Orthopaedic Surgery

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that early inappropriate activation of the enzyme plasmin caused by severe injury is a trigger of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and resulting organ failure. Read More

A new research center is aimed at improving patient outcomes and preventing disability after muscle and skeletal injuries and surgery. Read More

Patients undergoing lower back surgeries had shorter hospital stays and fewer complications after a team at the Vanderbilt Spine Institute identified best practices for perioperative care and implemented them under a standardized protocol. Read More

Malpractice awards and settlements are eight times greater when physicians misdiagnosis sarcoma than when they make other mistakes, according to a review of 32 years of court cases. Read More

Just before 3 p.m. on April 15, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Of the estimated 27,000 runners and 500,000 spectators present, three people were killed and 281 injured. Preparation, execution and teamwork — along with a large dose of luck — kept casualties to a minimum, according to Mitchel Harris, M.D., chief of the Orthopaedic Trauma Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Read More

Nearly half of orthopaedic surgeons sustain at least one injury during their career and, in many cases, the resources available to them are inadequate, according to a Vanderbilt study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Read More