Rebound Awarded $265,000 Research Grant to Study Outcomes of Knee Replacement
December 21, 2012 – Vancouver, WA – MAKO Surgical Corp. awards Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery a $265,000 three-year grant for two research studies. Todd Borus, MD and Donald Roberts, MD are the principal investigators of the studies, assisted by physical therapist, Michael Baer, Program Director, and Pam Fairchild, Research Director. The studies will be conducted at Rebound’s Salmon Creek office.
The first study, Clinical Outcomes of Joint Arthroplasty, will compare the outcomes of MAKOplasty, a robotic assisted partial knee resurfacing procedure, with traditional (non-robotic) total knee replacement surgery. The robotic assisted technique is an alternative to total knee replacement for eligible surgical candidates. This method is said to be more precise and less invasive than a total knee replacement, and is touted for improved patient outcomes, including a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery. The research grant provides funding for Rebound to assess and record actual patient outcomes. The study will take 10 years to complete.
The purpose of the second study, Clinical and Economic Comparison of Robotic versus Manual Knee Arthroplasty, is to document and compare the surgical and after surgery costs, recovery time, and outcomes of robotic assisted partial knee replacement and traditional total knee replacement. Participants are asked to be involved for one year and the study will take 3 years to complete.
Todd Borus, MD, a Rebound orthopedic surgeon, is one the principal investigators. Dr. Borus has sub-specialty interest in arthritis and joint replacement surgery. He was the first surgeon in the Northwest to perform robotic assisted partial knee replacements.
Donald Roberts, MD is the other principal investigator. Dr. Roberts is an orthopedic surgeon with expertise is disorders relating to the knee. Dr. Roberts previously conducted other research projects on knee replacement surgical outcomes and patella resurfacing. Dr. Roberts has been a partner at Rebound since 1986 and serves as head team physician for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Michael Baer, Program Director, is a physical therapist at Rebound. He has special interest in sports medicine and geriatric orthopedics, with expertise in rehabilitating joint replacement patients. Mike has seventeen years of physical therapy experience, the last three at Rebound. Mike will oversee the functional testing for the outcomes study and helps to manage Rebound’s research program.
Pam Fairchild, Rebound’s Research Director, heads up Rebound’s research department, overseeing day-to-day management of both studies. Pam works closely with Rebound staff, patients, and MAKO Surgical Corp. to administer the grant. She enrolls patients in the study, conducts testing, and reports on outcomes. Pam will also compile all data for the economic study. Pam comes to Rebound after spending several years a physical therapist assistant at Kaiser.