Harlan C. Amstutz, M.D. is the founding director of the Joint Replacement Institute, Professor Emeritus and former Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. Amstutz is recognized worldwide as a preeminent orthopaedic surgeon and researcher in the field of joint replacement.
The Joint Replacement Institute and the J. Vernon Luck, Sr., M.D. Orthopaedic Research Center at St. Vincent Medical Center are internationally recognized as leading clinical and basic science research centers in the field of joint replacement. The staff are engaged in various research studies including:
Donating Your Joint Replacement for Medical Research
The Joint Replacement Institute is a leading clinical and basic science research center. Our physicians and research scientists closely monitor and study the clinical performance of various joint replacement devices and procedures. They rely extensively upon patient compliance with the Institute’s follow-up protocols and participation in studies to ensure that research data is accurate and comprehensive. Their ultimate goal is to improve the long term durability of joint replacement devices.
The "Willed Joint" program is an extremely important facet of this research. Patients are asked to donate their joint replacement to JRI for medical research in the event of death. Studying implants retrieved at death enables our researchers to analyze a "successful" device and compare these devices to "failed" devices retrieved at time of revision surgery. We recognize that this can be a difficult or unpleasant subject for many patients to discuss. We will, of course, respect your privacy and decision if you decide not to participate.
If you are interested in participating, please contact our office. We will answer any questions which you might have and we can also provide you with a form entitled "Instrument of Anatomical Gift." This form must be signed by you and two witnesses. Following receipt of this signed form, we will send you instructions and a donor identification card. We appreciate the generosity of those patients who choose to participate as the knowledge gained will greatly benefit future joint replacement patients.
Harlan Amstutz, M.D.
JRI Research
The staff of JRI is engaged in various research studies, including: improving long term joint replacement durability by selective use of new replacement bearing technology, histological characterization of implant fixation, relationship between wear debris and aseptic loosening.
* Development and testing of new bearing materials for extending the lifespan of joint replacements.
* Modification of the design of artificial joints, and of the surgical techniques used to implant them, in order to improve the fixation to the skeleton and, therefore, the long-term clinical performance.
* Evaluation of the clinical performance of joint replacements, for example, using survivorship analysis, to identify the best materials and designs.
* Analysis of retrieved implants, including studying the morphology of the wear particles and the histology of the surrounding tissues, to clarify the mechanisms of wear-induced clinical problems.
- JRI Staff
- Outside collaboration
Copyright 2005 Joint Replacement Institute Los Angeles, CA · (213) 484-7600 · JRIinfo@dochs.org
