New HSS Center's Scientists Lead FDA's International Consortium of Orthopedic Research Registries

New York City—December 1, 2010

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) announced today the creation of the Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research to translate information collected from an extensive patient population into studies that will guide experts in preventing, diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders.

“Through this new Center, Hospital for Special Surgery will report on the effectiveness of orthopaedic and rheumatology treatments, so physicians, government agencies, medical device and drug companies, health insurance companies and, most importantly, patients have the facts they need to make the best informed health care decisions,” said President and CEO Louis A. Shapiro.

One of the initial activities of the Center’s researchers will be to lead the development of an International Consortium of Orthopedic Registries, as a result of a contract awarded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Through HSS leadership, the international consortium will work toward creating a registry network to provide a worldwide view of orthopedic patient outcomes and to compare differences among treatment options.

Hospital for Special Surgery, along with Kaiser Permanente, is working with the FDA to plan the first meeting of the consortium for the spring of 2011. Scientists from more than a dozen U.S. and international registries will be among the 40 attendees.

“This is the first international network of orthopedic device registries that will help us better understand the safety and effectiveness of orthopedic devices in a real-world setting,” said project co-leader Danica Marinac-Dabic, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s Division of Epidemiology. Art Sedrakyan, M.D., Ph.D., project co-leader and director of the Comparative Effectiveness Program at HSS and Weill Cornell Medical College, added that the consortium will serve as a model for other medical device registries.

Hospital for Special Surgery currently maintains more than 30 research registries for conditions ranging from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries to lupus to rheumatoid arthritis. The HSS total joint replacement registry, for example, contains data from more than 20,000 patients.

“HSS surgeons perform more knee replacements and hip surgeries than any other hospital in the world,” said Surgeon-in-Chief Thomas P. Sculco, M.D. “Through these registries, clinicians and researchers collect more than demographic and clinical information. They also gather patient reports about outcomes after surgery, such as satisfaction with treatment, quality of life and return to activities.”

The mission of the Center is to incorporate rigorous research investigation into the delivery of orthopedic and rheumatology patient care and the outcomes of that care. This research will result in the publication of peer-reviewed health reports discussing the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of bone, joint, muscle and autoimmune disorders.

“The Center will provide the resources and environment within which basic, clinical, translational and health researchers can collaborate in identifying treatments, clinical pathways and quality measures that can lead to significant improvements in musculoskeletal health,” said Chief Scientific Officer Steven R. Goldring, M.D.

Experts in biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy, comparative effectiveness and quality research from Special Surgery’s Research Division will play significant roles in the Center. These researchers have previously been awarded a Challenge Grant from the National Institutes of Health as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and funding through the Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT) program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

HSS scientists will also continue to expand their partnerships with researchers at other government, commercial and academic institutions, such as the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College.

For more information about the Center, visit https://www.hss.edu/healthcare-research-institute.asp.