Paul E. Beaule, M.D. Wins Kappa Delta Award

Paul E. Beaulé, M.D., F.R.C.S.C., professor and head of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, has received the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) 2018 Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award for his research study which identified the origins of the hip pistol grip/CAM deformity and how it can lead to joint degeneration.

The study was co-authored by George Grammatopoulos, M.D., F.R.C.S., Ph.D.; Andrew Speirs, Ph.D.; Geoffrey Ng, Ph.D.; Gerd Melkus, Ph.D.; Sasha Carsen, M.D.; Hanspeter Frei, Ph.D.; Kawan Rakhra, M.D.; and Mario Lamontagne, Ph.D. Drs. Speirs and Frei work at Carleton University and Dr. Carsen at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

According to AAOS: “Through an extensive and coordinated multidisciplinary effort spanning over a decade, Dr. Beaulé and his team set to determine whether the cam morphology was a cause of premature cartilage degeneration as well as gaining better insights into how the bone supporting the cartilage might play a role.”

“Their body of work looked at several cohorts of patients, including teenagers, to determine how the cam deformity might develop looking at the influence of sporting activity, as well which anatomical factors were associated with pain and how the deformity evolved in patients who were diagnosed in early adulthood.”

“Setting the data against Hill’s criteria (strength, specificity, temporality, plausibility, biological gradient, experiment, consistency, coherence and analogy of findings), the researchers deducted that cam morphology is a cause of early hip osteoarthritis.”

“Winning the Kappa Delta award is a tremendous honor,” said Dr. Beaulé. “It shows the huge benefits and potential of collaboration with basic science researchers and other clinicians, spanning biomechanics, kinematics and medical imaging. This research is helping the development of a risk profile so that we can one day provide individuals with both surgical and physical therapy programs to avoid worsening of hip pain and loss of motion and keep their hip healthy.”

“Dr. Beaulé told OTW, “We confirmed that the cam deformity forms during skeletal maturation and is not a reactive process i.e., osteophyte that are seen with moderate to advanced hip arthritis. Looking at a group of volunteers we were able to demonstrate that other biomechanical factors related to the spino-pelvic motion as well as proximal femoral anatomy i.e., neck shaft angle strongly influence the risk of disease progression. Finally, we showed that surgical correction of the cam deformity in patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement not only improved clinical function but also decreased stresses within the joint leading to stabilization of the health of the articular cartilage.”

“Showing cause and effect of the cam/pistol grip deformity with the onset of hip arthritis. Establishing a natural history profile of the cam deformity permitting risk stratification of those at risk of developing the cam deformity as well as subsequent hip pain/degenerative changes permitting the development of prevention programs as well as validation of both surgical and non-surgical treatment strategies.”