NIH-Funded Study Launches at SPRI to Advance Shoulder Repair Techniques
Teams from SPRI’s Biomotion, Imaging, Center for Outcomes-Based Orthopaedic Research (COOR) and Clinical Trials departments and The Steadman Clinic’s orthopaedic surgeons Peter J. Millett and Matthew T. Provencher to lead SPRI’s clinical outcomes research
VAIL, Colorado, Sept. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI), in collaboration with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), has launched a five-year, NIH-funded clinical study to evaluate and compare three widely used techniques for repairing the acromioclavicular (AC) joint—the junction where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade. The team has recently begun enrolling patients in the study.
The study will enroll patients at two sites: SPRI’s Vail campus and UTHealth in Houston. A significant portion of the testing will take place in SPRI’s advanced laboratories, supported by SPRI’s multidisciplinary teams in Biomotion, Imaging, Clinical Trials and the Center for Outcomes-Based Orthopaedic Research (COOR).
“This study will compare three modern shoulder surgery techniques to see which works best for restoring shoulder function and keeping shoulders healthy long-term,” said Scott Tashman, Ph.D., director of biomedical engineering at SPRI. “Our team will track patients’ progress at six months and one year after surgery, measuring how well their shoulder moves and checking the health of shoulder cartilage, tendons and ligaments using advanced imaging techniques. Since we are following patients who have already received these surgeries as part of their normal treatment, participation will not affect their medical care—we hope this makes it easy for patients to volunteer for our study.”
Eligible participants must present with unilateral AC joint injuries requiring surgical intervention, confirmed through both clinical evaluation and imaging.
Two of the three techniques in the study were previously detailed in peer-reviewed publications by SPRI’s chief medical officer Peter J. Millett, M.D., M.Sc., and Matthew T. Provencher, M.D., M.B.A.—both award-winning orthopaedic surgeons at The Steadman Clinic and co-investigators on the project.
“We’re examining how different surgical approaches affect shoulder mechanics and long-term tissue health, including rotator cuff and cartilage integrity,” said Dr. Millett. “Quantitative MRI will help us track subtle changes over time.”
Dr. Provencher added, “This study bridges the gap between what we see in imaging scans and movement tests and how patients actually feel and function after surgery. We’re working to build more predictive, personalized models of recovery.”
The partnership with UTHealth builds on a longstanding relationship between the two institutions. Dr. Tashman previously founded UTHealth’s biomotion laboratory, now led by Payam Zandiyeh, Ph.D., the study’s principal investigator in Houston and Dr. Tashman’s former postdoctoral fellow.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Dr. Zandiyeh and his team,” said Dr. Tashman. “Together, we’re advancing the science of shoulder repair and improving care for patients living with AC joint injuries.”
For further information, contact Marianne Kipp (mkipp@sprivail.org, 970/401-8734)
Marianne Kipp Steadman Philippon Research Institute 970-401-8734 mkipp@sprivail.org
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