Name and Surname: prof. Nejc Šarabon, PhD
Links: ARIS 21495, LINKEDIN
E-mail: nejc.sarabon@fvz.upr.si
Research facility (research activity location)
University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences,
Research field according to ARIS classification
Science: Social sciences
Field: Sport
Subfield: Kinesiology – medical aspect (orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation,..)
Summary of research topic and field
Mentoring of a young researcher under the Public Call for Young Researchers at the University of Primorska in 2024.
More information on the website: https://www.upr.si/en/about-university/open-calls–tenders/call-for-employment/5291-
Topic: EVALUATION OF CHANGES IN MORPHOLOGY, PAIN, AND FUNCTION IN THE CONTEXT OF ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY WITH AIM TO OPTIMIZE TREATMENT
Traumatic injuries to the knee, such as cruciate ligament, meniscal, and collateral ligament injuries, are common in sports involving rapid changes of direction and rotation. Arthroscopy is the standard method of treating these injuries, as it enables a minimally invasive intervention with accurate reconstruction of the ligaments and treatment of the meniscus, which contributes to faster rehabilitation and reduction of postoperative pain. Surgical challenges include precise graft placement and the choice between autograft and allograft, as each option carries its own advantages and risks. Optimization of surgery and (pre/re)habilitation are key to long-term treatment success and prevention of re-injury. A properly designed rehabilitation program, tailored to the individual, reduces the risk of long-term complications such as arthrosis and enables a faster return to sports activities. The doctoral project will contain several research sections and thus research questions: (1) What is the effect of enhanced bio-psycho-social pre-habilitation treatment of a patient with a knee injury who will be treated with arthroscopic surgery? (2) Can physical therapy approaches during the operation itself – e.g. local cooling, lymphatic drainage – do we improve the post-operative outcome? (3) What are the differences between the operative outcomes of patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury who are treated with arthroscopic surgery and the autograft is taken from different locations? We substantiate the feasibility of the above research with preliminary discussions with OB Valdoltra at the department for sports injuries and arthroscopy. In 2023, a total of 1,633 arthroscopic interventions were performed in the department for sports injuries and arthroscopy
