Medical Directors: Christopher Kaeding, MD; Interim Chair, Department of Orthopaedics, Medical Director, OSU Sports Medicine Center and Thomas Best, MD, PhD, FACSM, Pomerene Professor in Family Medicine, Medical Director, OSU Sports Medicine Center, Director, Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship.
OSU Sports Medicine Center has an orthopaedic basic research laboratory dedicated to the physiological and biomechanical aspects of skeletal muscle injury, repair, and management. Currently, research in this laboratory is focusing on gaining further insight into the mechanisms of proinflammatory cell signaling during exercise and its subsequent affects of tissue damage and repair. Concurrent research projects involve the cellular mechanisms of functional biomechanical adaptations following long term exercise regimens. The laboratory is used by sports medicine and orthopaedic faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and technicians.
Additionally, OSU Sports Medicine Center is currently involved with research with the College of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiac and Pulmonary Divisions and the School of Allied Medical Professions. Sports Medicine faculty is additionally involved in numerous multi-center studies, grants, national and international presentations and ongoing publications. In fact, Dr. Best was named Associate Editor-in-Chief of the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise. This journal is highly regarded internationally as the scientific vehicle for dissemination of sports medicine and exercise physiology research and information.
For more information on research opportunities please contact our Principal Investigators by calling 293-3600.
Research News
There are many exciting projects that the OSU Sports Medicine faculty and staff are working on. What follows is a sampling of research initiatives as well as an explanation describing these various projects.
Postgraduate Research Day
This annual event features poster displays, as well as presentations of current topics by world renowned researchers and experts in the field of biomedical sciences. Participants include graduate, medical and MD/PhD students of OSU College of Medicine, as well as postdoctoral fellows / researchers, and clinical residents / fellows. Presentations are judged and awards are presented for outstanding works. A poster entitled "Stretch-Activated Calcium Channels Are Essential For Functional Adaptations Following Repeated Loading In Skeletal Muscle" by Butterfield and Best of OSU Sports Medicine was one of four post-doctoral award winners.
Article Wins 2006 Clint Thompson Award for Clinical Advancement
An article written by Butterfield et al entitled "The Dual Roles of Neutrophils and Macrophages in Inflammation: A Critical Balance Between Tissue Damage and Repair" was selected as the first runner-up for the 2006 Clint Thompson Award for Clinical Advancement by The Journal of Athletic Training. This achievement was recognized at the National Athletic Trainers Association annual meeting in Anaheim, California during the Distinguished Scholar’s presentations.
MOON
MOON stands for “Multi-center Orthopaedic Outcomes Network”, and it consists of seven top orthopaedic institutions [including OSU] within the United States. Drs. Kaeding, Jones, Flanigan, and Bishop are all Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeons here at OSU that are participating in the MOON group. This group’s goal is to conduct the largest prospective cohort study of its kind related to outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The overall study’s goals are to identify risk factors at the time of injury/surgery and estimate the magnitude of the effect of these factors on important quality of life and clinical outcomes (e.g., OA and additional surgery).
Core Stabilization in Professional Pitchers
Chris McKenzie, PT, and Tom Best, MD, PhD, are conducting a two-pronged research study involving professional baseball pitchers. A second-year medical student, mentored by Dr. Best, is also involved with the project. The first arm of the study is focusing on predicting potential risk factors related to core stabilization to injury during the season. The second arm of the study is aiming to validate a measurement device that can accurately evaluate the change in pelvic stabilization. This last arm is going to be expanded to include non-professional baseball players as well.
Insulin Resistance in Collegiate Football Players
Jim Borchers, MD, and Kelley Clem, MD, (Fellow) are conducting a research study focusing on the evaluation of insulin resistance in OSU football players. These athletes will be evaluated for potential predictors of insulin resistance.
Modeling of Muscle Strains and Prediction of Injury Risk Factors
Tom Best, MD, PhD, and Tim Butterfield, PhD, are conducting a study in an animal model regarding muscle injury. Dr. Best has done many studies involving muscular injury and is renowned in his field.
Evidence-based Sports Medicine
Tom Best, MD, PhD, has co-authored an authoritative book called Evidence-based Sports Medicine on using evidence-based medicine to achieve optimum results in care of sports medicine patients.
National Database of Heart Conditions in Athletes
Reliable data on heart disease in athletes is hard to find. Christine Lawless, MD, is working on development of a national database on heart conditions in athletes. Dr. Lawless is the first U.S. physician to earn board certification in both cardiology and sports medicine. Her research team have embarked on taking electrocardiograms and echocardiograms of each OSU athlete, one team at a time. Similar data gathered to date are often too old, may cover only a Caucasian population or were compiled in Europe, where genetic differences and environmental issues make them unreliable in reference to United States athletes. Dr. Lawless also hopes to gather data in younger athletic populations because genetic causes of heart disease typically surface in teen years.
