Orthopedic institute gets tough love

By Daniel Connolly | The Commercial Appeal | Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A group of scientists from around the nation gave tough, yet constructive criticism Tuesday to leaders of the InMotion Musculoskeletal Institute, a new organization dedicated to improving orthopedic research.

At an advisory committee meeting at the Madison Hotel Downtown, leading scientists from as far away as Chicago and Los Angeles said Memphis area researchers in the orthopedics field often don't work together. They said the research model often practiced in Memphis is outdated, and they said the institute would have to work hard to recruit and retain the best talent.

"They're very blunt people," said Dick Tarr, president and executive director of the nonprofit organization that incorporated earlier this year.

But he said the comments can help the organization build up Memphis as a leading center of orthopedic research.

"The thing that surprises me a little bit is how much they support what we're doing," he said.

InMotion plans to hire its own scientists and build collaboration among local clinics, hospitals, medical device firms and universities to study orthopedic ailments such as arthritis and place new treatments on the market. Some local leaders believe that additional research would create high-paying jobs and boost the area's economy.

But the visiting scientists said much remains to be done.

Dr. Joshua Jacobs, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said Memphis needs a "sea change" in its research culture.

Today, the area has good resources, including a strong medical device industry, and good universities, he said, but it appears that much of the city's research is conducted with minimal collaboration among organizations.

Other scientists picked up on the theme during a discussion round, saying the institute must ensure that the organizations and individuals involved have a financial incentive to cooperate.

Tarr said that's precisely what the organization is trying to do.

"The only way we're all going to be successful is that we all have to work together," he said.

One scientist said Memphis must move toward a different form of clinical research.

Dr. Richard Gelberman, chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, said universities, including his own, often do retrospective studies -- for instance, doing surgeries on patients and then comparing outcomes. Area researchers would be more competitive if they planned more experiments from the beginning, he said.

Tarr said he agreed that more controlled, randomized experiments are needed.

Some members of the panel also said the institute, which is trying to recruit three high-level research scientists, will face a challenge in paying them the salaries and providing the opportunities for advancement they need.

Tarr said a $3.1 million grant from the Plough Foundation should cover the salaries of the scientists for the first three years. The institute plans to hire scientists who already have federal research grants, which would help the organization's financial stability, he said.

-- Daniel Connolly: 529-5296