Integration of a National Multi-Institutional Retrieval Program into Orthopedic Registries in the US

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

4:00 PM-5:30 PM

BIOMED Seminar

Title:
Integration of a National Multi-Institutional Retrieval Program into Established Orthopedic Registries in the US

Speaker:
Steven M. Kurtz, PhD
Associate Research Professor
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Director, Implant Research Center
Drexel University
Corporate Vice President, Principal & Practice Director, Biomedical Engineering
Exponent

Details:
Over 16 years ago, a multi-institutional retrieval program based at Drexel University was established to examine the etiology of failure for hip and knee joint prostheses by performing integrated analyses of the clinical, patient, and implant factors contributing to the need for revision surgery. In 2014, we partnered with Kaiser Permanente and expanded this program to include retrievals from the Kaiser Permanente Total Joint Replacement Registry (KPTJRR). The overarching retrieval program comprises 14 clinical revision centers and two regional, university-based retrieval analysis centers in 3 biomedical engineering departments. This retrieval collection includes a consecutive series of revisions at each center, thus representing an unbiased sampling of both short and long term revisions. The KPTJRR is part of a large integrated healthcare system that covers over ten million members in nine geographic regions and more than 50 medical centers. This pilot collaboration only includes devices from Kaiser Permanente’s Orange County medical center.

Studies analyzing clinical explants have significantly advanced the understanding of total joint replacement behavior in situ. The comprehensive medical records available in the KPTJRR is a notable strength of this collaboration, as traditional retrievals studies are largely retrospective in nature and rarely include complete clinical details, particularly regarding the index procedure. This unique research collaboration between revision surgeons, biomedical engineers, and epidemiologists has the potential to further understand the complex conditions contributing to hip and knee revision surgery in the United States.

Biosketch:
Steven Kurtz, PhD, serves as a part-time Research Professor and Director of the Implant Research Center at Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems. He is also a Corporate Vice President and the Director of Exponent’s Biomedical Engineering practice. Dr. Kurtz has expertise in the clinical performance of polyethylene, ceramic, and metal-on-metal hip implants. His professional career has involved the evaluation of medical device technologies from a combined analytical, experimental, and clinical perspective.

Dr. Kurtz’s research activities have emphasized real-world clinical performance of medical devices, including orthopedic, spine, and cardiovascular implants, as assessed by human implant retrieval specimens and national health care databases; mechanical behavior of synthetic biomaterials; contact mechanics of artificial joints; and structural evaluation of bone-implant systems.

Contact Information

Ken Barbee
215-895-1335
barbee@drexel.edu