Medical Discussion Paper - Osteoarthritis

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Osteoarthritis

  • Discussion paper prepared for
  • The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
  • November 2008
  • Prepared by:
  • Dr. Marvin Tile
  • MD, B.SC(Med), FRCSC
  • Professor Emeritus, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
  • Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre

Dr. Marvin Tile graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School in 1957. He did post-graduate training in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Toronto from 1958 to 1963, and was awarded the Royal College Fellowship in Surgery (Orthopaedics) in 1963. He was granted the Detweiler Fellowship in 1963 and travelled extensively in Europe, visiting leading orthopaedic centres. He joined the faculty at the University of Toronto in 1966 and holds the rank of Professor (Emeritus) in the Department of Surgery (Orthopaedics).

His clinical and research interests have been in orthopaedic trauma care, and also in the management of arthritis, including hip and knee arthroplasty. He also has a major interest in low back pain.

He has published widely, especially in orthopaedic trauma. He has authored two texts: Fractures of Pelvis and Acetabulum, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 3rd Edition, 2003 and Rationale of Operative Fracture Care with Dr. Joseph Schatzker, Springer-Verlag, 3rd Edition, 2005, now in 6 languages. Since 1966, he has been on the Active Staff in orthopaedic surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a University of Toronto, fully affiliated hospital. He was Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at that institution from 1971 to 1985 and Chief Surgeon from 1985 to 1996. He has been elected to many prestigious positions. He was the founding president of the Ontario Orthopaedic Association (1978-80), Past President of the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine (1986-7), Past President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (1991-2), and in 1992-4, Past President of the AO Foundation, Switzerland (devoted to research and education in fracture care, world wide). As well, he was Chair of the Sunnybrook Foundation (1996-2001). An endowed Chair in Orthopaedic surgery has been established in his name at Sunnybrook HSC and the University of Toronto. Dr. Marvin Tile has been a medical counselor in orthopaedics for the Tribunal from 2004.

This medical discussion paper will be useful to those seeking general information about the medical issue involved. It is intended to provide a broad and general overview of a medical topic that is frequently considered in Tribunal appeals.

Each medical discussion paper is written by a recognized expert in the field, who has been recommended by the Tribunal’s medical counsellors. Each author is asked to present a balanced view of the current medical knowledge on the topic. Discussion papers are not peer reviewed. They are written to be understood by lay individuals.

Discussion papers do not necessarily represent the views of the Tribunal. A vice-chair or panel may consider and rely on the medical information provided in the discussion paper, but the Tribunal is not bound by an opinion expressed in a discussion paper in any particular case. Every Tribunal decision must be based on the facts of the particular appeal. Tribunal adjudicators recognize that It is always open to the parties to an appeal to rely on or to distinguish a medical discussion paper, and to challenge it with alternative evidence: see Kamara v. Ontario (Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal) [2009] O.J. No. 2080 (Ont Div Court).

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