To conduct scientific research and educate health care professionals in orthopaedics and rheumatology.

The funding received by the anderson orthopaedic research institute (aori) is used to conduct medical research related to hip and knee joint replacements. Aori conducts both prospective and retrospective studies with the ultimate goal of sharing research findings with the broader medical community, including patients, through publications and presentations. Prospective studies, where volunteers consent to participate, are managed by aori's clinical research staff. These staff members help design study protocols, obtain institutional review board approval, consent patients, manage data collection, schedule follow-up visits, analyze outcome data and summarize the research results for study sponsors and peer-review journal publications. Retrospective studies, which use pre-existing medical data, are conducted using aori's electronic outcomes database that archives surgical procedures, clinical visits and adverse events. By analyzing the data archived in aori's institutional database, aori staff members are able to assess the outcome of different types of implants among unique groups of patients. The funding received by aori supports staff salaries and benefits, pays for laboratory supplies and clinical tests that are not standard-of-care, and is used for fees charged by agencies that oversee aori's research activities. Assets such as computers, laboratory testing equipment and analysis software are also purchased with the funds received by aori. Funding is also used to produce a semi-annual newsletter that is mailed out to approximately 25,000 people. During the past year, aori-affiliated researchers published 14 papers in orthopaedic journals, and 3 book chapters. Aori researchers also presented 17 scientific talks and 6 posters at national and international orthopaedic meetings.