Wishbone Orthopaedic Research Foundation Grants 

There are two funding rounds for research grants in 2025.  The first funding round closed on 24 February 2025.  All applications will be reviewed at the next Wishbone Orthopaedic Research Committee meeting on 24 March 2025.  The second funding found will close on 25 August 2025 and the application form will be available here when applications open.

Applicants for Wishbone funding are expected to be either Registrars or emerging new clinical researchers with an NZOA member as part of the project team. 

The Wishbone Foundation is supported by the NZOA and all applications are evaluated by the Wishbone Orthopaedic Research Committee.

While grants are mainly smaller in nature, they can lead to larger projects with potentially major benefits for patients.

Below are summaries of the recently completed and ongoing research funded by Wishbone. Log in first to view the individual research reports.

Further Enquiries
E: grants@nzoa.org.nz  P: NZOA +64 (4) 913 9891

Ongoing Research

Project lead:

Mark Zhu

More Details
Working with:
Ryan Gao, Mike Van Niekerk, Marc Hirner, Peter Poon, Ashvin Thambyah (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Medial calcar support for proximal humerus fracture ORIF – biomechanical analysis and testing
Project lead:

Anneke Prankerd-Gough

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Working with:
Sally Roberts, Mark Wright and Chuan Kong Koh (Supervisors)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Reducing surgical site contamination with total knee arthroplasty prep and drape techniques
Project lead:

Erynne Scherf

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Working with:
Nikki Hooper, Jennifer Dunn, Jeremy Simcock, Debbie Snell (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Exploring Perceptions of Orthopedic Surery as a Career Choice for Medical Students
Project lead:

Kong Koh

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Working with:
Naji Ghamri, Mark Wright (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
An Analysis of Risk Factors for Post-operative Mortality in Hip Fractures Using the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry
Project lead:

Jacob Coltman

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Working with:
Wendy He, Nichola Wilson, Alexandra Sorhage. Sue Stott (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Surgical services provided for children living with Cerebral Palsy in the first 15 years of life
Project lead:

Ruikang Guo

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Working with:
Mei Lin Tay, Mark Zhu, Simon Young (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Microbial resistance patterns in Periprosthetic Joint Infection of the knee – a 20-year longitudinal study
Project lead:

Tahlia Kerridge

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Working with:
Harsh Sharma, David Bartle (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Valuing Culture: Translating Patient-Reported Outcome Measures into Te Reo Māori
Project lead:

Atua Fuimaono Asafo

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Working with:
Teuila Percival, Vili Nosa, Jamie Lee, Cherelle Ormsby, Margaret Pohl (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
A qualitative study exploring Pacific people’s perspectives and experience in accessing publicly funded elective hip and knee replacements in Aotearoa New Zealand
Project lead:

Teriana Maheno

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Working with:
David Bartle (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Masters of Clincial Education - dissertation focused on surgical research. Dissertation title 'Resilience and Burnout in Surgical Training'
Project lead:

Sarah Hunter

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Working with:
Braden Te Ao, Paula Lorgelly, Haemish Crawford (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Indirect Cost and Productivity Loss in Childhood Bone and Joint Infection
Project lead:

Rokaya Islam

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Working with:
Jillian Lee (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Pyrocarbon versus Metal prosthesis in Radial Head Replacements: A Retrospective Study
Project lead:

Rushi Penumarthy

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Working with:
Angus Jennings (Supervisor)
Research base:
Not Specified
Topic:
Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty: Influence of Obesity on functional outcomes and re-revisions