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SPRINT signs new partnership with Orthosport Victoria Institute

 The SPRINT Research Centre’s new partnership with OrthoSport Victoria Institute (OSVI) will deliver clinical placement opportunities to students and embed research quality data collection processes to improve patient care.

SPRINT director Associate Professor David Opar said the partnership will help ACU’s Faculty of Health Sciences to secure undergraduate placements for physiotherapy, clinical exercise physiology and exercise science students. It will also be open to Higher Degree by Research Internships for SPRINT and ACU PhD candidates. 

He said the Orthosport Victoria Institute’s sports medicine facility combines world-leading clinical care interwoven with research, with the explicit aim of improving patient care.

OSVI recently established a multi-disciplinary sports medicine clinic offering services from orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, physiotherapists, clinical exercise physiologists, exercise scientists and strength and conditioning coaches.

“The opportunity for SPRINT to collaborate with OSVI will enable our researchers to integrate new technology and novel techniques to better understand and guide rehabilitation and, in the long term, contribute to better outcomes for patients,” Associate Professor Opar said.

“Beyond research, our relationship with OSVI will also allow our undergraduate and postgraduate students to gain valuable real-world experience through placement and internship offerings.”

Associate Professor Opar said a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding between ACU/SPRINT and OSVI was established with the intent of establishing placement, education, and research opportunities.

The partnership has been strengthened by an ACU PartnershipInvest Scheme which supports an ACU researcher to undertake the role of Head of Testing, Strength and Conditioning at OSVI for two years. This embedded role will allow for the establishment of research quality data collection practices as part of standard clinical care.

OVSI lead surgeon Mr Tim Whitehead said the SPRINT Research centre will provide OSVI with the opportunity to improve patient outcomes by advancing knowledge in the areas of injury prevention, management, and recovery as well as athletic assessment and performance.

“Athletes and patients in the sporting domain, as well as those recovering from degenerative conditions, will benefit greatly from SPRINT’s established and developing laboratory and applied research techniques,” he said

“Cutting-edge biomechanical analysis will optimise current postoperative rehabilitation pathways for joint-associated injury. The focus will be on prescribing an individualised program to improve weakness in targeted muscle groups and in doing so improve patterns of movement. The aim will be to improve short term function and long-term outcomes.”