• Clinical Research Course

Global Research Initiative: Projects and Publications

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Led by Saam Morshed, MD, MPH, PhD and David Shearer, MD, MPH, the GRI is among the leading centers in the country actively conducting prospective research in the field of orthopaedic surgery in low-resource settings. Our principal partners include academic centers in Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Ghana, and Latin America. 

The goal of IGOT’s Global Research Initiative is to enable orthopaedic surgeons from low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) to conduct high-quality studies on how to reduce the burden of musculoskeletal disease in resource-poor environments. To achieve this goal, IGOT hosts the annual “International Research Symposium,” provides guidance on study design and data management for partner institutions, and supports the year-long Morgan and Madison McClellan International Research Fellowship for one 3rd/4th year medical student. 

Since 2006, IGOT has worked with 65 global leaders across 10 countries on 45 research projects and facilitated the travel of 50 IGOT ambassadors and scholars to and from our partner institutions.

Current Research Projects

  • Sub-Saharan Africa

    Principal Investigators: David Shearer, David Gendelberg, Ashraf El-Naga

  • GO-Tibia: Randomized Controlled Trial of Local Gentamicin vs. Saline in Open Tibia Fractures

    Location: Tanzania

    Principal Investigators: David Shearer, Saam Morshed

  • C-Reactive Protein (CRP) for Fracture-Related Infection (FRI) Diagnosis in Open Tibia Fractures

    Location: Tanzania 

    Principal Investigators: David Shearer, Saam Morshed

  • SIGN: Antibiotic Use in Open Fractures

    Location: Global 

    Principal Investigators: David Shearer, Saam Morshed

  • SIGN: Delays to Surgery in Closed Fractures

    Location: Global 

    Principal Investigators: David Shearer, Saam Morshed

Recent Publications:

GOT Global Research Initiative team has been active in publishing several intriguing articles, check out few of the recent publications!

  • Albright PD, MacKechnie MC, Roberts HJ, Shearer DW, Padilla Rojas LG, Segovia J, Quintero JE, Amadei R, Baldy dos Reis F, Miclau T III. Open Tibial Shaft Fractures: Treatment Patterns in Latin America. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020. doi:10.2106/JBJS.20.00292

  • Von Kaeppler E, Donnelley C, Roberts HJ, O’Hara NN, Won N, Shearer DW, Morshed S. Impact of North American Institutions on Orthopedic Research in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Orthop Clin N Am. 2020; 51:177–188.

  • Haonga BT, Liu M, Albright P, Challa ST, Ali SH, Lazar AA, Eliezer EN, Shearer DW, Morshed S. Intramedullary Nailing Versus External Fixation in the Treatment of Open Tibial Fractures in Tanzania: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020 Feb 5.

  • Ali SH, Albright P, Morshed S, Gosselin RA, Shearer DW. Orthopaedic Trauma in Low-resource Settings: Measuring Value. J Orthop Trauma. 2019 Nov;33 Suppl 7:S11-S15.

  • Chokotho L, Lau BC, Conway D, Wu HH, Shearer D, Hallan G, Gjertsen JE, Mkandawire N, Young S. Validation of Chichewa Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) questionnaire: A cross-sectional study. Malawi Med J. 2019 Mar;31(1):65-70.

  • Conway D, Albright P, Eliezer E, Haonga B, Morshed S, Shearer DW. The burden of femoral shaft fractures in Tanzania. Injury. 2019 Jul;50(7):1371-1375.

  • Curran PF, Albright P, Ibrahim JM, Ali SH, Shearer DW, Sabatini CS. Practice Patterns for Management of Pediatric Femur Fractures in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. J Pediatr Orthop. 2019 Aug 14.

  • Holler JT, Albright P, Challa S, Ali SH, Martins D, Keys K, Shearer DW, Terry MJ. Barriers to Performing Soft Tissue Reconstruction Procedures among Orthopedic Surgeons in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Results of a Surgical Skills Training Course. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2019 Oct 29;7(10):e2420.

  • Haonga BT, Areu MMM, Challa ST, Liu MB, Elieza E, Morshed S, Shearer D. Early treatment of open diaphyseal tibia fracture with intramedullary nail versus external fixator in Tanzania: Cost effectiveness analysis using preliminary data from Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute. SICOT J. 2019;5:20.

  • Ibrahim JM, Liu M, Wu HH, Patel KR, Caldwell AM, Coughlin RR, Morshed S, Shearer DW. The extent of pediatric orthopaedic research in low- and middle-income countries and the impact of academic collaboration on research quality: a scoping review. Pediatr Surg Int. 2019 Mar;35(3):397-411.

  • Ley P, Gosselin RA, Villar R. The Masquelet induced-membrane technique: an option for a tertiary-referral conflict setting. J Surg Case Rep. 2019 Jun 28;2019(6):rjz149. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjz149. eCollection 2019 Jun. Erratum in: J Surg Case Rep. 2019 Jul 11;2019(7).

  • Liu MB, Ali SH. Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) Fin Nail versus SIGN Standard Intramedullary Nail for Distal Diaphyseal Femur Fractures Treated via Retrograde Approach. Injury. 2019 Sept.

  • Wu HH, Liu M, Challa ST, Morshed S, Eliezer EN, Haonga BT, Zirkle L, Shearer DW. Development of Squat-and-Smile Test as Proxy for Femoral Shaft Fracture- Healing in Patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2019 Feb;101(4):3.

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