Funding the mandate for the orthopaedic clinician scientist.

Advances in orthopaedic surgery are dependent on the creativity and innovation of individuals who have the foresight and commitment to investigate, develop and implement new technologies to improve patient care. These efforts require support and commitment from the orthopaedic community, particularly in regard to funding clinician scientists, whose scientific questions arise at the bedside. In order to support these individuals, strategic funding programs must be initiated to provide education in research methodology during medical school and orthopaedic training, establish seed and starter grants for pilot experiments, institute loan repayment programs to provide relief of the ever-growing burden of debt associated with medical education, and establish entry-level, mid-career level and established-career research support for ongoing scientific exploration. While the National Institutes of Health, Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, and other foundations have begun to take up these challenges, further efforts are needed in order to ensure the growth of our specialty.