AOSSM to present awards and grants to encourage cutting-edge research in orthopaedic sports medicine

In order to recognize and encourage cutting-edge research in key areas of orthopaedic sports medicine, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) will present ten research awards and seven grants during its Annual Meeting, July 9-12 in Orlando, FL. As a leader in orthopaedic sports medicine, AOSSM annually provides more than $350,000 to research initiatives and projects around the country. Highlights of this year's award recipients include:

2015 AOSSM Young Investigators Grant

The Young Investigator Grant (YIG) is specifically designed to support young researchers who have not received prior funding, and is supported by individual giving to the Society. This year AOSSM selected Thomas Kremen, MD, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for his research, "Novel In Vivo Nuclear Imaging of Stem Cells in Tendon Regeneration," which examines stem cell use in regenerating injured tendons.

2015 AOSSM Sandy Kirkley Clinical Outcomes Research Grant

To honor the memory and spirit of Dr. Kirkley, AOSSM established a grant of $20,000 that provides start-up, "seed," or supplemental funding for an outcome research project or pilot study. This year's recipient is Clare L. Ardern, PhD (La Trobe University), for "Development and Trial of a Web-Based Toolkit to Facilitate The Return to Sport Transition After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction," a project aimed at using technology to help athletes during recovery from knee surgery.

2015 AOSSM/Sanofi Biosurgery Osteoarthritis Grant

The fourth-annual Sanofi Biosurgery Osteoarthritis Grant was awarded to Blaine A. Christiansen, PhD (Regents of the University of California), for his research titled "Inhibition of Cathepsin K for Preventing OA Following Non-Invasive ACL Rupture in Mice." The research aims to identify potential treatment measures to reduce or eliminate the effects of osteoarthritis. This one-year award of $50,000 supports a lab/basic science project and is chosen by the AOSSM Research Committee.

AOSSM/RTI Biologics Three-Year Research Initiative Grant

AOSSM's Research Initiative Grant supports extended research projects with five installments of $50,000 over a three-year period (2013-2015). The latest grant was presented to Alexander Scott, PhD to support his ongoing research titled "Intratendinous Injections of Platelet?poor Plasma, or Platelet-rich Plasma with or without Leukocyte Enrichment for Patellar Tendinopathy: A Multi?centre, Double?blind, Randomized Controlled Trial," which explores the use of PRP therapy in treating sports injuries.

Fellow Research Award - Clinical Science

The Fellow Research Award, formerly the Aircast Award, is determined by the AOSSM Fellowship Committee. The award is given to the best papers in clinical science and basic science submitted by a sports medicine fellow. Each recipient receives $1,500 and an award plaque. This year's winning paper is: "Improved Return to Play in Intercollegiate Contact Athletes following Arthroscopic Stabilization for Anterior Shoulder Instability: A Prospective Multicenter Study," from authors Jonathan F. Dickens MD, John Paul H. Rue MD, Kenneth L. Cameron PhD, MPH, ATC, Kelly G. Kilcoyne MD, C. Dain Allred MD, Steven J. Svoboda MD, Robert T. Sullivan MD, John M. Tokish MD, Karen Y. Peck MEd, ATC, and Brett D. Owens MD.

Cabaud Memorial Award

Given to the best paper researching hard or soft tissue biology, this award is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with winners receiving $2,000. This year's winning paper is: "Transcriptomic Signatures of Meniscal Tears and Articular Cartilage from Knees Undergoing Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy Show Evidence for Early Osteoarthritis." Contributing authors to this research include Robert H. Brophy MD, Linda Sandell MD, Rick W. Wright MD, and Muhammad Farooq Rai PhD.

Excellence in Research Award

This award is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with principal investigators receiving $2,000. This year's winning paper was from Daniel C. Herman MD, PhD, CAQSM, and Jeffrey C. Barth PhD, titled "Neuromuscular Performance Varies with Baseline Neurocognition: Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk and Prevention."

O'Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award

The 2015 recipients include Timothy E. Hewett PhD, FACSM, Kevin R. Ford PhD, Yingying Xu, Jane Khoury PhD, and Gregory D. Myer PhD, CSCS, for their research titled, "Utilization of ACL Injury Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Risk Profile Analysis to Determine the Effectiveness of Neuromuscular Training: A Prospective Cohort Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial." This award is given annually to the best overall paper that deals with clinical based research or human in-vivo research. The awardee is selected by the AOSSM Awards Subcommittee with recipients receiving $2,000.

Hughston Award

This year's recipients of the Hughston Award are Björn Barenius MD, PhD, Sari Ponzer MD, PhD, Adel Shalabi MD, PhD, Robert Bujak MD, PhD, Louise Norlén MD, Karl Eriksson MD, for their paper, "Increased Risk of Osteoarthritis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction - A 14-Year Follow-up Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial." The award, chosen by a panel of AJSM editors and reviewers, is given to the most outstanding paper published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine and receives $5,000.

AJSM Systematic Review Award

Jeffrey M. DeLong BS, Kevin Jiang MD, and James P. Bradley MD, received this year's award for their paper, "Posterior Instability of the Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical Outcomes." The Systematic Review award is given to the best systematic review paper submitted to the American Journal of Sports Medicine during a calendar year, as determined by a panel of AJSM editors and reviewers. The award winning authors receive $5,000.

T. David Sisk Award for Best Original Research Paper

The winners were selected from the best papers in original research submitted to Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. The award includes a $2,500 cash prize and a plaque. Two papers received the award this year, including "Is There Chronic Brain Damage in Retired NFL Players? Neuroradiology, Neuropsychology, and Neurology Examinations of 45 Retired Players," from authors Ira R. Casson MD, David C. Viano, Dr Med, PhD, E. Mark Haacke PhD, Zhifeng Kou PhD, and Danielle G. LeStrange RN, MSN, ACNS-BC. The second paper awarded is "Prevalence of Abnormal Vitamin D Levels Among Division I NCAA Athletes," authored by Diego Villacis MD, Anthony Yi BS, Ryan Jahn BS, Curtis J. Kephart MD, Timothy Charlton MD, Seth C. Gamradt MD, Russ Romano MA, ATC, James E. Tibone MD, and George F. Rick Hatch III, MD.

T. David Sisk Award for Best Review Paper

This year's recipient is the paper "Evaluation and Management of Wolff-Parkinson-White in Athletes," from Ashwin L. Rao MD, Jack C. Salerno MD, Irfan M. Asif MD, and Jonathan A. Drezner MD. The winners were selected from the best review papers submitted to Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. The award will include a $2,500 cash prize and a plaque.

T. David Sisk Award for Best International Paper

The winners were selected from the best international papers submitted to Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. The award will include a $2,500 cash prize and plaque. This year's winner of the best international research paper is "Effect of Active Versus Passive Recovery on Performance During Intrameet Swimming Competition," from authors Jaime Hinzpeter MD, Álvaro Zamorano MD, Diego Cuzmar MD, Miguel Lopez MD, and Jair Burboa.

Source: American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine