Kurt Spindler, M.D., Kenneth D. Schermerhorn Professor and vice chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and the Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) are recipients of the 2012 Ann Doner Vaughan Kappa Delta Award.
Given by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Research Development Committee, the Kappa Delta Award recognizes outstanding manuscripts that focus on research related to the musculoskeletal system that is of high significance and impact.
It was founded by the Kappa Delta Sorority and first awarded in 1950.
The award recognizes the paper that highlights the development of the MOON group, a National Institutes of Health-funded consortium to examine outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. From Spindler’s original concept in 1991, to its official launch in 2002, the consortium now consists of 18 sports medicine physicians across seven sites and has enrolled more than 4,000 patients.
“This award is a great honor to the MOON team who worked together to discover modifiable predictors of ACL reconstruction outcomes to improve future patient care.
As the cohort now approaches 10 years, the information being gathered will have more impact on the care of the ACL-injured patient in the U.S. and around the world,” Spindler said.
The award will be presented to the group at the annual meeting of the AAOS and Orthopaedic Research Society in San Francisco in February.
“This is the highest research award in orthopaedics and is a tribute to the outstanding efforts of the physicians and research staff at the institutions that comprise the MOON group,” said Herb Schwartz, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation.
“This study has already yielded results that change the way we practice orthopaedics, leading to improved outcomes for patients and creating a proven model for research in other areas.”
Dan Spengler, M.D., former chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, also received the award in 1991.
