The Queensland Paediatric Orthopaedic Research Group

We are leading and contributing to several “big-data” projects including a Paediatric ACL injury registry and an International Hip Dysplasia Registry. Furthermore, we are using state-of-the-art technology including 3D motion capture and 3D printing to find optimal surgical solutions for children with neuromuscular impairment (e.g. cerebral palsy) and children with complex deformities.

Current research highlights

ACL Injury Registry: 

Australia has the highest incidence of ACL injuries in the world, and sports injuries are now primary reasons for admission of youths to hospital. The International Olympic Committee’s recent consensus on prevention, diagnosis and management of paediatric ACL injuries implores that research is required to investigate the long-term outcomes following paediatric ACL injury, including osteoarthritis development and reconstruction failure. Our team is currently leading a comprehensive prospective ACL registry for paediatric patients treated in Queensland.

International Hip Dysplasia Registry:

The infant hip joint is made mostly of soft, pliable cartilage, rather than hard bone as in the adult. This means the hip joint(s) can more easily become unstable, and may be misaligned or dislocate (come out of joint) completely. When left untreated, hip dysplasia may lead to early hip joint arthritis and complete dislocations may lead to life-long disability. We are contributing to a large international study investigating the full spectrum of hip dysplasia over time during treatment, including the multi-centre assessment of various forms of treatment for otherwise healthy infants and children with hip dysplasia.

Patella instability:

Recurrent patellar dislocation is found most commonly in the paediatric population and while risk factors have been well-established in adults, there remains a lack of empirical evidence for children. We are currently using novel medical imaging methods and motion capture to determine the way the knee joint ‘works’ in children with and without patella instability and factors that might increase the risk of dislocation.

Cerebral palsy gait:

Children with cerebral palsy often present with tight/weak muscles, altered muscle control, sore joints and deformed bones. Our team is conducting several projects related to walking function in cerebral palsy using a fusion of medical imaging, muscle activation, and motion capture technology. Our aim is to identify interventions that optimise post-operative function.

Personalised computational simulations:

Out research team is currently collaborating with the Queensland Government, Industry Partners and the ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies to design virtual surgeries and 3D print orthopaedic tools and implants. We are investigating the use of this technology in planning deformity correction surgery.