Taking a break with Dr. Niek van Dijk while cycling through a German town.

From April 23 through May 1 this year, Dr. Almekinders participated in the Cycle for Science project organized by the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA). Under the leadership of Professor Niek van Dijk, MD, Chairman of the orthopaedic surgery department of the University of Amsterdam, 40 cyclists consisting of orthopaedic surgeons from all over the world completed a ride from Amsterdam to Barcelona.

Approaching the top of Alpe d’Huez in the French Alps.

Along the way, there were stops in several cities where they held scientific symposia and fundraising dinners with the local orthopaedic surgeons. All proceeds went to orthopaedic research dedicated to research in degenerative musculoskeletal conditions that keep patients from staying active and healthy. During the trip the cyclists completed several challenging rides in the French Alps and Pyrenees, including rides to the top of Alpe d’Huez and Mont Ventoux. Once in Barcelona, the cyclists help open the Congress of ESSKA that attracted over 4000 orthopaedic surgeons and is held every 2 years.

We were delighted to have Dr. John A. Bergfeld join the Sports Division and the Feagin Leadership Forum this past weekend as the Visiting Professor. Dr. Berfeld, along with Drs. Feagin and Curl, gave a talk on the History of ACL Surgery.

We are honored and delighted to announce that Dr. Douglas Schreyack has been selected as one of the 2016 Strength, Hope and Caring Award recipients. Dr. Douglas Schreyack’s clinic staff has noticed that he quietly does wonderful things for his patients. During a winter storm last year when the clinic was closed, he met a patient at the clinic to check his foot, waiting 20-30 minutes in the parking lot to assist the patient in the building, checking their foot, and then helping them back to their car.

Another patient who was homeless had taken a bus to a surgery appointment and had planned to return by bus afterward to where he was staying. The patient also did not come with a “responsible person” there as needed for the procedure. Dr. Schreyack called for a CMA from the clinic to came and be there for the patient through surgery. He waited through recovery and drove patient himself, buying him lunch along the way. When the patient returned for follow up, Dr. Schreyack went and got his personal lunch and gave it to the patient.

We are honored to have physicians like Dr. Schreyack in the Department of Orthopaedics.

On Thursday, May 19, 2016, second-year resident, Danny Scott, presented his research at Duke Clinical Research Day. The School of Medicine’s Clinical Research Day brings together faculty, staff, trainees, and students to celebrate clinical research and the vast and diverse array of activities taking place across our campus, and to encourage collaborations.

We would like to congratulate Daniel Cunningham, BS, a third-year medical student and Duke Clinical and Translational Science Award (Duke CTSA) medical student TL1 scholar working in Dr. Olson’s laboratory, who was invited to give an oral presentation at the Duke CTSA Career Development Symposium. He will be presenting his research, “IL-1 mediated NFkB activity in porcine synovium is correlated to underlying synovitis but is inhibited by IL-1Ra regardless of level of synovitis.”

Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduation Class of 2016 group photo at Washington Duke Inn.

On Saturday, May 14, the Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy faculty, staff, family, and friends gathered at the Washington Duke Inn to celebrate the following Class of 2016 graduates:

Lauren Alexis Alexander
Michelle Chioma Anumba
Jennifer Christine Arms
Stephanie Babiarz
Danyelle Dye Barnes
Austin Grant Bloomberg
Kelcie Denise-Shaw Bradham
Lindsay McLean Braun
Caleb Wolfinger Bromley
Julie Catherine Canfield
Norah K. Cetin
Daniel Yih-An Chen
Lisa Penny Cole
Kathryn Jane Csete
Kathleen Frances Decina
Sarah Elizabeth Ford
Adrienne Ann Fox
Jack William Friesen
Hilary Ann Frimenko
Andrew William Grant
Melani Graves
Jessica Bryant Groves
Kathryn Elizabeth Haynes
Olivia Louise Hebert
Steven Richard Higbie
Shawn Michael Hoffman
Maggie Lynn Holland
Megan Elise Hornsby
Sean Husted
Mary Christine Jackson
Michael Alan Jeanfavre
Susan Michelle Kokot
Kimberly Elizabeth Kurtz
Blair Elizabeth Losak
Laura Phillips Martens
Leigh A. Martino
Courtney Williamson Matthews
Molly Moore Mazich
Matthew Ryan Phelps McCarty
Anne Jessie McGinty
Jacqueline Cosby McNeill
Joshua Paul Miller
Julia Elaine Murhammer
Chelsea Lee Myers
Nicole Mary Neill
Matthew James O’Connell
Meghan Kathleen O’Hara
Samantha R. Parlier
Anthony Phan
Jennifer E. Pike
Meredith Logan Ramsey
Andrea Jane Rawley
Carl Jackson Rollins III
Rebecka Marie Schafer
Kaitlyn Ruth Schlueter
Emily Smoak
Joshua D. Staggs
Patrick Mitchel Therriault
Jennifer Linn Tier
Rebecca Shields Todd
Melana Tamara Tysowsky
Christine D. Ulses
Samantha Dee Van Gorder
Hanzhu Zhang

During the ceremony, awards were presented to the following students and faculty:

Helen Kaiser Scholarship Award Recipients

Hilary Ann Frimenko
Michael Alan Jeanfavre
Leigh A. Martino
Hanzhu Zhang

Student Recognition Award

Melana Tamara Tysowsky

Helen Kaiser Duke Physical Therapy Alumni Association Award

Kaitlyn Ruth Schlueter

Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy Diversity Award

Samantha Dee Van Gorder

The Jan K. Richardson Excellence in Teaching Award

Michael P. Reiman, PT, DPT, OCS

The ceremony concluded with the Class of 2016 Officer Address, presented by Steven Richard Higbie, Samantha R. Parlier, Rebecca Shields Todd, and Carl Jackson Rollins III. The Student Officers left their fellow classmates with the following advice, “Be Brief, Be Brilliant, and Be Gone.” We wish the Class of 2016 all the best in their future endeavors.

We are excited to announce that the Division of Adult Reconstruction at Duke has been selected as one of 25 institutions to participate in MUSC Health’s PEPPER (Pulmonary Embolism Prevention after Hip and Knee Replacement) trial, which is funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) award. The largest of its kind, the PEPPER trial’s goal is to combine information about effectiveness in preventing blood clots in the lungs and legs with the opinions of patients about the safety of the most commonly employed blood thinners. This work will provide background information to help both patients and their surgeons in deciding which blood thinner would be best to use after hip and knee replacement.

From MUSC Health:

Nearly one million total hip and knee replacements are performed each year in the United States. Because disturbing the bone marrow cavity turns on the blood clotting system in humans, these operations can be complicated by formation of blood clots in the veins of the leg (deep vein thrombosis). These clots sometimes detach from the leg veins and travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism, PE) where they interfere with the normal pumping of the blood from the heart. When a large clot gets stuck in the lung, it can result in death. The use of blood thinners around the time of operation reduces the risk of PE, but increases the risk of bleeding from the raw bony surfaces that are created when the joint replacement is done. The ideal balance between use of blood thinners to prevent PE and the risk of bleeding associated with their use is unknown.

In order to generate enough data to achieve the purpose of PEPPER, approximately 25,000 patients undergoing elective total hip or knee replacements will be enrolled at 25 centers over a period of 3.5 years. The study will encompass five years, with six months startup, six months follow-up per patient, and six months for final data analysis. The principal investigator is Vincent Pellegrini, M.D, John A. Siegling Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at the Medical University of South Carolina. Learn more about the PEPPER study.

We would like to congratulate William J. Richardson, MD, who was the chosen speaker at the 5th Annual Safety Forum at Shanghai Pudong Hospital – Fudan University on April 22, 2016. He was also selected as the chosen speaker at the 2nd International Orthopedics Week at Zhongshan Hospital – Fudan University on April 21, 2016.

2016 Duke AHEAD Grant Funding Available

Letter of Intent Due: June 8, 2016 (12:00 pm)

Full Proposal Due: August 10, 2016

We are very pleased to offer project funding for members of Duke AHEAD.  This funding is intended to provide critical start up support for projects aimed at improving health professions education through innovative approaches to instruction or assessment.   Continue reading →