HRC project grant awarded for ROADMAP – a RandOmised Arthroplasty infection worlDwide Multidomain Adaptive Platform trial

Researchers looking to improve management strategies for prosthetic joint infections were recently awarded a $1.4 million project grant from the Health Research Council (HRC). The ‘ROADMAP’ randomised clinical trial seeks to identify the optimal surgical and antibiotic approaches to improve outcomes for people who experience a prosthetic joint infection, which can significantly impact their quality of life and be difficult to treat.

“Our team, made up of surgeons and infection specialists from different hospitals across the motu, are very grateful for this HRC funding” says Dr Tom Hills, co-lead of ROADMAP. “With more and more New Zealanders undergoing joint replacement surgery, we now regularly see cases of this rare but devastating complication”, says Mr Simon Young, co-lead of ROADMAP.

“Prosthetic joint infections can be challenging to cure but we have a range of surgical and antibiotic treatments available – we hope ROADMAP will identify the optimal combination of these treatments to achieve the best outcomes for people who experience a prosthetic joint infection” Dr Hills says.

The HRC announced funding for ROADMAP as part of its 2024 Project and Programme grant rounds, awarding 26 grants worth a combined total of $50.34 million. These grants are designed to support investigator-lead research aimed at improving health outcomes for New Zealanders and to develop critical health research skills and expertise.

The New Zealand ROADMAP Team is hosted by Aotearoa Clinical Trials-Middlemore Hospital who have partnered with researchers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, to deliver a global trial, led by the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.

For more information, please contact Dr Tom Hills; Email: thills@adhb.govt.nz