Computer Assisted Surgery Center Research Earns Two National Awards

New York City—July 28, 2010

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine honored physician-scientists from the Computer Assisted Surgery Center at Hospital for Special Surgery with two awards at the July 2010 annual meeting.

Both awards were given to basic science studies involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee and led by Andrew D. Pearle, M.D., of the Sports Medicine Service, who is clinical director of the Computer Assisted Surgery Center.

“We are pleased that this national society recognized our basic science work with two prestigious awards,” Dr. Pearle said. “Basic science studies are critical to increase the understanding of fundamental processes in the joints and provide important knowledge that can be translated to care in the clinic.”

The Aircast Award for Basic Science recognized the meeting’s best basic science paper submitted by a sports medicine fellow. Special Surgery fellow Frank Petrigliano, M.D., presented the research, which looked at how the loss of meniscal tissue in the joint affected knee stability after ACL reconstruction.

Researchers discovered that injury to the meniscus after such surgery can lead to recurrent knee instability.

The Cabaud Memorial Award, also for a basic science study, recognized the manuscript that best demonstrated hypothesis-driven research that is relevant in the clinic. Special Surgery researchers were honored for a project that compared the effects of different types of ACL reconstruction on movement in knees without ACL and meniscal tissue.

They found that certain ACL surgical techniques can control abnormal rotational movement, even in knees that have little meniscal tissue remaining. Past fellow Volker Musahl, M.D., delivered the presentation at the meeting.

To learn more about the Computer Assisted Surgery Center, visit https://www.hss.edu/computer-assisted-surgery-center.asp.