Meet our Experts

Toronto Rehab researchers are pushing the frontiers of rehabilitation science. We’re finding practical solutions to prevent and manage complex injuries and illnesses. We’re also working hard to get our best ideas and innovations into widespread use.

Current projects related to osteoarthritis and joint replacements include:

 

New model of joint replacement care

Toronto Rehab was one of 26 health organizations that produced an evidence-based, reorganized model of care for joint replacement patients. With this new model, patients are assessed before surgery to identify who needs inpatient rehab and who can go straight home with community-based rehab services. The model increases access to joint replacements, shortens wait times for these procedures, provides standardized care and reduces the total length of stay in hospital.

 

A different balance strategy

Dr. William Gage, a Toronto Rehab adjunct scientist, has shown that people who undergo knee replacement surgery use a different strategy to maintain their balance. Although this may be okay, it’s also possible their different balance strategy could increase the risk of falling or cause problems in other joints. Dr. Gage and colleagues have teamed up with clinicians at Toronto Rehab and Toronto Western Hospital to determine the impact of joint replacement surgery on the risk of falling.
 

Managing osteoarthritis  

Toronto Rehab is working with the Arthritis Society to develop an outpatient model for osteoarthritis care. The model will integrate interprofessional care by Toronto Rehab’s team with the Arthritis Society’s self-management program to determine if the combination can help people manage their disease more effectively.