Research During Fellowship

Each fellow is required to complete one research project from idea inception to manuscript submission.

A structured research curriculum with associated timeline and dedicated meetings built into the academic calendar ensures success. Fellows work with the program director and faculty mentors to: develop a scientific question; generate a hypothesis; write a protocol to be approved by the Internal Review Board; perform data collection and analysis; submit an abstract to a national meeting; present the project at the year-end fellow/resident graduation, Orthopaedic Surgery Department Garceau-Wray Lectureship; and submit a manuscript.

Ongoing research and grant funding at IU School of Medicine has led to employment of full-time research coordinators and research assistants allocated only to the orthopaedic trauma service. This improves the efficiency of the research projects and provides the fellows with administrative support to complete projects in a timely fashion.

As the director of the research program, Dr. Todd McKinley has been successful in securing over $10 million in grant funding to support the program.

Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital is an active member of METRC, the Major Extremity Trauma and Rehabilitation Consortium, serving as one of six "anchor" sites. View a list of METRC investigations. Additionally, the department has many established national collaborations.

Fellow Publications

2018

Cavallero M, Rosales R, Caballero J, Virkus WW, Kempton LB, Gaski GE. Locking Plate Fixation in a Series of Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures Raises Treatment Costs Without Clinical Benefit. J Orthop Trauma. 2018 Jul;32(7):333-337. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000001188. PMID: 29738401. PubMed.

Virkus WW, Wetzel RJ, McKinley TO, Sorkin AT, Cheesman JS, Hill LC, Kempton LB. Costs and Radiographic Outcomes of Rotational Ankle Fractures Treated by Orthopaedic Surgeons With or Without Trauma Fellowship Training. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2018 Jun 15;26(12):e261-e268. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-16-00687. PMID: 29787464. PubMed.

Virkus WW, Caballero J, Kempton LB, Cavallero M, Rosales R, Gaski GE. Costs and Complications of Single-Stage Fixation Versus 2-Stage Treatment of Select Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2018 Jul;32(7):327-332. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000001167. PMID: 29920192. PubMed.
2019

Virkus WW, Wetzel RJ, McKinley TO, Sorkin AT, Cheeseman JS, Hill LC, Kempton LB. Response to Letter to the Editor: Costs and Radiographic Outcomes of Rotational Ankle Fractures Treated by Orthopaedic Surgeons With or Without Trauma Fellowship Training. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Feb 1;27(3):e143-e145. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00509. PMID: 30320736. PubMed.
FAITH-2 Investigators, Slobogean GP, Sprague S, Bzovsky S, Heels-Ansdell D, Thabane L, Scott T, Bhandari M. Fixation using alternative implants for the treatment of hip fractures (FAITH-2): design and rationale for a pilot multi-centre 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial in young femoral neck fracture patients. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2019 May 28;5:70. doi: 10.1186/s40814-019-0458-x. PMID: 31161044; PMCID: PMC6540373. PubMed.

Natoli RM, Sardesai NR, Richard RD, Sorkin AT, Gaski GE, Virkus WW. Intramedullary Nailing of Lower-Extremity Periarticular Fractures. JBJS Essent Surg Tech. 2019 Nov 1;9(4):e35.1-2. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.ST.18.00112. PMID: 32051781; PMCID: PMC6974312. PubMed.
2020

Jang Y, Gaski G, Natoli R, Virkus W, Mckinley T. Tibial Fracture Healing Score: A Novel Tool to Predict Tibial Nonunion. Orthopedics. 2020 Jul 1;43(4):e323-e328. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20200521-07. Epub 2020 Jun 5. PMID: 32501520. PubMed.
Richard RD, Natoli RM, Sorkin AT, Virkus WW, Gaski GE. Retrograde intramedullary nailing below a hip arthroplasty prosthesis: a viable fixation option for periprosthetic and interprosthetic femur fractures. Int Orthop. 2020 Nov;44(11):2283-2289. doi: 10.1007/s00264-020-04734-3. Epub 2020 Jul 21. PMID: 32696332. PubMed.
2021

Lieder CM, Gaski GE, Virkus WW, Kempton LB. Is Immediate Weight-Bearing Safe After Single Implant Fixation of Elderly Distal Femur Fractures? J Orthop Trauma. 2021 Jan 1;35(1):49-55. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000001882. PMID: 32639392. PubMed.

Slobogean GP, Sprague S, Bzovsky S, Scott T, Thabane L, Heels-Ansdell D, O'Toole RV, Howe A, Gaski GE, Hill LC, Brown KM, Viskontas D, Zomar M, Della Rocca GJ, O'Hara NN, Bhandari M; FAITH-2 Investigators. Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip Fractures (FAITH-2): The Exploratory Health-Related Quality of Life and Patient-Reported Functional Outcomes of a Multi-Centre 2 × 2 Factorial Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial in Young Femoral Neck Fracture Patients. Injury. 2021 Feb 14:S0020-1383(21)00133-9. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2021.02.030. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33618847. PubMed.

Jang Y, Virkus W, Mckinley T. A modified Levine approach for exposure of the anterior column, anterior wall and sacroiliac joint: a surgical technique and a case series. J Orthop Trauma. 2021 Mar 9. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002111. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33724966. PubMed.

Sardesai NR, Gaski GE, Gunderson ZJ, Cunningham CM, Slaven J, Meagher AD, McKinley TO, Natoli RM. Polytraumatized patient lower extremity nonunion development: Raw data. Data Brief. 2021 Jun 25;37:107244. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107244. PMID: 34258338; PMCID: PMC8253899. PubMed.

Sardesai NR, Gaski GE, Gunderson ZJ, Cunningham CM, Slaven J, Meagher AD, McKinley TO, Natoli RM. Polytraumatized patient lower extremity nonunion development: Raw data. Data Brief. 2021 Jun 25;37:107244. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107244. PMID: 34258338; PMCID: PMC8253899. PubMed.
2022

Lieder, C, Jang, Y, Rea, P, Gaski, G, Virkus, W. Results of low distal femur periprosthetic fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2022 (Accepted) PubMed
Virkus W, Lieder C, Jang Y, Rea P, Gaski G. Results of Low Distal Femur Periprosthetic Fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2022 Aug 1;36(8):e300-e305. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002352. PMID: 35171135. PubMed.
Farooq H, Wessel RP 3rd, Brown K, Slaven JE, Marini F, Malek S, Natoli RM. Utility of Plasma Protein Biomarkers and Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy for Diagnosing Fracture-Related Infections: A Pilot Study. J Orthop Trauma. 2022 Apr 22. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002379. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35452050. PubMed.

Richard RD, Gaski GE, Farooq H, Wagner DJ, McKinley TO, Natoli RM. Risk factors for complications within 30 days of operatively fixed periprosthetic femur fractures. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2022 Jun 25;31:101925. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2022.101925. PMID: 35799883; PMCID: PMC9253917. PubMed.

Faculty Publications

Yohan Jang, DO

Dr. Jang is an alum of the department's trauma fellowship program. As a faculty member, he is heavily involved in research.

PubMed
Luke Lopas, MD

Dr. Lopas believes orthopaedic trauma affords him the incredible privilege to meet patients in a true moment of need and help them navigate their path to recovery. Traumatic injuries are never planned for and the healing process can seem complicated and even daunting. He embraces the opportunity to help patients overcome these injuries and truly enjoys working with them to regain function and return to the activities that are most meaningful to them.

PubMed
Todd O. McKinley, MD

Dr. McKinley has been the principal investigator on multiple peer-reviewed grants, including several major grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. He served as the chairman of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Research Committee and is a member of the Orthopaedic Research Society.
PubMed
Brian H. Mullis, MD

Dr. Mullis has a history of collaborative, multi-center retrospective and prospective studies as the principal investigator and co-investigator. He has served on the AOTNA research committee. He continues to be actively involved in OTRC and METRC projects.
PubMed
Roman M. Natoli, MD, PhD

Dr. Natoli focuses on translational research to lessen the burden of post-traumatic problems.

PubMed
Anthony T. Sorkin, MD

Dr. Sorkin’s practice is focused on orthopaedic trauma, with special emphasis on ankle and hind foot limb salvage and reconstruction. He is active in continuing medical education and has spoken at numerous national and international meetings.
PubMed
Jan Szatkowski, MD, MBA

Dr. Szatkowski has co-authored multiple articles in scientific journals. His efforts to improve care for patients include his work helping develop new medical technologies and is actively involved in multiple research projects targeted at improving orthopaedic care.

PubMed
Walter W. Virkus, MD

Dr. Virkus's practice has included orthopedic trauma, orthopedic oncology and hip reconstruction. He also specializes in using oncological techniques for trauma reconstructions and using trauma techniques for oncologic reconstructions.
PubMed