Background
The field of Orthopaedic Surgery is evolving with the development of new biological solutions designed to interface with traditional surgical constructs in order to address orthopaedic pathologies. The focus of traditional orthopaedic residency training is to provide instruction and experience in the provision of health care delivery. Although traditional 5-year residence programs include training in research, residents do not have sufficient time during their resident experience to pursue a rigorous course of research. A 1992 study of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon's Council on Research reported that "The number of orthopaedic surgeons trained in techniques of basic musculoskeletal research and committed to career involvement in research is inadequate and probably is continuing to decline". A follow-up study by Clark and Hanel in 2001 determined that only 29 MD-PhD trained physicians were participants in academic orthopaedic departments. The authors suggest that the availability of an alternative intensive research experience is a potential mechanism for training orthopaedic residents to become academic faculty members. The shortage of academic orthopaedic research physicians also was highlighted by Hurwitz and Buckwalter (Editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research) in 1999. These authors suggest that junior orthopaedic faculty are not prepared to become scientists, and that even programs that provide one free day per week for research, do not necessarily transform orthopaedic surgeons into successful researchers. These authors further propose that specific training in research methods and grant writing is necessary in order for junior faculty members to become successful researchers.