Research

The University of Arizona College of Medicine has a long and outstanding history of orthopaedic care through innovative research. In the 1970s, the “Arizona Medical Center Prosthesis,” also known as the “Volz Wrist,” was developed in the university’s Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory and was the first wrist prosthesis used clinically in the United States. At that time, the National Institutes of Health awarded orthopaedist, Robert G. Volz, MD, and rheumatologist, Eric P. Gall, MD, a Multipurpose Arthritis Center grant to recognize their unique collaborative model of health care, laying the foundation for the University of Arizona Arthritis Center and embodying our dual mission of empowering arthritis patients to take charge of their lifestyle and to keep moving. In the 1980s, the internationally recognized work of University of Arizona pediatric surgeon, Donald P. Speer, MD, was awarded the John Charnley Award by The Hip Society for both basic science and clinical research. Additionally, John A. Szivek, PhD, the inaugural William and Sylvia Rubin Chair in Orthopaedic Research, has been nationally recognized for his research on bone healing. Over years, our orthopaedic research has grown to encompass programmatic areas including biomaterials, biomechanics, hand and wrist, sports medicine, foot and ankle, biomechanical testing, and anatomic studies. Together, these areas of research focus form the Robert G. Volz, MD, Orthopaedic Research Laboratories. Currently, Zong-Ming Li, PhD, Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Associate Director of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center, leads the university’s efforts in musculoskeletal research. Our passion is to keep Arizona moving and build a research program through which we can share the results of this passion to improve lives all around the world.