Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Trauma is proud to have a strong and grounded research team led by established doctors who are aimed at reaching goals to improve healthcare and treatments of trauma patients.

Serving as the only Level 1 Trauma Center in middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt consistently sees a high influx of patients in the Trauma Unit. The breadth and depth of injuries admitted to the hospital allows for numerous research studies to develop from this site. By developing research studies based on common trauma injuries, the research team is able to study different injury types and their long-term outcomes and costs at ease.

The Division of Orthopaedic Trauma, under the leadership of William T. Obremskey, MD, MPH is actively involved in multiple randomized prospective clinical trials including:

• Prospective Study of Cognitive Impairment in Trauma Patients without Closed Head Injury
• Prospective Randomized Study of Static Progressive Splinting Status Post Distal Humerous Fractures
• Operative vs Non-operative treatment of closed stable tibial shaft fractures (lead clinical site).
• Long term clinical outcome of acetabular fractures (Database of 450 fractures by PJK).

Finished and going to publication

• Multi-center randomized prospective study for treatment of distal femur fractures (lead clinical site).

Dr. Obremskey's CV & Completed Research

Dr. Obremskey's CV

Dr. Obremskey's Published Research:

• Detection of Orthopaedic Implants by Airport Metal Detectors [01-2007]
• Level of Evidence in Orthopedic Journals [2007]
• Level of Evidence in Spine [2007]
• Functional Outcomes afterTreatment of Lower Extremity Nonunions [2005]
• A Modified Judet Approach to the Scapula [2004]
• Comparison of Nailing of Distal Third Tibia Fractures Before and After Traumatologists [2004]
• Internal Fixation versus Arthroplasty of Communited Fractures of the Distal Humerus [2003]
• Internal Fixation versus Arthroplasty for Displaced Fractures of the Femoral Neck A Meta Analysis [9-2003]
• Change Over time of SF-36 Functional Outcomes for Operatively Treated Unstable Ankle Fractures [2002]
• Incidence of Hardware Related Pain and its Effect on Functional Outcome Following ORIF of Unstable Ankle Fractures [2001]
• A Comparison of Transferred versus Direct Admission of Orthopedic Trauma Patients [1994]
• Fracture Dislocation of the Shoulder in a Child - A case report [1994]

Research Staff

Robin Driver, RN
Research Associate
Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Orthopaedic Trauma

Robin serves as the clinical research coordinator.

Christine M. Abraham, M.A.
Research Assistant II
Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Orthopaedic Trauma

Christine joined the Orthopaedic Trauma Research team in July, 2007.  She received her undergraduate education at Otterbein College and earned her Master’s degree at the University of Dayton in Psychology (Experimental/Research). She is currently assisting on a variety of studies, including Long Term Cognitive Impairment Study Phase II, Clinical Efficacy & Cost Implications of Acute BMP-2 Application in Grade IIIB Tibia Fractures, Outcomes of Traumatic Knee Dislocations, and ORIF Vs ExFix, among others.  In her free time, she enjoys the equestrian arts and she is also a karaoke enthusiast.

 Contact us!

Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute
Medical Center East, South Tower, Suite 4200
Nashville, TN 37232-8774
615-936-0112
615-936-1566 (Fax)