Orthopedic Surgery Methodist News Archive Featured in the Media JeffNEWS

Randall W. Culp, M.D., of The Philadelphia Hand Center at Methodist, recently served as the only representative for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) 2008 Research Capitol Hill Days. Dr. Culp was selected to join more than 115 orthopaedic surgeons, researchers, and their patients from across the country in Washington, D.C., to encourage members of Congress to appropriate $548 million to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) in fiscal year (FY) 2009 – a 6.5 percent increase from FY 2008.

Research Capitol Hill Days gives the orthopaedic community the opportunity to meet with targeted U.S. Senators and Representatives to share their personal struggles and triumphs, while stressing the importance of increased research funding and patient access to innovative techniques and procedures. The 2008 program took place February 13-14.

“It is essential to increase funding for orthopaedic research,” said Dr. Culp, a hand specialist at The Philadelphia Hand Center at Methodist Hospital Division, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and associate professor of Orthopaedic, Hand and Microsurgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. “Further financial support will not only benefit current patients with specific hand and upper extremity conditions, including congenital disorders, crush injuries, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome, but, more importantly, it will pave the way for future advancements within the entire musculoskeletal arena.”

Why musculoskeletal funding is critical:

• Diseases of the bones, muscles, joints and skin are among the most frequent chronic health problems in the U.S., causing pain, disability, difficulty with appearance and self-esteem, and, in some cases, premature death.

• Musculoskeletal disorders cost the U.S. $849 billion annually in healthcare services and lost economic productivity.

• In 2003, musculoskeletal conditions and injuries accounted for 157 million visits to physicians’ offices, 15 million visits to hospital outpatient departments, and 29 million visits to emergency rooms.

• Nearly one in every three Americans is treated for chronic musculoskeletal impairment or musculoskeletal injury each year.

As one of the National Institutes of Health, NIAMS supports research at hospitals, universities, and medical schools throughout the country by annually investing more than $500 million to fight some of the most chronic, costly, and common conditions.

As the leading comprehensive center in the Philadelphia region, and one of the foremost specialty facilities in the United States, The Philadelphia Hand Center is dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of hand and upper extremity injuries. Each physician is recognized for their superior surgical skills and intense dedication to academic research. They are all Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery with additional qualification in surgery of the hand. The doctors and therapists of The Hand Center work together with one goal: returning the patient to work, home, sports or leisure activities with the highest possible level of function.

Located in the heart of South Philadelphia, the Methodist Hospital Division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital offers a wide variety of healthcare and medical services to the surrounding community and region. Patients from all over the area receive a full range of services including emergency care, cardiac care and rehabilitation therapy, expert shoulder and elbow care, diabetes treatment, women’s healthcare and more.