Funded Studies

AIRCAST FOUNDATION FUNDED AND COMMITTED GRANTS

 

— SINCE 2015 —

ENDOWMENTS AND AWARDS

$1,000,000 committed to THE AIRCAST FOUNDATION-OREF RESEARCH ENDOWMENT which was fully satisfied in 2024. Through 12.31.24, The Foundation had provided $1,654,500 to OREF. Specific annual grants and award details follow below.

 

$1,000,000 committed to THE AIRCAST FOUNDATION-AOSSM RESEARCH ENDOWMENT. Through 12.31.24 the Foundation had provided $1,055,000 to AOSSM for grants, awards and programs. Specific annual details follow below.

 

$600,000 committed by THE AIRCAST FOUNDATION to OTA for grants.  Through 12.31.24, the foundation  had funded $500,000 to OTA for grants, the annual details of which follow below.

 

$200,000 seed money was provided to fund the DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK ORTHOPEDIC RESEARCH and EDUCATION ENDOWMENT at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (the GreenCare Model).

 

$100,000 provided by THE AIRCAST FOUNDATION to fund the new Physical Therapy Center at the Northshire campus of Southwest Vermont Medical Center, in the name of the Foundation and in honor of Glenn W. Johnson, Jr, the Foundation’s benefactor.

 

OTHER FOUNDATION ANNUAL FUNDED COMMITMENTS / GRANTS AWARDED

2025

$15,000, provided to Rush University Medical Center, for a Literature Review for Best Practices re Avoidance of and Treatment of Injuries of Seniors from Falling, supervised by Jonathan A Gustafson, PhD.

 

2024

$170,000 funded to AOSSM in 2024, some donations in collaboration with other grantors, as follows:

 

• $20,000, in collaboration with funds from AOSSM, Arthrex, Gladden and the Forum, for Development of an MPFL Reconstruction Return to Play Decision Making Tool, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Christman Latterman, MD.
• $25,000, provided as a Playmaker Award for Workload and Fatigue in the Throwing Arm of Youth Baseball Players, NYU Langone Orthopedics, Daniel Kaplan, MD.
• $25,000, provided as a Playmaker Award for Identifying Laxity Phenotypes to Optimize Combined  LET and ACLR, University of Wisconsin, Joshua Roth, MD.
• $9000, provided as part of a $25,000 award for Young Investigator Grant, Changes in In-vivo Knee Kinematics After Revision ACL-R, University of Pittsburgh, Jonathan Hughes, MD.
• $8000, provided as part of a $40,000 award for Bioprinting  Functional Cartilage Grafts with Zonal Characteristics, Nemours Childrens Hospital, Alvin Su, MD PhD.
• $8000, provided as part of a $40,000 award for Sex Differences in FAIS Synovium Leading to Differences in Outcomes, University of California, San Francisco, Stephanie Wong, MD.
• $15,000, provided as part of a Kirkley Grant, Evaluating the Efficacy of Erector Spinae Block in Routine Hip Arthroscopy, Carilion Med. Center, Benjamin Coobs, MD.
• $25,000, provided as part of a $50,000 award for Sex-Specific Molecular and Mechanical Factors in Cartilage Injury, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Paula Hernandez, PhD.
• $35,000, provided for updating the IKDC-SKF data base relating to Knee Measures, University of Pittsburgh, James Irrgang, PhD.

 

$50,000, provided to OTA for funding Biologically Compatible Volume-Filling Medical Foam for Local Antibiotic Fracture Delivery, University of Colorado, Nicholas Alfonso, MD et al.

 

$15,000, provided to Duke Health, Faegin Leadership Forum, scholar awarded to Tariq M. Omer, MD Candidate, Class of 2025.

 

$15,000 provided to AAOS for general research programs.

 

$10,000 provided to The Forum for annual program sponsorship.

 

2023

$80,000 provided to OTA for funding A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Flap Coverage within 72 Hours vs Standard of Care in Type IIIB Lower Extremity Open Fractures;   Johns Hopkins; Lily Mundy, MD et al.

 

$50,000 provided to OREF for initial seed money to achieve  a collaborative grant of $1,300,000 from MTEC and the Department of Defense for Dynamic Gait- Synchronous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Following ACL Reconstruction, the Jackson Foundation for Advanced Military Medicine, Daniel Clifton, MD et al.

 

$50,000 provided to OREF for initial seed money to achieve  a collaborative grant of $700,000 from MTEC and the Department of Defense for Objective Dynamic and 3D Knee Assessment Medical Device to Improve Recovery and Accelerate Return to Readiness of Members with Knee Pain, the Geneva Foundation (multi); Don Goss, MD et al.

 

$30,000 provided to OREF for funding six resident research grants to be identified, in honor of and in recognition of Richard M. Kyle, MD, for his dedication to the Orthopaedic surgical profession; and specifically research, the individual resident awards listed here and under resident grants below.

 

$20,000 provided to OREF for funding  Effect of Vitamin D in Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Fractures, Boston Childrens Hospital, David Liu, MD et al (Richard Kyle, MD designated award).   

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award for funding Implementation of Neurocognitive Dual Task to Improve ACLR RTP Assessment, Scottish Rite for Children, Henry Ellis, MD.

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award for funding New Wearable Tech to Define Elbow Varus Torque for Safer RTP, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Kristen Nicholson, PhD.

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award for funding Imaging of Damaged Collagens in OA Cartilage, University of Utah, Michael Yu, PhD.

 

$15,000 provided to  Duke Health, Faegin Leadership Forum, scholar awarded to Alex Bassil, MD. Candidate, Class of 2024.

 

$10,000 provided to AAOS for funding the Course: Outpatient and Rapid Recovery in Total Joint Replacement.

 

$10,000 provided to The Forum, for its’ program speaker sponsorship & annual meeting.

 

2022

$350,00 provided collaboratively with OREF and AOSSM, for a multi-center grant award, announced in 2024 (Washington University) group, for Optimizing Outcomes of Hip Surgery in Borderline Acetabular Dysplasia, to Jeffrey Nepple, MD et al.

 

$80,000 provided to OTA for  funding A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Arthoplasty vs Internal Fixation to Minimally Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures; University of Maryland School of Medicine, Gerard Slobogean, MD., MPH, FRC.

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award, for funding Wearable O2 sat. Sensor to Guide Return to Play; PI James E. Voos, MD., et al.

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award,  for funding Use of Amniotic Membrane Graft for Quad Tendon Autograft Harvest Site; Oschner Health; PI Jeremy Burnham, MD et al.

 

$20,000 provided to AOSSM as part of a two year commitment of seed money towards a new Surgical Skills Program organized by AOSSM.

 

$20,000 provided to OREF  for funding Validating the Use of Next-Generation Sequencing to Open Fracture Care, University of Pennsylvania, Bijan Dehghani, MD (Richard Kyle, MD designated award).

 

$20,000 provided to OTA for funding Percutaneous Sacral Screw Fixation for Operative Treatment of Geriatric Lateral Compression Level 1 Pelvic Fracture-Randomized Control Trial; University of Minnesota; Ilexa Rae Flagstad, MD.

 

$15,000 provided to Duke Health, Faegin Leadership Forum, scholar award to Jack Twomey-Kozak, MD. candidate; Class of 2024.

 

10,000 provided to AAOS for the AAOS Research Symposium (part of a multi-year commitment).

 

$7500 provided to The Forum for its’ annual meeting program sponsorship.

 

2021

$100,000 provided to OREF for funding  the Steadman Philippon Research Institute for Understanding Contribution of Senescent Cells to Rate of Fracture Repair;; Chelsea Bahney, PhD.

 

$100,000 provided to AOSSM, for co-funding with OREF and AAOS, of the joint  award of $400,000 for the multi-center grant of JUPITOR 4.0: Risk factors for failure of isolated MPFL reconstruction; Hospital for Special Surgery; PI Beth Stubin Stein, MD et al.

 

$50,000 provided to OTA for funding Treatment for Acute Fracture Related Infections Utlizing Bacteriophage Therapy; Univ. of Missouri; Karl M. Schweser,  MD.

 

$35,000 provided to Rush University over three years, commencing in  2021, for funding A Biomaterials & Tribology Study of Failed Shoulder Implants with Commonalities; Grant Garrigues, MD

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award, funding Utilization of a 3D Printed Customized Knee Extender On Patient Outcomes Following ACL Surgery; Sanford Health; Nathan W. Skelley, MD.

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award, funding Biobanking and High Dimensional Immunoprofiling of Synovium in Patients Undergoing ACL Reconstruction; Ortho Carolina/Atrium Health Institute; Jonathon Riboh, MD.

 

$25,000 provided to AOSSM for the Playmaker Award, funding Smartphone-Based Kinematic Analysis for the Orthopedic Sports Medicine Physical Exam; Stanford University; Seth Sherman, MD.

 

$20,000 provided to OTA for funding Fabrication & Evaluation of Ready Made , Self Contouring, Waterproof & Easily Removable Cast for Extremity Mobilization; Univ. of Wisconsin; Eamon Bernardoni, MD.

 

$20,000 provided to OREF for initial co- funding of Mediators of the OA Cascade in the Pre-Arthritic Hip; Washington University; Cecilla Pascual Garrido, MD, PhD.

 

$20,000 provided to OREF for Developing & Testing Tool for Preference Elicitation in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Stanford University; Robin Kamel, MD.

 

$15,000 provided to Duke Health, Faegin Leadership Forum, scholar awarded to Gloria Zhang, MD Candidate, Class of 2023.

 

$10,000 provided to AAOS for funding  an Orthopaedic Outpatient and Rapid Recovery course.

 

$7500 provided to The Forum for its’ annual meeting program sponsorship.

 

 

2020

$100,000 provided to OREF for funding When Can Patients Safely Drive After Rotator Cuff Repair, Carillon Medical Center, Peter Apel MD. PhD.

 

$80,000 committed to OTA for funding Virtual Mechanical Testing of Humeral Fracture Healing and Non-Union, Boston Medical Center, Hannah L. Dailey, PhD et al.

 

$50,000 provided to OTA for funding Axially Vascularized 3D Printed Bone Flaps, McGill University Health Center, Mitchell Bernstein MD., FRCSC.

 

$20,000 provided to OREF for initial co- funding of Mediators of the OA Cascade in the Pre-Arthritic Hip; Washington University; Cecilla Pascual Garrido, MD, PhD.

 

$20,000 provided to OTA for funding An Analysis of Longevity in the Geriatric Hip Fracture Population, Jacobi Medical Center, Sandip P. Tarpada M.D.

 

$20,000 provided to Rush University for funding a computer related study on Femoral Acetabular Impingement Syndrome, Shane J. Nho, MD, M.S. etal.

 

$15,000 provided to Duke Health for the Glenn Johnson/Aircast Foundation Feigen Leadership Scholar Award.

 

$10,000 provided to OREF for continued funding of Mediators of the OA Cascade in the Pre-Arthritic Hip; Washington University; Cecilla Pascual Garrido, MD., PhD.

 

$10,000 provided to Performance Rehab for funding a preliminary PT study on Enhancing Hip Strength using a Unique Belt and Resistance Band, Dr. Erin Markel, DPT, CSCS..

 

$10,000 provided to AAOS for funding the class on Daily Dilemma in Trauma, Paul Tornetta III, MD.

 

$5,000 provided to The Forum for its’ annual meeting program sponsorship

 

 

2019

$150,000 committed to funding the multi-year AOSSM-AIRCAST FOUNDATION study Validation of an Evidence-Based Return to Sport after ACL Reconstruction, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. awarded to Mark V. Paterno, Ph.D.

 

$100,000 provided to OREF to fund the OREF-Aircast Foundation study, Are Opioids Needed?, Emory University, awarded to John W. Xerogeanes, MD.

 

$50,000 committed to  jointly funding the OTA grant for Can Soft Tissue Perfusion Measured by Real-time Laser Assisted Indocyanine Green Angiography Predict Post-Operative Wound Complication in high Risk Tibial Plafond, University of Maryland, PI Gerard Slobogean, MD. et al.,

 

$15,000 provided to Duke Health for the Glenn Johnson/Aircast Foundation Feigen Leadership Scholar Award.

 

$5,000 provided to The Forum for its’ annual meeting program sponsorship.

 

2018

$75,000 to Rush University for Pre-Clinical Testing of Peripheral Kappa Receptor Agonist for Back Pain, Howard An, MD. principal investigator.

 

$50,000 provided to funding the OREF-Aircast Foundation grant for a Multicenter randomized trial of Home vs. PT Rehabilitation for Reverse TSA, Duke University. Grant Garrigues, MD.

 

$15,000 provided to Duke Health for the Glenn Johnson/Aircast Foundation Feigen Leadership Scholar Award.

 

$5,000 provided to The Forum for annual meeting program sponsorship.

 

*****

 

The Foundation Continued Funding of multi-year prior grant awards in 2016 and 2017 as noted below.

 

*****

 

2017

$150,000 committed to AOSSM for funding a multi-year study (2017-2019)  for Improving ACL Reconstruction Return to Play Outcomes Through Psychological Informed Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical, awarded to Kristen Archer, MD.

 

2016

$150,000 provided over several years (2016-2018) to OREF under the James H. Andrews collaborative research agenda in the Prevention of Youth Sports Injuries, awarded for Non Surgical Treatment of Shoulder Injury in Young Pitchers, Andreas Kontaxi, PhD.

 

$75,000 provided over several years (2016-2017) and cofounded with and to OREF under the Russell Warren Sports Grant program, as noted below:

 

OREF awarded $150,000 over a two year period for Therapeutic Application of M2 Microphages to Improve Tendon Healing; U. of Wisconsin; Michael Halanski, MD.

 

OREF awarded $225,000 over a three year period for Combination Regenerative Therapy for Muscle Injury of Rotator Cuff Tear; UCLA; Frank Petrigliano, MD.

 

RESIDENT RESEARCH GRANTS

Each grant awarded at $5,000

 

OREF 2023

Brendan Shi, MD

Bisphosphonate Chaperoned Effectively Target the Enthesis without Impairing Soft Tissue-to-Bone Repair Integrity, UCLA, Brendan Shi, MD ( a Richard Kyle, MD designated award).

 

OREF 2022

Beth Ashinsky MD
Moving Towards Primary ACL Repair; the Role of the ACL Sheath
Columbia University ( a Richard Kyle, MD designated award).

 

Kyle Morse, MD
A Vertebral Stem Cell Mediating Spine Fusion
Hospital for Special Surgery ( a Richard Kyle, MD designated award).

 

OREF 2015

Koehler, Daniel Mark, MD
U. of Iowa Hosp. College of Medicine
Time Driven Activity Based Cost Analysis of Open vs Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release

 

Noticewala, Manish Suresh, MD
Columbia University Medical Center
Pain, Function and Performance Assessment in Overhead Youth Athlete

 

Bawa, Harpreet, Singh, MD
University of Chicago
Growth Factor Expression During Tendon Healing in three Tendon Types

 

Gage, Mark Joseph, MD
New York University – Hospital for Joint Diseases
Which Surgical Treatment Method of Femoral Neck Fractures Allows for More Rapid Return to Function? A study using a novel method to monitor Postoperative activity

 

Witten, Brent Gregory, MD
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Outpatient Compliance with Portable Pneumatic Compression Device

 

Jain, Amit, MD
John Hopkins University
Duration of Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Orthopaedic Trauma: What is the Standard of Care?

 

OREF 2016

DiSegna, Steven T., M.D.
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Predicting Early Failure in Total Knee Arthoplasty

 

Dobson, Christopher, MD
University of California, San Diego
Biomarkers of Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formaiton and Relationship to Adipoisity in Total Joint Arthoplasty patients

 

Grosso, Matthew J., MD
Columbia University Medical Center
Adductor Canal Block Versus Periartiular Bupivacaine Injection in total knee arthoplasty

 

Ho, Jason C., MD
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Long Term Effects of Glenoid Component Version in Total Shoulder Arthoplasty

 

Pitcher, Austin A., MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Biomechanical Evaluation of Augmentation Strategies For Fixation of Proximal Humerous Fractures in Osteoporotic Bone

 

Rosenthal, Brett D., MD
Northwestern University Medical School
Development of 3D- printed Hyperelastic Bone composites for Bone Regeneration and Spine Fusion

 

Smith, Bryan M., MD, DPT
Loyola University of Chicago School of Medicine
Development of a Real Time Model of Foot and Ankle Kinematics During Simulated Gait A Pilot Study

 

Tangtiphalboontana, J., MD
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Effect of Ibuprofen on Postoperative Narcotic Consumption and Shoulder Functional Outcomes After Arthoscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

 

Von Keudell, Arvind G., MD
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Biomechanical Properties of Intramedullary Suture Anchor vs Traditional Tension Band Wiring in Osteoporotic Olecranon Fractures

 

Yamaguchi, Kent T., MD
UCLA School of Medicine
The Effect of Proximal Tibia Anterior Closing Wedge Osteotomy on ACL Forces and Knee Kinematics; A Biomechanical Study

 

OREF 2017

Abbitt, William P., MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Alpha-defensin; Predictor of Successful Revision TJA

 

Caldwell, Jon-Michael, MD
Columbia University Medical Center
Arthroscopic Technique for Implantation of Tissue Engineered Scaffold

 

Chan, Justin H., MD
Northwestern University-Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Biomechanical Analysis of Partial Extensor Tendon Lacerations over Metacarp

 

Elkins, Jacob, MD, PhD
University of Iowa, Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Biomechanical Considerations in Morbid Obesity in Total Joint Arthoplasty

 

Gebhart, Sandra S., MD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Bisphosphonates Prevent Heterotopic Ossification in the Upper Extremity

 

Korth, Kyle, MD
University of Wisconsin, Hospitals and Clinics
How Tendon Anchoring Techniques Affect Fixation for Tendon Transfers

 

Patterson, Joseph T., MD
University of California, San Francisco, Contracts & Grants
Implants, Morbidity, and Costs in AO/OTA 31-A2 Hip Fractures Among Veterans

 

Rockson, Hayden B., MD, MA
University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care
Defining Success in Perioperative Care Pathways for Hip Fracture Patients

 

Thomas, Danielle, MD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Knot of Henry Variation and the Effect on Plantar Flexion Strength

 

Yim, Nury, MD
NYU Langone Medical Center
Rosiglitazone and Fracture Healing

 

OREF 2018

Anderson, Forest L. MD, M.Ed.
Columbia University-Orthopaedics
T1-rho MRI Evaluation of Glenohumeral Cartilage After Instability Repair

 

Austin, Daniel C., MD
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
An in vitro study of the wear characteristics of polyethylene on bone.

 

Davis, Max MD
University of Michigan Medical Center
Effect of antibiotic cement on the induced membrane in the Masquelet Technique

 

Deveza, Lorenzo MD, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine
Isolation and identification of Human Periosteal Skeletal Stem Cells

 

Rames, Richard MD
Washington University
Long-term Results and Incidence of Osteolysis of Young THA Patients

 

Torchia, Michael MD
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Characterizing the Microbiome of the Native, Arthritic Knee

 

OREF 2019

Christi, Matthew, MD
University of Alabama
Biofilm Growth on Cerclage Materials; Are Nonmetallic Polymers Superior?

 

Hajewski, Christina, MD
University of Iowa
The Utility of Deltoid Ligament Reconstruction in Syndesmotic Inquiries

 

Hutchinson, Ian, MD
Albany Medical College
Preoperative Phototherapy with Benzyl Peroxide to Decrease Pacnes Burden

 

Loeb, Alexander, MD
Johns Hopkins University
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program for Geriatric Fragility Fractures

 

Parek, Ayoosh, MD
Mayo Clinic
Baseball Statistics for Assessing Return to Play in Pitchers

 

Roberts, Heather MD
University of California, San Francisco
Epidemiology, Outcomes and Cost Revision Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

 

$20,000 provided to OREF for funding Inflammation in Rotator Cuff Repair, Columbia University
Medical Center, David Kovacevic M.D.

FUNDING COMMITMENTS PRIOR TO 2015

Prior to 2015, the Foundation had funded 38 Grant Applications in the total amount of $3,796,296

 

In addition to the specific funded studies identified below, as of August 2019, the principal investigators in those grants had obtained 30 NIH funded awards, for an average of 3.5 projects.

 

Upon receiving a large charitable contribution to the Foundation, the Foundation, as reconstituted, again begun funding in 2016, primarily through collaboration efforts with OREF, AOSSM and OTA.

 

The Foundation had funded, or committed to fund, the following studies and programs prior to 2015: