Research is essential to advancing the field of orthopaedic surgery. Additionally, research experience is vital in shaping physicians and preparing fellows for positions at academic health centers.
Each fellow must complete one scholarly project from idea inception to manuscript submission.
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 Garceau-Wray Lectureship and submit a manuscript.
Todd McKinley, MD, has successfully secured more $10 million in grant funding to support the program, and Roman Natoli, MD, PhD, has secured more than $5 million. Ongoing research and grant funding at the IU School of Medicine led to the 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 promptly.
Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital is an active member of METRC, the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium, serving as one of six "anchor" sites. View a list of METRC investigations. Additionally, the department has many established national collaborations.
Arnold JC, Druten E, Landis T, Lopas LA, Jang Y. Reduction Techniques for Calcaneus Fractures-Using a Femoral Distractor. J Orthop Trauma. 2026 Aug 1;40(8S):S23-S24. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000003188. PMID: 42466782.
Wynn MS, Benedick A, Druten E, Soni C, Lopas LA, Szatkowski JP, Jang Y. Utilization of a Lateral Based Femoral Distractor for Calcaneus Tuberosity Reduction in Displaced Intraarticular Calcaneus Fractures: Surgical Technique and Case Series. Iowa Orthop J. 2025;45(1):269-274. PMID: 40606716; PMCID: PMC12212336.
Druten E, Murphy TP, Schrock WP, Bevill MD, Natoli RM. Testicular Dislocation Following Pelvic Ring Injury in the Setting of Bell Clapper Deformity: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connect. 2025 Aug 28;15(3). doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.25.00252. PMID: 40875823.
Wynn MS, Jang Y, Ochenjele G, Natoli RM. External Fixation Before Planned Conversion to Internal Fixation in Orthopaedic Trauma: Controversies and Current Trends. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2024 Apr 18. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-23-01256. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38657184.
Benedick A, Lopas L, Daley E, Jang Y. Traumatic Hip Dislocation: Pediatric and Adult Evaluation and Management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2024 Jul 15;32(14):637-646. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-23-01013. Epub 2024 May 2. PMID: 38713755.
Chen JY, Sharma I, Sabbagh RS, Narendran N, Everhart JS, Slaven JE, Archdeacon MT, Sagi HC, Mullis BH, Natoli RM. Risk of Postoperative Sciatic Nerve Palsy After Posterior Acetabular Fracture Fixation: Does Patient Position Matter? J Orthop Trauma. 2023 Feb 1;37(2):64-69. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002481. Erratum in: J Orthop Trauma. 2023 May 1;37(5):e234. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002605. PMID: 36026568.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Luke Lopas, MD, 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.
Todd McKinley, MD, 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
Roman Natoli, MD, PhD, focuses on translational research to lessen the burden of post-traumatic problems.
Jan Szatkowski, MD, 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.
Dillon O'Neill, MD, is the newest faculty member in the orthopaedic trauma fellowship. He brings an extensive research history with studies in hip reconstruction and arthroscopy and arthroscopic advancements.
