Kurt Spindler, M.D., has joined Cleveland Clinic as the Vice Chairman of Research in the Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute, the Director of Orthopaedic Clinical Outcomes, and the Academic Director of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health. Dr. Spindler joins Cleveland Clinic after 23 years as Head Team Physician, Director of Sports Medicine, and Vice Chairman of Orthopaedics at Vanderbilt University. He returns to Cleveland Clinic after a Sports Medicine/Orthopaedics fellowship in 1990-91.
Kurt Spindler, M.D., Joins Cleveland Clinic
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“We are looking forward to Dr. Spindler’s leadership of the Center for Sports Health and Orthopaedic Surgery where he will bring his significant experience as a world-renowned sports medicine surgeon, and a game changer for research and orthopaedic clinical outcomes, ” said Richard Parker, M.D., Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic, in the February 12, 2014 news release. “His expertise in Orthopaedic Clinical Outcomes will enhance our activities in value-based care research and improving patient care.”
Dr. Spindler is well-known for his work as principal investigator of the MOON project (Multicenter Orthopaedics Outcomes Network) for over 10 years. “Cleveland Clinic has provided an extraordinary opportunity to translate my experience in several NIH-funded clinical studies, especially MOON, into a cost-effective outcome system to improve care of our patients, ” said Dr. Spindler.
Dr. Spindler told OTW, “Over one million total joint replacement cases and one million arthroscopic knee procedures are completed annually on a national level. The need for developing a scalable framework is essential for providing a national model of care, while leading to better outcomes for patients. Our goal is to track valid outcomes on patients by working together in clinical practice so as to create cost- and comparative-effectiveness models for others to emulate.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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