections. The OREF Research Grants Committee will finalize the selection of topics in the Request for Applications (RFA) scheduled to be released later this year.  
 
“OREF was founded on the belief that to advance orthopaedic practice, we must advance orthopaedic knowledge,” said Richard F. Kyle, M.D., OREF president. “We are delighted to collaborate with the AAOS to fund investigational grants that will catalyze research and play a key role in the future of orthopaedic care.”