Orthopaedics

Research group's organization

The orthopedic research activities at HMR cover a wide range of studies, including basic research, register studies, and clinical trials. By the end of 2022, orthopedic researchers will be present at Ålesund, Molde, and Kristiansund Hospitals. At the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 3 doctors hold assistant positions, with 2 as Associate Professors and 1 as Professor.

Over the past six years, collaboration between orthopedic surgeons in Ålesund and engineers at NTNU has focused on biomechatronics, surgical simulation, and biomechanics. The Ålesund Biomechanics Lab (ÅBL) was established for this research and relocated to new facilities at Ålesund Hospital's Kunnskapssenteret in late 2022.

HMR has been actively participating in the NORDSTEN study, a national multicenter study evaluating surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. The hospital played a leading role in the study's scientific development and administration, with a consultant surgeon from HMR serving as the project leader.

In Kristiansund, orthopedic research has been a priority for the past 5-10 years, leading to the establishment of the separate research group OrtoForsk-KSU (OF-KSU) in 2023. The group comprises doctors, bioengineers, nurses, and neurobiologists, supported by a dedicated research nurse. 

Research group's strategy

The primary objective of the research at HMR is to enhance internal competitiveness and contribute to the improvement of clinical practice and patient treatment. Six strategic focus areas were identified to achieve this goal:

1) Research culture: Integrate research in the clinic and increase the number of researchers

2) High quality research: Enhance research competence in HMR

 3) Establish research groups: Form specialized groups to focus on specific research areas

4) Research collaboration: Foster collaboration at local, regional, national and international leverls

 5) Increased user participation in research: Involve users more actively in the research process

 6) Sufficient financial resources: Ensure adequate funding for research endeavors

The research group aims to conduct high-quality clinical research that contributes valuable knowledge for the benefit of patients. Sub-goals include promoting research dissemination and visibility, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches, and encouraging nursing, physiotherapy research, and innovation.

Ortoforsk-KSU focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to osteoarthritis, addressing a prevalent global joint disease. The group aims to collaborate with various partners, extending beyond osteoarthritis to cover the entire orthopedic field, encompassing basic research, clinical effects research, and registry research.

ÅBL aspires to be a leading biomechanics research institution in Norway, engaging in international collaborations. ÅBL also aims to pioneer state-of-the-art surgical simulation using patient-specific 3D models. Additionally, ongoing projects and collaborations in biomechatronics are underway, with plans to incorporate these subjects into the curriculum for engineering students at NTNU Ålesund.

Austevoll IM, Hermansen E, Fagerland M, Rekeland F, Solberg T, Storheim K, et al. Decompression alone versus decompression with instrumental fusion the NORDSTEN degenerative spondylolisthesis trial (NORDSTEN-DS); study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019;20(1):7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-018-2384-0

 

Boutera A, Dybvik E, Hallan G, Gjertsen JE. Is there a weekend effect after hip fracture surgery? A study of 74,410 hip fractures reported to the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register. Acta Orthop. 2020;91(1):63-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17453674.2019.1683945

 

Hellevik AI, Johnsen MB, Langhammer A, Baste V, Furnes O, Storheim K, et al. Metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for total hip or knee replacement due to primary osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study (the HUNT study and the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register). Clin Epidemiol. 2018;10:83-96. https://doi.org/10.2147/clep.S145823

 

Hermansen E, Austevoll IM, Hellum C, Storheim K, Myklebust T, Aaen J, et al. Comparable increases in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis: radiological results from a randomized controlled trial in the NORDSTEN study. Eur Spine J. 2020;29(9):2254-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-020-06499-0

 

Hermansen E, Myklebust T, Austevoll IM, Rekeland F, Solberg T, Storheim K, et al. Clinical outcome after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in patients with insignificant lower extremity pain. A prospective cohort study from the Norwegian registry for spine surgery. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019;20(1):36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-019-2407-5

 

Husby VS, Foss OA, Husby OS, Winther SB. Randomized controlled trial of maximal strength training vs. standard rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2018;54(3):371-9. https://doi.org/10.23736/s1973-9087.17.04712-8

 

Håberg Ø, Foss OA, Lian Ø B, Holen KJ. Is foot deformity associated with developmental dysplasia of the hip? Bone Joint J. 2020;102-b(11):1582-6. https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620x.102b11.Bjj-2020-0290.R3

 

Karlsen TA, Aae TF, Brinchmann JE. Robust profiling of microRNAs and isomiRs in human plasma exosomes across 46 individuals. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):19999. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56593-7

 

Klungsøyr JA, Vagstad T, Ferle M, Drogset JO, Hoff SR, Dalen AF, et al. The novel arthroscopic subscapular quadriceps tendon-bone sling procedure provides increased stability in shoulder cadavers with severe glenoid bone loss. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2021;29(1):170-80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-05900-1

 

Sevaldsen K, O SH, Ø BL, V SH. Does the line-to-line cementing technique of the femoral stem create an adequate cement mantle? Hip Int. 2021;31(5):618-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1120700020934368

 

Winther SB, Foss OA, Husby OS, Wik TS, Klaksvik J, Husby VS. A randomized controlled trial on maximal strength training in 60 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Acta Orthop. 2018;89(3):295-301. https://doi.org/10.1080/17453674.2018.1441362

 

Winther SB, Foss OA, Husby OS, Wik TS, Klaksvik J, Husby VS. Muscular strength and function after total hip arthroplasty performed with three different surgical approaches: one-year follow-up study. Hip Int. 2019;29(4):405-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/1120700018810673

 

Øhrn FD, Gøthesen Ø, Låstad Lygre SH, Peng Y, Lian Ø B, Lewis PL, et al. Decreased Survival of Medial Pivot Designs Compared with Cruciate-retaining Designs in TKA Without Patellar Resurfacing. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2020;478(6):1207-18. https://doi.org/10.1097/corr.0000000000001120

 

Øhrn FD, Van Leeuwen J, Tsukanaka M, Röhrl SM. A 2-year RSA study of the Vanguard CR total knee system: A randomized controlled trial comparing patient-specific positioning guides with conventional technique. Acta Orthop. 2018;89(4):418-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/17453674.2018.1470866

 

Aae TF, Karlsen TA, Haugen IK, Risberg MA, Lian Ø B, Brinchmann JE. Evaluating plasma extracellular vesicle microRNAs as possible biomarkers for osteoarthritis. Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2020;1(3-4):100018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2019.100018

 

Aae TF, Lian Ø B, Årøen A, Engebretsen L, Randsborg PH. Compensation claims after knee cartilage surgery is rare. A registry-based study from Scandinavia from 2010 to 2015. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020;21(1):287. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03311-4

 

Aae TF, Randsborg PH, Lurås H, Årøen A, Lian Ø B. Microfracture is more cost-effective than autologous chondrocyte implantation: a review of level 1 and level 2 studies with 5 year follow-up. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2018;26(4):1044-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-017-4802-5

"The Norwegian Cartilage Project", Akershus University Hospital. A multidisciplinary approach to improve the treatment of injured articular cartilage in the knee joint. https://forskningsprosjekter.ihelse.net/prosjekt/2015107 

"ClessTKA", Frank-David Øhrn at our research group. The purpose of this study is to investigate the stability, as an expression of the long-term survival of a new uncemented prosthesis over time. The stability will be measured with a special CT method (CTMA). https://www.helse-mr.no/nb/kliniske-studier/sammenlikning-av-to-forskjellige-usementerte-kneproteser/ 

"MicroRNA-140", Øystein Berkestrand Lian at our research group. MicroRNA-140: is the potential marker for osteoarthritis affected by physical activity and diurnal variation? No website available.

"Anterior shoulder instability treated with the subscapular sling procedure, a new surgical option, Pilot study", NTNU. Introducing a new arthroscopic procedure that stabilizes dislocated shoulders. The method was developed by testing carcasses in England. The technique has been further developed and tested with a robot in Germany. The procedure uses a body-specific graft that creates a loop around a tendon in the front part of the shoulder. https://app.cristin.no/projects/show.jsf?id=564904 

"Direct Anterior Approach for Femoral Neck Fractures", NTNU and member of our research group. The primary objective is to examine if in patients with a dislocated femoral neck fracture who receive a total hip arthroplasty, direct anterior approach will give a better result in terms of mobilization, function, and pain in the first weeks and months postoperatively, than direct lateral approach. https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT03695497 

"NORDSTEN-study", NTNU and HMR. Improve several spect of surgical and non-surgical treatment of Lumbar spinal stenosis. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02007083?term=NORDSTEN&rank=3https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02051374?term=NORDSTEN&rank=2https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03562936?term=NORDSTEN&rank=1

"The Role of the Deltoid Ligament in Ankle Stability - A Cadaver Study Evaluating Anatmony and Biomechanics", ØHT. Obejective:to evaluate the biomechanical and anatomical properties of the deltoid ligament and role of the components of the deltoid ligament to ankle stability in intact ankles and ankles with Weber B fractures. No website available. 

NB! The Cristin links redirect to the Norwegian version of the page. In order to read the information in English, click "English" in the upper right corner of the Cristin page.

Members with a doctorate degree

Tommy Frøseth Aae (Cristin)

Øystein B. Lian (Cristin, NTNU)

Frank-David Øhrn (Cristin)

Kirsti Sevaldsen (Cristin, NTNU)

Øyvind Håberg (Cristin)

Otto Schnell Husby (Cristin, NTNU)

Alf Inge Hellevik (Cristin, NTNU)

PhD candidates

Ola Lian (Cristin)

John Magne Hoseth (Cristin)

Fredrik Bru (Cristin)

Magnus Johnsen (Cristin)

Jørgen Andvig (Cristin, NTNU)

Jan Arild Klungsøyr (Cristin)

Jørn Ståle Aaen (Cristin)

Morten Eikrem (Cristin)

Andrea Toft Boutera (Cristin, UiB)

Andreas Fagerhaug Dalen (Cristin)

New PhD candidates in 2023

Kristian Midtsæther Lian