 |
Kaleb Michaud, Ph.D. |
He has been awarded a two-year, $100,000 Arthritis Foundation New Investigator Grant to help him find that answer.
Funded by the Nebraska Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation Heartland Region, the grant was awarded July 14. It will be administered through the national office and can be renewed for a third year based on progress of the project, publications and demonstration of professional presentations.
Dr. Michaud, assistant professor of rheumatology and immunology, is studying the short- and long-term effectiveness of elective joint replacement surgery — knee, hip and shoulder — in reducing pain for people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic disorders such as osteoarthritis, lupus and fibromyalgia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that arthritis impacts the daily lives of more than 40 million Americans, including more than 500,000 Nebraskans. The annual cost of treating arthritis in the United States is nearly $64 billion. For Nebraska, this translates into annual costs of more than $320 million.
Total joint replacement of the knee and hip are increasingly used for patients with end-stage joint disease secondary to arthritis. Each year, approximately 120,000 patients undergo total hip replacement and an additional 270,000 undergo total knee replacement in the United States.
By using two databases, Dr. Michaud plans to enroll 30,000 patients for his study.
|
|
The Nebraska Arthritis Outcomes Research Center, established last year by a grant from Omaha philanthropists Ruth and Bill Scott, is directed by two of UNMC’s leading physicians – James O’Dell, M.D., professor of internal medicine and chief of the rheumatology and immunology section, and Kevin Garvin, M.D., professor and chairman of orthopaedic surgery.
In addition to the VA database, Dr. Michaud will partner with Fred Wolfe, M.D., one of the leading rheumatologists in the country and medical and research director of the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NDB) in Wichita, Kan.
The NDB is the largest patient-reported research data bank for rheumatic disorders in the United States.
Dr. Michaud, who earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University, worked with Dr. Wolfe for several years. He joined UNMC’s faculty in 2007.
“It’s not clear how effective joint replacement surgery is with these patients,” Dr. Michaud said. “We’re trying to determine the safety and effectiveness of the treatment they are receiving.
“I appreciate the help and enthusiasm of the Nebraska Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. This work wouldn’t have gotten done without their support.”