Medical Staff

Tamara A Scerpella, M.D.
Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
128 550 Harrison Center
Syracuse, NY 13202
(315) 464-8614
Lab/Professional Web Site

Education and Clinical Training

M.D.: 1985, University of Iowa
Residency: 1990, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics

Clinical Specialty

Orthopedic Surgery, Certified: 1992, Recertified: 2001

Clinical Department/Section Affiliations

Orthopedic Surgery/Sports Medicine

Clinical Interests

Arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and knee, including treatment of rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, ligament reconstruction and cartilage repair/resection. Sports Medicine

Research Program and Department Affiliations

Orthopedic Surgery

Research Interests

Bone mineral accrual during childhood. Bone mineral density and tibial stress fractures/medial tibial stress syndrome. Functional outcome of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Research Abstract

The role of impact activity in peri-pubertal bone accrual

Attainment of maximal peak bone mass is crucial in the prevention of osteoporosis. Because a majority of bone mass is accrued during the peri-pubertal years, intervention designed to increase the peak should target this period. Physical activity is an important modifiable factor contributing to bone accrual, yet it is unclear whether benefits accrued during childhood are maintained to skeletal maturity. This study tests the following hypotheses: (I) Girls who participate in impact activity will accrue greater amounts of bone during the peripubertal years than inactive girls, and will retain those benefits even after cessation of the activity; (II) Increases in bone geometry will provide a greater contribution to bone mass gain than increases in bone mineral material properties. To test these hypotheses, 40 active gymnasts, 40 retired gymnasts and 40 non-gymnast controls will be followed for a 3 year period, beginning at an average age of 11 years. Hours per week of gymnastics activity will be recorded and amount of physical activity will be measured by questionnaire. At baseline and six month intervals anthropometric measurements will be made, self-Tanner stage will be recorded, and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire will be administered. At yearly intervals bioelectric impedance analysis, muscle strength and endurance will be measured, and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans will be performed. DXA scans will be used to assess differences in bone geometry and in bone volumetric density in active vs. inactive children. Confirmation of the proposed hypotheses will affirm the importance of childhood activity in bone accrual, providing evidence of the protective effect of such activity.

Functional Outcome of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears has become feasible over the last 5 years, but is still not widely performed. Thus, there is a paucity of information regarding functional outcome following this type of surgical intervention. A retrospective review of over 100 such repairs performed by Dr. Scerpella during the last three years is underway. The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) and the self-evaluation portion of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Evaluation Form (ASES) will be administered to all patients. Pre- and post-operative shoulder range of motion and rotator cuff strength, patient age, prior surgery, length of interval between injury and surgery, size of tear, location and anatomy of tear, suture material and repair technique, and coincident procedures will be recorded during chart review. The relationship of scores for the WORC and ASES instruments with each other and with post-operative range of motion and rotator cuff strength will be evaluated using correlation analysis. Regression analysis will be used to determine whether the surgical and non-surgical factors noted above impact upon outcome scores. A prospective study was initiated in June, 2003. Patients are enrolled prior to surgical intervention, and complete the WORC and ASES forms pre-operatively and at both 6 and 12 months post-operatively. Outcome will be assessed through the comparison of pre- and post-operative scores.

This profile was last updated on 09/06/2007

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http://www.upstate.edu/practice/ortho/physicians.php?ID=scerpelt