Building an Orthopedic Future
Matthew Merckling, SOM Class of 2026, Channels His Athletic Training Background into Impactful Research
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With plans for a career as an orthopedic surgeon, Matthew Merckling, SOM Class of 2026, is already working to make a meaningful contribution to the field, while building an impressive research portfolio with numerous publications on a wide range of orthopedic-related topics.
“Rather than always wanting to be a doctor, I stumbled upon how devastating an orthopedic condition can be on a patient's life and how impactful the surgeon can be in treating it while working in sports medicine,” says Merckling, who decided to pursue his medical degree when he was 28 after working as an athletic trainer for several years. “Musculoskeletal anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics have always been fascinating to me, and orthopedics allows me to pursue something I am passionate about and also allows me to make a real difference in people's lives.”
One of Merckling’s recent studies, published in the Journal of Craniovertebral Junction & Spine, which he conducted with fellow New York Medical College students and faculty, looked at the higher prevalence of atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) within the Down syndrome (DS) population. AAS, an abnormal misalignment between the first and second cervical vertebrae, can lead to devastating neurological consequences.
“It is well known that DS patients have a higher rate of atlantoaxial instability due to ligamentous laxity related to their chromosomal abnormality, and also not surprising that they are prone to more complications than the general public. The main issue was less of ‘if’ and more of ‘how much,’” says Merckling.
According to the study, of the 213,095 patients in the National Inpatient Sample database admitted between 2016 and 2020 with AAS as their primary diagnosis, 7.2 percent were DS patients, while prior literature showed a range from single digits to as high as 80 percent.
“Patients with DS can present complex clinical scenarios in many different specialties,” says Merckling. “Conducting this study can arm spine surgeons with greater knowledge to support the best treatment protocol for these unique patients.”
Beyond his own research successes, Merckling is also focused on helping first- and second-year medical students get involved in research. He has mentored students one-on-one to work through research ideas and, along with classmate Victor Koltenyuk, has given presentations to specialty interest groups on efficient ways to conduct database studies, which can often be done by students independently.
“The opportunity to pass forward what we helped develop is more rewarding than any one project I worked on.”
