Profile

Contact Details

Phone: +64 3 479 7460
Email: miranda.buhler@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Qualifications

BPhty MPhty(Distinction) PhD

Research summary

Musculoskeletal conditions, hand and upper limb, allied health workforce, health care access

Teaching

Clinical teaching, mentoring, and supervision for hand therapy clinical practice and registration pathway
4th year project / honours / masters' co-supervision
Invited Lecturer PHTY354 Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Science

Memberships

Chair, Hand Therapy New Zealand (Co-chair)
Kaitiaki, Tae Ora Tinana, Physiotherapy New Zealand (Kaitiaki)
Health Research South Board
Australia New Zealand Musculoskeletal Trials Network (ANZMUSC) Early Career Fellow Committee
Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand (HSRAANZ)
Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network
Centre for Health Systems and Technology (CHeST)
Osteoarthritis Research Society International(OARSI)
Editorial Board Hand Therapy

Clinical

Physiotherapy Expert Clinician (hand and musculoskeletal conditions), Te Whatu Ora Southern

Research

Miranda is a clinician-researcher working in the areas of musculoskeletal physiotherapy and health services research.

Her clinical research aims to improve outcomes of care for musculoskeletal conditions focusing on the hand and upper limb.

She has conducted work in thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and finger flexor and extensor tendon repair using qualitative methods, patient co-design, randomised controlled trial, systematic review, and imaging studies. She has particular interests in understanding the impact of conditions for patients and whānau, the effectiveness of orthotic and patient / whānau education interventions, and developing evidence-based pathways of care.

In the health services field, her research investigates how allied health workforce can be better situated to equitably meet population health needs particularly for Māori, Pacific, and low socioeconomic populations.

Miranda is currently conducting a physiotherapy workforce analysis using geospatial methods of 3-step floating catchment area (3SFCA) with support from collaborators at Saskatchewan University, Canada and at the University of Western Australia.

Additional details

Miranda Buhler, Publons

Publications

Watson, G., Rodger, R., Buhler, M., Tofi, U., Gauld, R., & Perry, M. A. (2025). Strategies that impact the workforce retention of physiotherapists and other allied health professionals: A scoping review. European Journal of Physiotherapy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/21679169.2025.2469108 Journal - Research Other

Buhler, M., Shah, T., Perry, M., Tennant, M., Kruger, E., & Milosavljevic, S. (2024). Geographic accessibility to physiotherapy care in Aotearoa New Zealand. Spatial & Spatio-temporal Epidemiology, 49, 100656. doi: 10.1016/j.sste.2024.100656 Journal - Research Article

Buhler, M. (2024, April). Equity of geographic accessibility to physiotherapy care in Aotearoa. Verbal presentation at the Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network National Rural Health Conference, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Bühler, M., Atmore, C., Perry, M., Crengle, S., Norris, P., & Baxter, G. D. (2024). Patient experiences and perspectives of health service access for carpal tunnel syndrome in Aotearoa New Zealand: A normalisation process theory-informed qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 24, 465. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-10871-x Journal - Research Article

Buhler, M. (2023, November). Thumb base osteoarthritis survey of practice. Verbal presentation at the Osteoarthritis Aotearoa New Zealand Research Network (Te Anga Kaikōiwi o Aotearoa) Annual Conference & the Taumata Osteoarthritis Aotearoa New Zealand Osteoarthritis Summit, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2025

Journal - Research Other

2024

Journal - Research Article

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2023

Journal - Research Article

Bühler, M., Gwynne-Jones, D., Chin, M., Woodside, J., Gough, J., Wilson, R., & Abbott, J. H. (2023). Are the outcomes of relative motion extension orthoses non-inferior and cost-effective compared with dynamic extension orthoses for management of zones V-VI finger extensor tendon repairs: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Hand Therapy, 36, 363-377. doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2023.02.010

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Buhler, M. (2023, August-September). Thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis survey of practice. Verbal presentation at the Hand Therapy New Zealand Ringaromi Aotearoa Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Buhler, M. (2023, August-September). Musculoskeletal integrated telehealth hybrid model of care for carpal tunnel syndrome. Verbal presentation at the Hand Therapy New Zealand Ringaromi Aotearoa Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand.

2022

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Buhler, M. (2022, March). Patient/public perceptions of the role of digital health modalities in a pathway of care for carpal tunnel syndrome: A participatory qualitative study. Verbal presentation at the Health Informatics New Zealand (HiNZ) Digital Health Conference, [Online].

Buhler, M. (2022, March). The benefits of adding a splint to best practice usual care for thumb CMC OA: A feasibility RCT. Verbal presentation at the Hand Therapy New Zealand Ringaromi Aotearoa Conference, [Online].

2021

Journal - Research Article

Bühler, M., Chapple, C. M., Stebbings, S., Pōtiki-Bryant, K., & Baxter, G. D. (2021). Impact of thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: A pragmatic qualitative study. Arthritis Care & Research, 73(3), 336-346. doi: 10.1002/acr.24124

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Buhler, M. (2021). Recruiting participants for health research: Is there a place for asking about income? Proceedings of the New Zealand Primary Health Care, General Practice & Rural Health Research Symposium. Retrieved from https://events.otago.ac.nz/2021-gp-phc-rh

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Buhler, M., Chapple, C. M., Stebbings, S., Gwynne-Jones, D., & Baxter, G. D. (2021, August). Splinting in addition to best practice usual care for thumb CMC OA: A feasibility RCT. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Rheumatology Association (NZRA) Annual Scientific Meeting, [Online].

Other Research Output

Buhler, M. (2021, March). "My thumb is the captain of the ship": The impact of thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis and the effectiveness of splinting. Centre for Health, Activity & Rehabilitation Research Seminar, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Department Seminar].

Awarded Doctoral Degree

Buhler, M. (2021). The impact of thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis and the effectiveness of splinting (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/10922

2020

Journal - Research Other

Buhler, M., Chapple, C. M., Stebbings, S., Adams, J., Gwynne-Jones, D., & Baxter, G. D. (2020). Splinting for thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: Protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy Reviews, 25(3), 196-204. doi: 10.1080/10833196.2020.1763662

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Falling, C., Buhler, M., Devan, H., Ward, S., & Pelicioni, P. (2020, December). How did I get here? Pathways from undergrad to researcher. Panel discussion at the School of Physiotherapy Postgraduate Research Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2019

Journal - Research Article

Buhler, M., Chapple, C. M., Stebbings, S., Sangelaji, B., & Baxter, G. D. (2019). Effectiveness of splinting for pain and function in people with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis & Cartilage, 27, 547-559. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2018.09.012

Journal - Research Other

Bühler, M. (2019). Dealing with hand arthritis. Physical Therapy Reviews, 24(3-4), 82-83. doi: 10.1080/10833196.2019.1660031

2018

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Buhler, M. (2018). Impact of thumb base osteoarthritis: A qualitative study of patients' perspectives. Proceedings of the Physiotherapy New Zealand Conference. (pp. 45). Retrieved from https://pnz.org.nz/conference

2015

Journal - Research Other

Bühler, M., Johnson, G., & Meikle, G. (2015). Longitudinal in vivo ultrasound observations of the surgically repaired zone II flexor digitorum profundus tendon [Clinical note]. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 41(11), 3018-3022. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.07.006

2012

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Buhler, M., Johnson, G., & Meikle, G. (2012). Vascularization of the surgically repaired intrasynovial flexor digitorum profundus tendon: Power Doppler observations. Clinical Anatomy, 25(4), (pp. 531). doi: 10.1002/ca.22049

2011

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Buhler, M., Johnson, G., & Meikle, G. (2011). Vascularisation of the surgically repaired intra-synovial flexor digitorum profundus tendon: Power Doppler observations. Proceedings of the 8th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists (ANZACA): New Insights: Implications for Clinical Practice. (pp. 21). Retrieved from http://anzaca.otago.ac.nz/images/anzaca2011/anzaca2011_abstracts.pdf

Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)

Bühler, M., Johnson, G., & Meikle, G. (2011, October). Detection of changes in collagen fibre alignment and density post penetrating trauma and open surgical repair of the flexor digitorum profundus tendon: A case series. Poster session presented at the Division of Health Sciences Research Forum: Innovation through Collaboration, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Bühler, M., Johnson, G., & Meikle, G. (2011, November). In-vivo ultrasound observations of echogenicity in the surgically repaired flexor digitorum profundus tendon: A case series. Verbal presentation at the Annual conference of the New Zealand Association of Hand Therapists (NZAHT): The Wrist, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.

Buhler, M., Johnson, G., & Meikle, G. (2011, December). Vascularization of the surgically repaired intrasynovial flexor digitorum profundus tendon: Power Doppler observations. Verbal presentation at the 8th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists (ANZACA): New Insights: Implications for Clinical Practice, Dunedin, New Zealand.