Orthopaedic Research Faculty and Staff

Riyaz Jinnah, MD, FRCS serves as the Medical Director of Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.  Under the direction of Dr. Jinnah, orthopaedic research is coordinated by Beth Paterson Smith, PhD, and is facilitated by members of the research staff, research faculty, and Research Advisory Panel.  Research within the department is divided into three main areas: 1) clinical retrospective/prospective studies, 2) biomedical engineering/tissue engineering studies, and 3) basic science studies.  Dr. Jinnah chairs the weekly departmental research meetings which are attended by the research faculty and staff, physician scientists, research fellows, and residents on research rotations.

Dr. Jinnah is involved in a variety of clinical and basic science studies.  He has a longstanding interest in tribology and the biomechanics associated with total joint replacement.  Dr. Jinnah also participates in outcome research involving all the patients who undergo total joint surgery by the total joint team.  There are over 2000 patients currently being followed.  Information from patient questionnaires and functional assessments are collected to document patient outcomes.  Information about any post operative complications and patient nutritional status also are collected as part of the database.  Dr. Jinnah also is involved in evaluating the use of computer navigation in joint replacement surgery.  He is particularly interested in unicompartmental knee replacement surgeries.

Beth Paterson Smith, PhD, the Director of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, supervises and directs the day-to-day operations of the laboratory by assisting faculty members and residents in planning and completing grant applications; developing experimental protocols and research models to address research questions; organizing data collection strategies; seeking collaborations with faculty in other departments to facilitate specific research goals, providing appropriate assistance with statistical analysis; and assisting with the preparation of manuscripts.  Personnel (residents, medical students, and graduate students) involved in various research areas work under the direction of the various orthopaedic faculty members with Dr. Smith serving as a facilitator to expedite the completion of the various research initiatives.  Dr. Smith has 20 years of experience in designing and implementing clinical trials to study orthopaedic pathologies and possible interventions.  Dr. Smith is an adjunct professor in the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the Translational Science Institute, and the Center for Nanotechnology.

Thomas L. Smith, PhD:  Dr. Smith serves as a basic science mentor to the residents in translational studies in Orthopaedic Surgery.  He provides advice on experimental design, project execution, interpretation of results, as well as selection of appropriate experimental models to address scientific hypotheses.  In addition, he serves as a liaison with other scientists and departments within the university to facilitate and fulfill the residents' and fellows' research goals.  Dr. Smith also offers instruction in microsurgical techniques and experimental animal surgery.  He has extensive experience in survival surgery techniques in rodents, rabbits, and dogs as well as expertise in nerve/muscle physiology and control of the circulation of the hands and feet.

Eben A. Carroll, MD:  Dr. Carroll’s research interests include evaluating new trauma-related orthopaedic implants and procedures for managing extremity pelvic trauma.  He has also worked with biomedical engineers at the medical school to develop three dimensional pelvis models to enhance resident education.  The models are “printed” using three dimensional reconstruction of CT images. The use of these prints provides residents with the opportunity to manually manipulate fracture fragments and determine the equipment and hardware needed to ensure optimal fixation of each fracture, decisions not readily made from radiographs. Dr. Carroll is a co-investigator for the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC).  This consortium, supported by the Department of Defense, has established a network of clinical sites to perform clinical outcome studies to develop treatment guidelines for managing high energy extremity trauma sustained by wounded warriors and civilians.  Participation in this consortium involves departmental participation in well-designed, multicenter clinical trials.

Cristin M. Ferguson, MD:  Dr. Ferguson is a clinician scientist who divides her time between research and clinical responsibilities.  Dr. Ferguson received a K08 award from the National Institutes of Health in order to support her research efforts involved in developing a meniscus scaffold that emulates meniscus biology and function.  The scaffold under development has the potential to offer alternative and expanded treatments for knee pain related to meniscus pathology.  The decellularization process used to prepare the scaffold maintains the native three dimensional collagen architecture of the native meniscus while expanding its porosity.  Dr. Ferguson has received funding from the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the National Football League.  Currently, she is completing a study using a sheep model to study the outcomes following implantation of her meniscus scaffold.  Dr. Ferguson also serves as a basic science mentor to graduate students, physician scientists, and residents.

Bettina M. Gyr, MD: Dr. Gyr’s research interests include motion analysis in children with cerebral palsy or other pathologies that result in abnormal gait.  She is also the principal investigator of a study funded by the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at the Brenner Children’s Hospital at Wake Forest Baptist Health.  This ongoing clinical study is designed to establish the prevalence of protein and vitamin D deficiency in the pediatric trauma population treated in the Brenner Children’s Emergency Department for long bone fractures.  The Pediatric Trauma Center is the only Level I pediatric trauma center in North Carolina.  Future studies will determine if protein and vitamin D deficiency impacts fracture healing in pediatric patients.

L. Andrew Koman, MD:  Dr. Koman is a pioneer in the use of intramuscular injections of botulinum A toxin to manage spasticity in children with cerebral palsy.  He designed and participated in several clinical trials that evaluated the safety and efficacy of intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin to reduce upper and lower extremity spasticity and improve function in children with cerebral palsy.  Dr. Koman also has been involved in basic science studies using rat and mouse models evaluating the appropriate dosage of botulinum toxin and the duration of the post-injection period of chemodenervation produced by the toxin.  As a result of his training in hand and microsurgery, Dr. Koman 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 that combines digital temperature measurements and microvascular perfusion measurements obtained by laser Doppler fluxmetry 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.  Dr. Koman also is involved in developing data management systems to document patient outcomes and support evidence-based on medicine.  Finally, Dr. Koman is involved in developing new orthopaedic technology based on nanotechnology and tissue engineering principles.

Jason E. Lang, MD:  Dr. Lang is involved in several clinical research projects involving patients who have undergone total joint arthroplasty.  His interests include motion analysis of total joint replacement patients to evaluate changes in gait and proprioception before and after surgery.  He is also studying motion analysis related to differences in various surgical approaches and prosthetic designs.  His research also includes studies to evaluate the effect of preoperative nutritional status on the outcomes of total joint surgery.  Dr. Lang also has an interest in the use of guided imagery to reduce pre-operative anxiety and depression in patients who are scheduled for total joint arthroplasty.  For these studies, Dr. Lang is collaborating with the Center for Integrative Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Zhongyu (John) Li, MD, PhD:  Dr. Li is a clinician scientist with a long standing interest in peripheral nerve injury and repair.  He is the principal investigator of a clinical trial sponsored by the Department of Defense designed to evaluate the use of a keratin biomaterial hydrogel as a filler for conduits used for peripheral nerve repair.  Dr. Li also has developed a rat model to study the changes in muscle and bone in the shoulder in order to develop an understanding of the natural history of anatomical changes related to brachial plexus birth palsy.  In addition, Dr. Li is interested in distal radius fractures and is involved in two clinical trials:  1) to compare intramedullary fixation and plate fixation in patients who sustain distal radius fractures without intra-articular involvement and 2) as a co-investigator in a NIH sponsored multicenter clinical trial to evaluate various types of fixation to manage distal radius fractures in elderly patients.  Dr. Li has received several grants from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation to support his basic science research studies of the response of peripheral nerves to injury, i.e. Schwann cell activation, macrophage recruitment, and effects of growth factors at the site of injury.  In 2010, Dr. Li was awarded the J. Leonard Goldner Pioneer Research Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH).  This award is given to the most meritorious ASSH research grant application. 

David F. Martin, MD: Dr. Martin is a co-investigator of a study sponsored by the Department of Defense to evaluate strategies to reduce the incidence of knee injuries in the military. Knee injuries are common in the military and can occur during military training, active combat situations, and on base. This study is a collaborative effort between the Department of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest School of Medicine, the Department of Health and Sports Science at Wake Forest University, and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Tadhg J. O'Gara, MD:  Dr. O’Gara established the REDCap database to follow patients treated non-operatively for back-related orthopaedic conditions.   This system uses an iPad to collect data in the clinics and a patient survey option that is emailed to patients to collect answers from outcome questionnaires online.  The patient survey option also allows patients to be followed long-term even if they are doing well and do not need to return to the clinic for treatment.  Dr. O’Gara also is involved in the development of a comprehensive Spine Center staffed by neurosurgeons, orthopaedic spine surgeons, and therapists.  The Spine Center will facilitate patient access to care and will maximize patient outcomes.  In addition, Dr. O’Gara is developing a nanotechnology-based posture monitoring system designed to reduce lower back pain through improvements in posture.

Aaron T. Scott, MD:  Dr. Scott is interested in cadaveric studies that improve the understanding of techniques used to mange foot and ankle fractures.  He collaborates with biomedical engineers to test various constructs used for fracture management.  Dr. Scott also participates in the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC).   This consortium, supported by the Department of Defense, has established a network of clinical sites to perform clinical outcome studies designed to provide treatment guidelines for managing high energy extremity trauma in wounded warriors and civilians.  Participation in this consortium involves participation in a number of well-designed, multicenter clinical trials and provides the statistical power to answer relevant clinical questions by enrolling patients at multiple clinical sites.

Allston J. Stubbs, MD: Dr. Stubbs’ research focuses on gaining an understanding of the painful hip joint in younger adults and the role of hip arthroscopy in hip preservation.  He has developed a database that includes outcomes data from patients that have undergone hip arthroscopy to treat intra-articular hip pathology.  His studies have demonstrated that patients with acetabular labral tears experience changes in balance control when compared to healthy controls.  Currently, Dr. Stubbs is involved in preliminary studies to determine whether or not biomarker levels are elevated in blood samples from young patients with hip pain who undergo hip preservation surgery.

Ishaq Y. Syed, MD: Dr. Syed has a background in biomedical engineering and is interested in biomedical applications that can be used to study spine pathology/injury.  One of his current research interests is documenting outcomes in patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using either allograft or autograft.  Dr. Syed also is involved in the development of a Spine Center that will include neurosurgeons, orthopaedic spine surgeons, and therapists.  The creation of this Spine Center will focus on documenting outcomes for patients with non-operative and operative spine pathology.The Spine Center will facilitate patient access to care and will maximize patient outcomes.

Robert D. Teasdall, MD:  Dr. Teasdall is a co-investigator for the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC).  This multi-center consortium, supported by the Department of Defense, has established a network of clinical sites to perform clinical outcome studies to develop treatment guidelines for managing high energy extremity trauma sustained by wounded warriors and civilians.  Participation in this consortium involves departmental participation in well-designed, multicenter clinical trials.  By working with a consortium of study sites, clinical studies can be designed to provide the statistical power to answer relevant clinical questions.  Dr. Teasdall serves on the committee responsible for developing several of the multicenter study protocols.

Christopher J. Tuohy, MD:  Dr. Tuohy’s research is focused on rotator cuff injury and repair.  He and his research team have developed a rat model that can be used to obtain measurements of physiological function (EMG and muscle strength), histology, and biomechanics of the rotator cuff before and after rotator cuff injury and repair.   For example, this model has been used to study old and young rats in order to determine the effect of age on cuff anatomy and histology.  Rotator cuff repair methods also have been studied in old and young rats.  Dr. Tuohy and his team also are developing a bioreactor that can be used to develop naturally derived scaffolds with the potential for clinical use in rotator cuff repair.