Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/45928
IMAGES COURTESY OF UH RAINBOW BABIES & CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL PEDIATRIC ORTHOPAEDICS DEPARTMENT About 600 of the division's young patients were involved in preliminary studies of the ScoliScore AIS (Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis) Prognostic Test. An advanced molecular-based test, ScoliScore can help confi rm that a child's AIS is not related to an underlying inherited problem and can help direct treatment by predicting the likelihood of curve progression. UH Rainbow was a pilot site for the simple saliva test, which is available to Caucasian (North American, South American, European, Eastern European, Middle Eastern) children between 9 and 13 years of age who have been diagnosed with AIS and have a mild (< 25°) scoliotic curve. Recently, UH Rainbow's Pediatric Orthopaedic Department received an Ohio Third Frontier grant to study the use of the HemiBridge spine staple, a minimally invasive scoliosis treatment technology developed by an Ohio company. The department is also a major contributor to the Growing Spine Study Group, an international study group focused on early onset scoliosis. Among the most signifi cant recent research projects at UH Rainbow is a series of studies aimed at reducing blood loss during surgery. The pediatric orthopaedic team helped pioneer the use of the medication Amicar (epsilon aminocaproic acid) in spine surgery, which has reduced perioperative blood loss by one third since 1998. Next year, members of the team will present their fi ndings on the use of a bipolar sealing device to further reduce blood loss during surgery. Pain management is another focus of a large body of research, including studies on the use of intrathecal morphine injections and postoperative intravenous morphine infusion, which has been recently developed by UH Rainbow's pediatric orthopaedic physicians and scientists. Dr. Thompson estimates that he and his team publish as many as 20 research articles every year and deliver 30 to 40 lectures on their fi ndings. "We are an active research center with many ongoing studies," says Dr. Thompson. "This is especially signifi cant because reimbursement in the future is going to be based on evidence that what we are doing has proven value. We are always trying to improve the care we deliver." For more information, visit UHhospitals.org/ortho. To refer a patient, call 216-844-5673. n NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 MDNEWS.COM MD NEWS Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 31