The Sint Maartenskliniek is the leading referral center for patients with movement disorders in the Netherlands. Research is fully integrated into the hospital’s quality system and has a long-standing tradition.
The research department of the Sint Maartenskliniek currently comprises four research groups. The Orthopaedic Research Group is led by Petra Heesterbeek and specializes in initiating and conducting clinical research in orthopaedic patients and care.
The group has an extensive history in radiostereometric analysis (RSA), dating back to the analogue era. Since then, numerous RSA studies have been conducted, focusing on primary and revision knee arthroplasty, primary and revision hip arthroplasty, as well as elbow surgery, cervical spine procedures, and high tibial osteotomies.
Complex orthopaedic interventions are a major focus of both patient care and research at the Sint Maartenskliniek. Additional research topics include knee kinematics assessed by fluoroscopy, CT-based migration validation, artificial intelligence applications, and clinical outcomes. The group collaborates with several national and international research groups and is always open to new research partnerships.