Research is an ongoing and important part of Dr. Harris’s practice. Staying closely engaged with the evidence, and contributing to it, helps him keep patients at the cutting edge of proven, up-to-date care. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on hip and knee replacement and serves as a peer reviewer for multiple orthopaedic journals. His work asks practical questions with a single aim: making surgery safer, more comfortable, and longer-lasting. An up-to-date list of his publications can be found on Google Scholar.
Infection is one of the most serious complications of joint replacement. Dr. Harris’s research looks at who is most at risk and at the preoperative steps, from antibiotic strategies to correcting risk factors that can help lower that risk.
Bone weakened by osteoporosis can fracture around an implant, sometimes years later. Dr. Harris studies how bone health shapes implant durability, and how recognizing and treating it can protect patients from fractures around a hip or knee replacement.
Blood loss during surgery can mean a transfusion and a slower recovery. Dr. Harris’s research helps identify patients at risk of anemia and examines techniques used to limit blood loss and the need for transfusion.
Not every patient carries the same risk, and much of that can be measured beforehand. Dr. Harris uses routine preoperative bloodwork to define where risk actually rises, so that conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease can be optimized before the day of surgery rather than discovered afterward.