Improving rehabilitation and clinical outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions
We are a small team of researcher-clinicians employed by the University of Otago's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, based in Christchurch.
Our team undertakes research contributing to the rehabilitation of people with congenital and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as those who undergo joint replacement surgeries or have experienced significant musculoskeletal injuries, such as tetraplegia and other spinal injuries. Our research focus includes rehabilitation to enable participation in family and community life, as well as employment.
As individuals, we each work in other teams providing direct clinical services for people living with and recovering from musculoskeletal conditions. Our experience in clinical practice critically informs our approach to research, and our aim is to accelerate the translation of research into clinical application and to use patient reported outcomes to help guide the next direction of research.
Our clinical backgrounds are in physiotherapy and clinical neuropsychology.
ReClaiM research
We use a number of research approaches, depending on the topic of investigation, such as:
- Single-arm trials of orthopaedic devices and treatments;
- Realist synthesis and evaluation of rehabilitation programmes and of outcomes reported by patients;
- Quantitative approaches to evaluating outcomes of musculoskeletal conditions;
- Qualitative approaches to understanding outcomes in complex health conditions;
- Mixed methods approaches to understanding outcomes in complex health conditions.
Some of our current research projects include:
- Early vocational rehabilitation – aiming to explain what works, when, how and why, and for whom – supporting people with acquired neurological impairment to return to work (the "EVOCs study") (sponsored by the Health Research Council of New Zealand);
- Contributing to the development of new Australasian clinical practice guidelines for the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injuries (sponsored by Physiotherapy New Zealand);
- A ten-year assessment of a cementless total knee arthroplasty system (sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, New Zealand);
- A five-year project focusing on optimising outcomes after concussion (sponsored by the Health Research Council of New Zealand);
- Understanding the role of rehabilitation in outcomes following joint replacement (the "ROR study").
- Understanding impacts of co-occurring traumatic brain injury on spinal cord injury outcomes.
- Monitoring long-term outcomes of patients undergoing joint replacement in Christchurch.
- Surgical and rehabilitation techniques to improve upper limb reconstructive surgery in people with tetraplegia.
- Self-management after spinal cord injury – developing and implementing a self-management tool for Aotearoa New Zealand. (sponsored by Lotteries Health Research)
- Longitudinal outcomes following upper limb constructive surgery in people with tetraplegia.
- Development of a virtual reality tool for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
- Mixed reality for pain self-management during minor procedures.
- Navigating health services following stroke.
A growing body of research has been published by our ReClaiM team.
View ReClaiM publications on OUR Archive
Our people
Professor Deborah Snell
Research Professor
Deborah also works as the Director of Clinical Trials at the Canterbury Orthopaedic and Bone Research Association (COBRA), as well as working in local concussion services.
Email debbie.snell@otago.ac.nz
Dr Jennifer Dunn
Senior Research Fellow
Jen also works as a Senior Physiotherapist providing community-based physiotherapy services for people with complex injuries such as spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and amputation and a researcher for the Tetraplegia Upper Limb Surgery (TULS) (South) at Burwood Hospital.
Email jennifer.dunn@otago.ac.nz
Dr Jo Nunnerley
Senior Research Fellow
Jo also works clinically providing support for people transitioning form acute to rehabilitation services after traumatic brain injury.
Email jo.nunnerley@otago.ac.nz
Find us
Our ReClaiM team can be found in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine on the 5th floor of the Christchurch School of Medicine Wednesdays only. The rest of the time we are on the move working in our various other clinical and research roles.