The 2016 Cutbush Research Prize
Dr Noel Peter, from Oxford in the United Kingdom, has been awarded the 2016 Cutbush Research Prize. The prize is awarded to a shoulder fellow who makes a significant contribution to research into shoulder conditions during their fellowship year.
The work recognised
Dr Peter's contribution comprised papers published in, or submitted to, international medical journals on:
- All-arthroscopic latissimus dorsi transfer surgery.
- Calcific tendinitis.
- Infection in trauma cases.
Each of those addresses a different clinical problem. A latissimus dorsi transfer moves the tendon of the latissimus dorsi, a large muscle of the back, to a new attachment on the upper arm bone, so that it can take over some of the work of rotator cuff tendons that can no longer be repaired. Describing the technique as all-arthroscopic means it is carried out through small keyhole portals with a camera rather than through an open incision. Calcific tendinitis is a condition in which calcium deposits form within a rotator cuff tendon and can cause sudden and severe shoulder pain. Infection after trauma surgery is a recognised complication of fixing broken bones, and understanding what raises or lowers that risk is part of improving fracture care. Individual results vary.
What publication in a journal involves
Submitting a paper to an international medical journal means submitting it for peer review. The editor sends the manuscript to other surgeons and researchers working in the same field, who read it independently and report on whether the methods are sound, whether the conclusions follow from the results, and what is missing. Papers are commonly returned for revision, sometimes more than once, and many are not accepted at all. The process is deliberately slow, because it is the main check on what enters the published literature.
Why the fellowship includes research
A shoulder fellowship is primarily clinical, but producing research during the year is part of it. The questions worth investigating tend to be the ones that arise from the operating list, and a fellow is well placed to notice them. A fellowship is the period of subspecialty training a surgeon undertakes after completing general orthopaedic training, spent working alongside a surgeon in one narrow area of practice. Congratulations to Dr Peter.
Related information
- The shoulder fellowship programme
- Research at the clinic
- Our post on Dr Hirpara's research prize
- Our post on the all-arthroscopic latissimus dorsi transfer paper, which Dr Peter co-authored