FAQs

Please refer to our CURRENT Research page for this information.

Please refer to our COMPLETED Research page for this information.

We primarily do basic research, clinical research and biomechanical research.

We mostly undertake prospective studies but from time to time will also undertake retrospective studies. Sometimes we will conduct pilot studies to trial for example, a rehabilitation protocol and depending on how that goes will go on to conduct a larger study. We do studies with people, prosthetics, artificial bones and cadavers.

For further information visit our What Research page.

Research often comes about organically at SSRI and is always a collaborative process.

For example, an idea might come to Dr Cass while he’s operating or Dr Young may read an article while he’s travelling. Either of these surgeons may hear of studies others are doing overseas and decide they’d like to test the same, alternate or parallel theories. Sometimes our surgeons agree and sometimes they disagree with the hypotheses put forward by other researchers.

Our visiting Fellows often arrive at SSRI with at least one idea they’d like to pursue and their time with us provides opportunity, resources and support to do so.

We hold monthly research meetings where ideas are fleshed out together, sometimes with the other members of SSRI faculty, Prof Sonnabend and Dr Jeffery Hughes whose decades of clinical and research expertise are always welcome.

This depends on where we are conducting research.

Many of our studies take place at the hospitals where our surgeons operate i.e. at Royal North Shore Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital and The Mater Hospital (via St Vincent’s Hospital).

Each hospital has its own ethics committee that reviews our projects and governance office that approves the study being conducted within that hospital. Some ethics and governance offices such as Royal North Shore Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital are known as “lead” committees and have the ability to approve hospitals (and other sites) within their jurisdiction as well as each other’s’ sites. This is akin to a mutual recognition agreement, helps simplify the ethics and governance process and minimise the costs involved.

Please refer to our Ethics and Governance Review page for further information.

Research at SSRI is most often funded by SSRI itself. From time to time we do work with other organisations and they may provide partial or entire funding for a research project. SSRI welcomes donations from the public and these monies go directly towards research (or Fellowship education) as decided by the donor.

SSRI is a registered Australian charity and provides receipts for tax purposes for all donations no matter how large or small.

For further information, please see our page WHO Funds Research?

It can be as simple as filling in a questionnaire or consenting for your tissue samples to be tested by a pathology lab. It all depends on the study.

Please refer to our Research Participant page for more information.

In the majority of cases, no. Research participation is generally understood to be an act of altruism and one for which we (as are all researchers) are very thankful. On the flipside, participating in research should not cost you anything either so if you are required to undertake a scan specifically for research we would pay for that.

Please refer to our Research Participant page for further information.

At SSRI, we take the privacy and confidentiality of you and your information (e.g. medical history, test results etc.) very seriously.

We have developed our own Privacy Policy which should answer all your questions but if it does not, please contact Jasmin at ssri@sydneyshoulder.com.au and she will be more than happy to help.

Yes, you can download the most current version of Dr Cass’ CV here

Yes, you can download the most current version of Dr Young’s CV here

This website is not meant to be an exhaustive resource for all shoulder and elbow research, rather its main purpose is to inform SSRI patients, visitors, donors and partners regarding what we do and how we do it.

If you have a question that has not been covered in this section, it may have been covered in the Infrequently Asked Questions page.

Here is a selection of recent articles published by SSRI Surgeons and Fellows:

For a full list of journal articles and published research follow the link below:

The private practices of Dr Cass, Dr Young and Prof Sonnabend are collectively known as “Sydney Shoulder Specialists” and more information regarding same can be found at www.sydneyshoulder.com.au.

When the decision was made to establish a research group by and for these surgeons it was only logical to honour the name of the original group by taking “Sydney Shoulder” and adding “Research Institute.” The name can be a bit of a mouthful so is often shortened to “SSRI.”

Of course and we greatly welcome your support. SSRI is a registered, tax deductible charity and we will provide you with an official receipt.

Please visit our Who Funds Research page for more information.

Sorry, but as we are a small institution we usually cannot accommodate students.

We thank you for your interest and wish you all the best with your studies.

Sorry, but we are unfortunately not able to provide supervision or other support at this time.

We thank you for your interest and wish you all the best with your studies.