![]() With Thanksgiving Break coming, I wanted to contact some more professionals. I was able to meet with Dr. Miller’s assistant and schedule a meeting with Dr. Wells from UT Southwestern on November 30th in his office. With these appointments accounted for, I can rest assure that I will be able to hit the ground running after the week long break. During the break I read more about three dimensional printing technology in the medical field. Specifically, I did some light-reading on the development of 3D printing tissue. These publications provide some information about the use of biotic material to develop fully-functioning tissue. These developments would do wonders in the practice of medicine, and I immediately saw its implication in ACL surgeries (which I researched in Research Assessment 2). Three dimensional printing technology can possibly allow surgeons to replace a damaged Anterior Cruciate Ligament with a newly printed prosthesis rather than a graft from the patellar tendon. These ideas seem much more grand, and would require much more research into the relation of cellular biology. I do not believe I can pursue this idea in the span of a single year in ISM. Nonetheless, it was an interesting read. The break in itself was a nice relief of stress from school work, and it was a great opportunity for me to learn more about new technological advances in the field of medicine. Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future. -Hippocrates
With thanksgiving on the way, I begin to focus on planning my original work. This is all in preparation for Research Showcase in January. I was able to conquer Research Speeches on Thursday. I received some much needed feedback about them which included minute details such as pacing, looking back, and voice inflection. Overall, I am glad how it went, and I am sure these issues will be mitigated through experience. While I was at physical therapy, Ms. Abbot, my therapist, provided me with a contact to Dr. Schacherer. In the past, he has performed a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. This procedure is similar to an ordinary total shoulder arthroplasty, but the ball and cup are in the opposite places to form an inverted joint. This procedure is done in order to mandate a different set of muscles to move the joint. If the rotator cuff was torn, then the procedure is done, so the deltoid would control movement. Personally, I have never heard of such a procedure. Not only does it deviate from the anatomical structure of the human body, it is performed in order to alter the physiology of the shoulder joint’s muscle groups. By doing some prior research over the procedure before ever meeting with Dr. Schacherer, I hope to ask more in depth questions about the practicality of the procedure rather than asking about how it is performed. After all, questions about the procedure itself can be written in its own research assessment. He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help -Abraham Lincoln
![]() Continuing on my initial thoughts on a three-dimensional printed prosthesis, I began sharing my ideas with other people. Throughout the year, I have been going to physical therapy sessions at the Texas Health Resources Center. While I was there, I shared my ideas to the professionals who were stretching my arm. Although I never professionally contacted them for a research interview, I was still able to receive some feedback over the subject matter. Because Dr. Bass directed me to this particular health center, they were well acquainted with the physicians at UT Southwestern. Therefore, they were more than happy to help me in my ISM journey. Ms. Jan, a physical therapist at Texas Health Resources, suggested that I look into total shoulder replacements. Although they are less common that hip and knee replacements, it is still an important subject to tackle. As we continue having our sessions, I hope to discuss more about the use of three dimensional printing and the future in prosthesis development. I will soon showcase what I have learned throughout the year in a Research Speech. I will be compiling my the first six of my research assessments with my interviews. This presentation will be my first showcase of all my learning, and it will lead me to my final presentation in FPN. Learning never exhausts the mind - Leonardo da Vinci
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Shoaib FarooquiStudent currently enrolled in Liberty High School, studying orthopaedic medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Joel Wells. Archives
January 2018
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