The 2015 Cutbush Research Prize
Dr Kieran Hirpara, from Ireland and the United Kingdom, has been awarded the 2015 Cutbush Research Prize. The prize goes to a shoulder fellow who makes a significant contribution to research into shoulder disorders.
What a shoulder fellowship is
A fellowship is the stage of training that follows the completion of specialist orthopaedic training. The surgeon is already qualified to operate independently, and spends a further period, usually a year, working alongside surgeons who concentrate on one area of the body, in this case the shoulder, in order to build depth in that field. Fellowships are often taken overseas, which is why fellows arrive from Ireland, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. A research component is a standard part of the year rather than an optional extra, and a prize of this kind recognises a fellow whose research contribution during that time has been substantial.
The work recognised
Dr Hirpara's contribution comprised papers published or accepted for publication in international medical journals on three subjects:
- Arthroscopic Latarjet with labral repair.
- All-arthroscopic latissimus dorsi transfer.
- All-arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint reconstruction.
All three concern performing through keyhole techniques operations that have conventionally required open surgery, which was a consistent theme of the research undertaken during that period. Congratulations to Dr Hirpara.
Why arthroscopic versions of these operations matter
Arthroscopic, or keyhole, surgery is carried out through several small portals using a camera and fine instruments passed into the joint, rather than through an open incision. Working this way means less soft tissue has to be divided to reach the problem, and the camera gives a view inside the joint that is difficult to obtain any other way. The trade-off is that these operations are technically harder to perform and take longer to learn, which is why setting out a reliable arthroscopic method for an operation previously done open is worth publishing and worth describing carefully. Individual results vary.
Related information
- Our post on the Latarjet and labral repair publication
- Our posts on arthroscopic ACJ reconstruction and the all-arthroscopic latissimus dorsi transfer paper, which Dr Hirpara co-authored
- The 2016 Research Prize
- Our shoulder fellowship page