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Improving treatment outcomes
Research advances that translate into new and better treatment options improve outcomes for people with elbow conditions and have the potential to decrease long-term healthcare costs.
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Pioneering surgical research
As a physician-scientist, Dr. O'Driscoll is recognized around the world for his innovative work to improve techniques to repair and reconstruct injured elbows.
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Working smarter together
Our lab brings together a team of expert physicians and researchers who conduct basic science studies and prospective and retrospective clinical studies.
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Gaining new insights
Work in our lab is leading to new insights about elbow function and instability, giving surgeons better tools to choose the best treatment methods.
Overview
Despite scientific advances in orthopedic surgery, one area that lags behind is the elbow. Injuries and conditions affecting the elbow can be debilitating, with pain and loss of motion and function. These problems are challenging for the people who face them and the surgeons who treat them.
Led by principal investigator Shawn W. O'Driscoll, M.D., Ph.D., the Elbow Laboratory at Mayo Clinic is working to overcome these obstacles. Our dedicated research team conducts elbow-related basic science studies and prospective and retrospective clinical studies. We also work with a large network of physician-scientist collaborators to help advance elbow surgery.
Our lab studies the development and refinement of techniques to repair and reconstruct injured elbows. We study the biomechanics of joints when they're intact, when they're injured and when they have been repaired. Our research includes the biomechanics of prosthetic radial head replacement and the development of a coronoid fracture classification system to help determine the best course of action to treat posteromedial rotatory instability.
Research advances that translate into new and better treatment options can improve outcomes for elbow injuries and decrease long-term healthcare costs.
About Dr. O'Driscoll
Dr. O'Driscoll is an orthopedic surgeon and a sports medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, whose clinical practice is focused exclusively on elbow surgery. Since completing his Ph.D. in 1984 under the mentorship of orthopedic surgery pioneer Robert B. Salter, M.D., Dr. O'Driscoll has become a pioneer himself in the field of tissue engineering for cartilage repair. He has made numerous contributions to the field that have been adopted worldwide, including the Congruent Elbow Plating System, the Anatomic Radial Head prosthesis and the Latitude linkable Total Elbow Prosthesis.
Dr. O'Driscoll has developed a stepwise safety-driven technique that has proved highly effective in reducing the incidence of iatrogenic nerve injury during elbow arthroscopy. He also has been a leader in clarifying the mechanisms of elbow fracture dislocation and elbow instability. He devised a functional fracture classification system to guide the management of coronoid fractures.