OPUS Spotlight: Tilini Gunatillake
Veronique Price
Tilini Gunatillake commenced her journey as a Research Fellow with our new ECCO team in June this year. She obtained her Doctorate from the University of Melbourne in 2016 under the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Her PhD project investigated potential causes of pregnancy complications with an aim to identifying viable treatment options for these […]
Aboriginal Cultural Safety Training
Michelle Lam
The St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Aboriginal Health Unit has developed a 1 hour Cultural Awareness Training session that will be delivered to all hospital staff and OPUS members. This session will cover aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and provide practical advice and skills that can be applied when working with Aboriginal and Torres […]
Veronique Price
Penny began with OPUS in February 2018 as a research assistant. She managed qualitative projects in Stream 2, where her work focused on exploring the lived experiences, expectations and healthcare seeking behaviours of osteoarthritis patients who were awaiting total knee replacements. Since then, she has confirmed her love for the OPUS team and the supportive […]
Patients’ misconceptions about knee OA
Michelle Lam
In a recently published article in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, Dr Samantha Bunzli explores some misconceptions that patients have about their knee osteoarthritis. Sam’s paper titled, ‘Misconceptions and the acceptance of evidence-based non-surgical interventions for knee osteoarthritis. A qualitative study‘, highlighted a number of common beliefs that appear to influence patients’ willingness to pursue […]
Exercising after joint replacement surgery
Veronique Price
In a systematic review published in Disability and Rehabilitation, PhD candidate Lyndon Hawke examined what we know about the effectiveness of behavioural interventions that aim to increase levels of physical activity after hip or knee joint replacement. Replacing an osteoarthritic hip or knee is often thought to remove a significant barrier to engaging in many […]
Redefining Total Joint Replacement one step at a time
Michelle Lam
For many people with osteoarthritis, the constant pain that they experience as they conduct their daily routine can be debilitating. Simple movement creates excruciating burning pain that diminishes ones quality of life, leading to desperate attempts to find a fix that will eliminate the sensations. While medication is an option, none are as effective […]
Exercising: It’s a joint effort
Michelle Lam
A new study published in Clinical Rheumatology by PhD candidate Lyndon Hawke examined whether exercise delivered in a group setting in the early stage of outpatient rehabilitation influenced self-reported physical activity levels after hip or knee joint replacement. Those with osteoarthritis often fail to meet recommended physical activity levels following a knee or hip replacement. […]
Michelle Lam
OPUS PhD student, Michelle Tew has been busy the past few months spruiking her research findings everywhere from Melbourne to Oxford! Most notably, Michelle participated in a conference that specifically focused on diabetes simulation modelling which ties in with Stream 5 of the OPUS research pillars. Read on for her wrap up on her findings: […]
Does age impact TKA patient outcomes?
Michelle Lam
In an aging society, there will be an increased demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in those over 80 years. This latest study, published in the November 2018 issue of The Bone & Joint Journal, investigates the effect of age on patient outcomes after TKA by comparing patients below and over 80 years old. Undergraduate […]
Michelle Lam
The last major round for NHMRC funding under the old schemes is coming to an end and the release of grant outcomes was bittersweet for many researchers. Now that the embargo has been lifted, OPUS scored three wins – 2 from our Early Career Researchers and 1 from our captain – in such a competitive […]
Examining mortality after Total Joint Replacement
Michelle Lam
Catching up on news during our months long hiatus, the June issue of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research featured members of OPUS and highlighted the importance of weight and mortality after total joint surgery. Lead author, Associate Professor Michelle Dowsey, explained in the Editor’s Spotlight feature that contrary to popular line of thought, obese patients […]
Competitive Practitioner Fellowship awarded to Prof Choong
Michelle Lam
Professor Peter Choong, the Sir Hugh Devine Chair of Surgery and Head of Department of Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, has been awarded a highly competitive Practitioner Fellowship by the Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council. Only 14 Practitioner Fellowships were awarded in 2018 which are designed to bridge the gap […]