Hand, Shoulder and Elbow: Research

At Wake Forest Baptist Health, we believe knowledge makes all the difference. Our team is currently on the forefront of new discoveries in nerve repair, rotator cuff injury, upper extremity spasticity and vascular disorders of the upper extremity. Our patients receive the benefit of our constantly evolving knowledge and expertise. 

• L. Andrew Koman, MD, is involved in research to characterize the microcirculation of the digits of the hands and feet. He has designed an isolated cold stress testing protocol to monitor digital temperatures and microvascular perfusion before, during, and after a cold stress. These measurements are critical in understanding the changes that occur as a result of digital pathology associated with diabetes mellitus, Raynaud's phenomena, lupus, vascular insufficiency, and complex regional pain syndrome. 
• Zhongyu Li, MD, PhD, received a $2.2 million four year grant from the Department of Defense to evaluate the use of a bioengineered keratin hydrogel to serve as a filler for nerve conduits used in peripheral nerve repair.
• Christopher J. Tuohy, MD, and his team are developing a bioreactor that can be used to develop naturally derived scaffolds with the potential for clinical use in rotator cuff repair.
• Ethan R. Wiesler, MD, is involved in NIH research trials studying distal radius fractures in the elderly. His research also includes the protection of tendon and muscle repairs with botulinum toxins (bioprotection).
• Our department is participating as a CORE center for the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC), a multicenter consortium established with support from the Department of Defense to develop a network of clinical study sites to perform clinical outcome studies to provide treatment guidelines for managing high energy orthopaedic trauma in wounded warriors and civilians.