Orthopaedic and Spine Research

From left to right: Orthopaedic surgeons C. Lowry Barnes, M.D. and Ben Stronach, M.D. with Post-Doctoral fellow, John Sherrill, Ph.D.
Advancing Orthopaedic Science through Innovation and Collaboration
Through a culture of innovation and collaboration that aligns scientific endeavors with clinical care, our orthopaedic surgeons and research scientists work together to develop promising ideas and new solutions that improve patient care for the best possible outcomes. Our research team works together to find more opportunities to improve the musculoskeletal health and well-being of our patients.
Advances in 3D printing, biomechanics, and other technology allow us to gain new knowledge about bone and joint disorders and investigate new treatments for conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system. Once problems are identified in the clinic, our physicians and scientists take them to the laboratory bench for study, and the results are then translated back into clinical practice, where they directly benefit patients. Our investigators run basic research laboratories and secure research grants to support their work. Some of our focus areas of research include:
- Biomechanics of the spine and implant burden
- Bone health and physical activity
- Customized 3D printing
- Joint biomechanics
- Artificial joint surface modification
- Bone remodeling
Our research scientists leverage the clinical expertise afforded by a multidisciplinary faculty, fostering a collaborative environment that extends the scope of orthopaedic research. Together, we continue the drive to identify and focus on critical questions related to musculoskeletal health and disease through our expanding clinical, basic and translational research activities.
Research News
20Lighter Announces First 12 Patients Enrolled in Joint Replacement Pilot Study with UAMS Orthopaedic Surgeons
The study compares surgical eligibility, laboratory blood tests and patient-reported outcomes of 20Lighter patients to standard of care in rural Arkansas.
Researchers Awarded 1st Place Basic Science Award by CSRS
John Sherrill, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, and David Bumpass, M.D., associate professor, recently received the 2021 Outstanding Basic Science Research Award by the Cervical Spine Research Society.
Orthopaedic Surgery's John Sherrill, MPH, Ph.D. Selected as TRI Entrepreneurship Postdoctoral Scholar
The UAMS Translational Research Institute Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HSIE) Postdoctoral Training Program has named four postdoctoral scholars for its class of 2022, including the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's John Sherrill, MPH, Ph.D. The scholars, selected in a competitive application process, will begin two years of mentored entrepreneurship training July 1. The HSIE Postdoctoral…
Abstracts Rated in Top 100 Posters at 30th Annual AAHKS Meeting
Two abstracts submitted by hip and knee surgeons Jeffrey Stambough, M.D., C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., and Simon Mears, M.D. were among the top 100 graded posters selected at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) 30th Annual Meeting that took place early November. The abstracts (below) will be published in the Proceedings Volume…
Orthopaedic Surgery Researchers Awarded $25,000 Pilot Grant to Study Biomechanics of the Human Spine
Researchers in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery received a $25,000 grant to support investigator-initiated research conducted by faculty in the UAMS College of Medicine. The Barton Pilot Grant supports the design and development of studies focused on the biomechanics of the cervicothoracic junction of the human spine and characterizing the mechanical burden of surgical implants…