Laurie Hiemstra, M.D., PhD

Research is focused on knee ligament injury, prevention of secondary injury, rehabilitation and surgical outcomes with an emphasis on ACL injury and reconstruction and patellofemoral instability.

The clinical and research program in Banff is focused on knee ligament injury, prevention of secondary injury, rehabilitation and surgical outcomes with an emphasis on ACL injury and reconstruction and patellofemoral instability. Noting a dearth of validated models and outcomes to follow these patients, we developed a patient reported outcome measure that is the only disease specific quality of life score for patellar instability (Banff Patellar Instability Instrument – BPII2.0). This has led to numerous publications based around iterative validation and psychometric testing of the BPII2.0, This led to a systematic investigation into how pathoanatomic risk factors for patellar instability influence surgical technique and patient outcome. For ACL reconstruction we have the largest cohort in the world that we are following and are collaborating internationally on randomized clinical trials looking at different surgical techniques and how they affect outcome. This research has been made possible by collaborative, pooled post-operative functional testing clinics where standardized assessment of patients is performed in a repeatable validated way. Our research program continues to expand based on our findings, following the principle that the question is more important than the answer.