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Orthopaedic Trauma Society

Research

Led by Caroline Hing.

Caroline Hing
Research Lead
Bio

Caroline Hing

Caroline trained in Medicine at University College London with an intercalated BSc(Hons) in Anatomy & Developmental Biology. She completed her Orthopaedic and Trauma training on the Pott Rotation based at Barts and The London Hospitals with a further period of training at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital whilst completing an MD, doctoral thesis on patellofemoral instability. She also completed an MSc in Orthopaedic Engineering awarded by the University of Wales. Her fellowships included trauma at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia and knee surgery at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals in London.
Caroline has subspecialty interests in knee surgery, especially patellofemoral instability and in trauma. She is a Professor of orthopaedics at St George’s University London with research interests in patellofemoral instability and trauma. She has established a patellofemoral service within St George’s Hospital for local and regional referrals. She was clinical director for corporate outpatients at St George’s Hospital from 2019-2024 and she leads for research in orthopaedics in the trust, having supervised over 50 orthopaedic trials. She has developed trauma research infrastructure within St George’s including research physiotherapists, clinical trials managers and research fellows. She is co-editor in chief of The Knee Journal. As part of AOUK she chairs research and careers development. She lectures nationally and internationally on patellofemoral instability and trauma as well as publishing scientific papers.

We work with new investigators. Getting started in research can seem a daunting prospect. Our team will support new investigators through project construction and onwards development. Having a good idea is often the hardest part! We can help with the rest.

We work with patients. Increasingly our studies are designed closely with patients. Through our recent experience with the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships we are well placed to ensure that future projects deliver on clinical issues that matter to patients.

We partner with funders. We have dedicated funds through the OTS. In addition, we are represented on other funding bodies and our team are experienced in the often confusing landscape of research funding. This assistance, especially to more junior applicants can be of great help when looking for funding to carry out a project. 

We support trainers and trainees. The Orthopaedic Research Community is strongly represented and supported by the trainee body. There is a long track record of trainee initiated and delivered studies and we wish to support these to the best of our ability. Senior trainees are represented and work with us specifically to foster and strengthen these links.

Research resource links

Research Training

Research funding

Equality and Diversity

UK Specialist society research links

International specialist society research links

NIHR

Clinical Trial Units

Clinical trials Units (CTUs) offer educational courses as well as support for developing future national trials and help with the design and implementation of studies through to application for NIHR grants. CTUs offer support through the entire trial’s life cycle. Exeter and Nottingham CTUs are supported by grants awarded by the BOA. CTUs cover regional areas with support provided across different specialities and access to statisticians and health economists.

Other important links

OTS supported research outputs

Active Trials (Recruiting or in Set-up)

Supported by our active sub-committee members;

Andrew Duckworth
Research Comittee
Bio

Andrew Duckworth

Andrew Duckworth is Professor of Trauma & Orthopaedics at the University of Edinburgh and is Honorary Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.  His undergraduate and postgraduate study was undertaken at the University of Edinburgh, with the award of his PhD in 2016.  Following completion of his training in Edinburgh, he was an Upper Limb Fellow at the Wrightington Upper Limb Unit.  

Andrew’s clinical and research interests are in trauma and upper limb surgery, with a focus on injuries around the elbow, wrist and hand. His current research includes multi-centre clinical trials in orthopaedic trauma, large data studies and the efficacy of patient reported outcome measures.  He is the Co-CI for the NIHR funded FOREST and MOTION trials and is a co-app and PI on several other NIHR funded clinical trials.  He is an Editorial Board Member for the Bone and Joint Journal (BJJ), Bone and Joint Research (BJR), Bone & Joint360 and the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma (JOT). He is also on the Research Committees of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) and the Orthopaedic Trauma Society (OTS).  He is a co-director of the world-renowned Edinburgh International Trauma Symposium and is a member of the Edinburgh Sports Medicine Research Network and the UKCCIIS IOC Research Centre of Excellence.
Benjamin Ollivere
Research Committee
Bio

Benjamin Ollivere

Bio coming soon
James Masters
Research Committee
Bio

James Masters

James Masters is Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at the University of Oxford and holds an honorary appointment as an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals.

His research focuses on improving outcomes after musculoskeletal trauma, with particular interests in fragility fractures, surgical infections, and global health. In the UK, he collaborates with data scientists at the Big Data Institute to better understand postoperative complications using routinely collected healthcare data. Internationally, he leads and contributes to collaborative research across Southern Africa on hip fracture epidemiology, care pathways, and health-related quality of life. He was Chief Investigator of a UK multicentre randomised feasibility trial embedded within the WHiTE cohort and has contributed to multiple NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) trials and associated health economic evaluations. He actively supervises doctoral students in both the UK and low- and middle-income countries and is committed to building equitable research partnerships, developing research capacity, and strengthening the global evidence base for trauma care.
Lucy Silvester
Research Comittee
Bio

Lucy Silvester

Lucy Silvester is a Consultant Physiotherapist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, with over 25 years’ experience in orthopaedic trauma and major trauma rehabilitation. She has specialist expertise in the rehabilitation of adults with complex musculoskeletal trauma, including orthoplastics, pelvic injuries, and polytrauma.

Her research focuses on personalised, needs-led rehabilitation and improving transitions from acute to community care. Her doctoral research developed a rehabilitation intervention for adults with complex fractures following traumatic injury.

She has a strong track record in research collaboration, securing competitive funding, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals. She has contributed to national guideline development, including the NICE Guideline for Rehabilitation after Traumatic Injury, NICE Guidelines for Complex and Non-complex Fractures, and the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for complex fractures. She is an Executive Committee member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Trauma & Orthopaedics and a member of the National Major Trauma Rehabilitation Network. 

Lucy is committed to strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration and AHP representation within orthopaedic trauma research.
Mohamed Hashem
Research Committee
Bio

Mohamed Hashem

A Senior Specialty Doctor in Trauma and Orthopedics with 16 years of experience, fellowship training in the UK, Germany, and India, and a subspecialty focus on trauma and foot & ankle surgery. I hold FRCS T&O, European Board Fellowship, MSc in Orthopedics, and a Diploma in Trauma and Reconstruction. Currently a Locum Consultant at Frimley Health NHS Trust, I lead audit and research efforts and serve as Educational Chair of the British Egyptian Medical Association and Faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons. I have a robust research portfolio with numerous publications and projects in the field.
Lynn Hutchings
IOTA Liaison / Research Committee
Bio

Lynn Hutchings

Lynn Hutchings is a Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust. She works solely with trauma patients, with specialist interests in orthoplastics, pelvic and acetabular trauma, and polytrauma.

She has always been interested in the complexity of multiple and severe injuries, completing a Masters in trauma sciences, and a Doctorate in Oxford focused on major trauma physiology, winning awards from NIHR and the American College of Surgeons. After surgical training in Oxford and Bristol, she completed trauma fellowships in the UK MTCs of Oxford and Coventry, and overseas at Vancouver General Hospital.

She has been on the International Orthopaedic Trauma Association (IOTA) Steering Committee since 2023. In addition to representing the UK, she has co-ordinated the European submissions for comparative international reviews on different aspects of trauma care.

She has also been heavily involved in the BOA working group on radiation safety, and has been working in conjunction with the UKHSA and other agencies to ensure orthopaedic trauma is a safe working environment for all.
Mr. Chris Bretherton
Research Committee
Bio

Mr. Chris Bretherton

Chris completed his initial SpR training and DPhil in Oxford and joined the Royal London Rotation as an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in September 2023. He has enthusiasm and experience in collaborative research, leading projects including multi-centre audit, randomised controlled trials and priority setting partnerships. Chris is the past BOTA Academic Representative and the current RCS/BOA Associate Surgical Speciality Lead for Adult Trauma. His clinical and academic interests include fragility fractures, major trauma and pelvis & acetabular surgery. When not #Collaborating – you’ll find him climbing the walls or throwing down with the University Mixed Martial Arts club!
Neil Ashwood
Treasurer
Bio

Neil Ashwood

Professor Neil Ashwood is based at the Research Institute at Wolverhampton University and as an Upper Limb Surgeon at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and has been a consultant for over 20 years.

He has published extensively on upper limb trauma and the orthopaedic complications of disease such as the impact on the body from leprosy and tuberculosis. Currently at Wolverhampton he is working as part of collaborative on bioengineering and the development of metamaterials.

He is a Fellow of the British Orthopaedic Association. Neil has been Associate Medical Director and Surgical Tutor for the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) .He is an ATLS instructor for the RCS and sits on the Subspeciality Orthopaedic group at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is happy to help any budding researchers develop their ideas and sign post them to the appropriate help whatever the size of the project.

 

What does it mean for members?

Our membership enjoys a unique ability to improve awareness of trauma management through access by application to national datasets such as the Trauma Audit Research Network and National Hip Fracture Database. Such relationships have been built over time at both policy and research level with this institution and others. We as a group have published from such datasets which are only one part of the research effort within the society.

Portfolio trials in trauma have been driven inexorably by our members to a point where UK orthopaedic trauma research leads the global effort in seeking answers to the questions that matter most to ourselves and our patients. Successful recruitment to large scale trials is well established in UK orthopaedic trauma as a result and is in many ways the raison d’etre of our work.

Always a highlight of the annual meeting, the NIHR OTS Musculoskeletal Trauma Trials Day bring the Society’s membership together with researchers and research associates each year. The Dragon’s Den part of the congress affords a unique opportunity for those with research proposals to get the backing of the Society and the benefit of the input of some of the world’s foremost Clinical Trials Units.

Learn more about the 2026 Conference

2026 Conference