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Daniel Wiznia, MD

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation; Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Joint Reconstruction; Director of Technology and Innovation, General Orthopaedics

Contact Information

Daniel Wiznia, MD

Office Location

Mailing Address

  • Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

    P.O. Box 208071

    New Haven, CT 06520-8071

    United States

3D Personalized Medicine; Orthopaedic Research

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Research Summary

Dr. Wiznia has developed research programs in total joint replacement, avascular necrosis, health care policy, and injury prevention. His medical device design and engineering research focuses on robotics and computer navigation, 3D printing of custom instruments, mathematical modeling of total joint replacement constructs and orthopedic trauma fracture fixation. His musculoskeletal health equity research focuses on improving patient access to specialty orthopedic and total joint replacement care. His findings have been reported in many professional peer reviewed publications, and his research has been presented at regional and national meetings.

Extensive Research Description

Joint Reconstruction, Engineering, Technology & Innovation

Dr. Wiznia's arthroplasty research program focuses on improving the postoperative treatment of patients by focusing on reducing surgical site infections, improving pain management techniques, refining DVT prophylaxis and examining the treatment of periprosthetic infections. He has published multiple case reports focusing on solutions to complex arthroplasty. With the use of 3D technology, he is developing patient specific surgical approaches, 3D printed instruments and implants. Dr. Wiznia is developing novel stem cell treatments for avascular necrosis / osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Through Dr. Wiznia's position as the Director of Technology & Innovation for the Department of Orthopaedics, he has developed the total joint replacement robotic center at our Yale New Haven Hospital Milford campus and computer-navigated total joint replacement surgery techniques.

Musculoskeletal Healthcare Policy

Dr. Wiznia examines patient disparities in access to care. Specifically, he examines disparities in arthroplasty care, and the Affordable Care Act has influenced Medicaid patient access to care. His team uses appointment accessibility audit studies, what some people term "secret shopper" studies, as an instrument to measure patient access to care. His team has demonstrated that Medicaid patients face a disparity in access to care, which has worsened since the Affordable Care Act. He has found that significantly fewer physicians accept Medicaid, there are more barriers to care placed on Medicaid patients, wait times are significantly longer, and safety net institutions (such as academic medical centers, federally funded community health centers, nonprofit and government hospitals) have higher Medicaid acceptance rates. His team has a long history of mentoring Yale undergraduate students, medical students and residents, and we have collaborated with multiple departments within the School of Medicine. He is a member of the Steering Committee for Movement is Life, a multi-stakeholder coalition dedicated to promoting health equity and eliminating musculoskeletal health disparities. He has been interviewed for the Health Disparities Podcast and regularly gives Grand Rounds about disparities in arthroplasty care. He is currently publishing with JAAOS and Movement is Life a special article series focused on optimizing patients for total joint replacement.

Orthopaedic Trauma, Injury Prevention and Motorcycle Collisions

Dr. Wiznia's research focuses on motorcycle and motor vehicle trauma patients. He examines motorcycle trauma patients’ risk factors with the ultimate goal of reducing the number and severity of motorcycle accidents. In addition, he is examining the costs of treating these patients and identifying motorcycle trauma injury patterns and associated mechanisms of injury. He is also examining methods of how to prevent hip fractures in the geriatric patient population.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Biocompatible Materials; Biomedical Engineering; Computer Simulation; Delivery of Health Care; Engineering; Health Services Accessibility; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Hip Fractures; Hip Joint; Knee Joint; Orthopedic Equipment; Orthopedic Fixation Devices; Orthopedics; Osteonecrosis; Robotics; Stem Cells; Patient Simulation; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Health Status Disparities; Healthcare Disparities

Public Health Interests

Poverty and Economic Security; Health Equity, Disparities, Social Determinants and Justice

Research Images

3D Printed Arthritic Knee
Preoperatively modeling the patella tracking of a patient with mal-tracking of the patellofemoral joint, who requires a total knee replacement.

Selected Publications

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System; Rheumatology/SclerodermaDIFFIR - Geriatric Distal Femur Fixation Versus Replacement (DIFFIR)
Arthritis; Diseases of the Musculoskeletal SystemOpioid-Sparing Protocol Comparing With Opioid-based Protocol After Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty
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