Research

Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center physicians are committed to research and innovation in the quest to improve patient care and results.

Research is conducted through a number of avenues:

  • Physicians conduct research at The Walter A. Hoyt, Jr. Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, which supports and contributes to quality research and improved patient care. Since its inception, the lab has been an integral part of the Department of Orthopedics and the accredited Orthopedic Residency Program. The work of the laboratory has had significant impacts on several areas of orthopedic surgery, including joint replacement, arthroscopic surgery, sports and occupational research, and biologics.
  • Physicians conduct research through the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA). Scott D. Weiner, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopedics for Summa Health System, is part of a team that received an ABIA grant to research mechanically enhanced, peptide cross-linked poly (ester urea) for critical bone defect repair.
  • The Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center is studying whether taking Apatone®B (a combination of vitamins C and K3) orally will reduce chronic joint discomfort and improve function of non-infected symptomatic postoperative total joint replacements. The study is currently recruiting participants. Thomas F. Bear, M.D. is the principal investigator, and Ian M. Gradisar, M.D. and Mark W. Kovacik, B.S. are co-investigators.
  • Looking to create integrated implants and instruments that make it easier for surgeons to work, David B. Kay, M.D., a specialist in foot and ankle, received FDA approval for nearly 100 plates, screws and surgical hand instruments for the upper and lower extremities. He is the founder of OrthoHelix Surgical Designs.
  • Additionally, Dr. Kay is conducting research to validate a system measurement instrument that will set the stage for a series of projects utilizing OSIRIX (open-sourced three-dimensional reconstruction software) in orthopedic surgeries, as well as surgeries in other specialties. He has also begun a study researching calcaneus fractures. Dr. Kay is the director of the wound biomaterial development platform in the Center for Biomaterials and Medicine at the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron.
  • Paul R. Fleissner, Jr., M.D. and Curtis R. Noel, M.D. are conducting research on platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is blood processed to contain high concentrations of platelets and growth factors. They have studied the added benefit of using PRP in meniscal repairs, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and rotator cuff repairs, as well as persistent tendonitis of the elbow, knee and ankle.
  • Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center physicians are in the beginning stages of research into bone marrow concentrate (BMC) to treat delayed or altered healing in the musculoskeletal system.

The physicians of the Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center are committed to research as an integral component of improving medical treatments and procedures, as well as patient care.