Timothy R. Daniels
MD, FRCSCProfessor, University of Toronto
Head, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital
Past-President and CoFounder of the Biennial Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) Symposium – a joint CME event by the COA and University of Toronto
Since September 2005, Reviewer for the "Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery" (American edition)
Since 2009, Inaugural Head of the University of Toronto Foot and Ankle Program
Since 2010, Chair of the Research Committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS)
In July 2011, I was awarded the Canadian Orthopaedic Association’s Award of Merit
Phone
(416) 864-5392
Fax
(416) 359-1601
Affiliated Hospital(s)
St. Michael's Hospital
Practice Location
55 Queen St. East, Suite 800
Toronto, ON M5C 1R6
Assistant
Helen Owh
Biography
Medical School
University of Saskatchewan
Specialty Training
Foot and ankle surgery
Fellowship Training
Foot and ankle surgery
Areas of Specialty and Research Interests
Foot and ankle pathology
Gait mechanics, ankle arthritis
Clinical and Applied Basic Research
I have been actively involved in supervising clinical clerks to PhD students: i.e. medical students during their summer research projects, orthopaedic residents enrolled in a two-year Surgical Scientist Program, fellows enrolled in a Masters program and students in a PhD program.
In the academic years of 1996-97 and 1997-98, I was the primary supervisor of a full-time resident who was enrolled in the two-year Surgical Scientist Program and obtained a research grant from the Canadian Arthritis Society. Our project examined the biomechanics of the tarsal tunnel, identifying increased tension on the tarsal tunnel contents with progressive pes planus deformities. This study was done in cooperation with the Anatomy Department and Sunnybrook Biomechanics Research Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Trevor Hearn (PhD). Four papers were published during these research years and a thesis on “The Effects of Tarsal Tunnel Release and Stabilization Procedures on Tibial Nerve Tension in a Surgically Created Pes Planus Foot” was successfully defended. This thesis was published in 1998 and is available for review at the University of Toronto Medical Sciences Library.
Since 2008, I have been collaborating with Dr. Geoff Fernie of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, more specifically in a Challenging Environment Assessment Lab (CEAL) – a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art laboratory to study the impact/effects of ankle arthritis on gait in various environmental settings and climate. Currently, I am supervising a 2-year Masters of Science student as well as a PhD student working on this project. The PhD student has applied for and received a two-year grant from the Physician Services Incorporation (PSI) for a study entitled ‘Patients' perspectives on total ankle arthroplasty: A qualitative study exploring pre- and post-operative experiences.’ Other projects completed and presented at both national and international meetings to date centre on the topic of assessing the accuracy and applicability of validated outcome scores for foot and ankle pathologies: (i) ‘Reliability and validity of 5 lower extremity outcome measures in ankle arthroplasty and arthrodesis’ and (ii) ‘Do lower extremity outcome questionnaires used to assess ankle replacements and fusions really capture what patients want us to hear?’
In addition to basic science research, I have implemented and published several clinical trials such as (i) a clinical comparison between Interpositional Arthroplasty vs. Cheilectomy Phalangeal Osteotomy for the management of hallux rigidus and (ii) the clinical results of major hindfoot reconstruction for severe deformity related to Charcot arthropathy and (iii) the mid-term outcomes of fresh talar osteochondral allografts for large talar defects. Currently, I am involved in several multi-centered clinical trials: (a) Gait analysis in patients that have undergone an ankle replacement vs an ankle fusion; (b) mid-term functional outcomes of ankle fusions vs ankle replacements; (c) functional and radiographic outcome of patients who have undergone an ankle replacement with a pre-operative coronal talar deformity (varus and valgus) vs those without talar deformities; (d) clinical and radiographic outcomes of first metatarsophalangeal fusion vs cartiva hemiarthroplasty for hallux rigidus; and (e) gait analysis of patients with end stage ankle arthritis on handicap ramps vs flat surfaces at the CEAL’s gait laboratory in the Toronto Rehabiliation Institute. My research activities and involvement in medical education conferences have allowed me to attract clinical fellows from all over the world.
