Dr. Rynecki Baker Wins the Joseph C. McCarthy Basic Research Award at ISHA 2026

Posted on: October 26th, 2026 by Our Team

Dr. Nicole Rynecki Baker has received the Joseph C. McCarthy Basic Research Award at the 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting of ISHA – The Hip Preservation Society, held October 8–10 in Bruges, Belgium.

ISHA’s annual meeting is the premier international gathering in hip preservation, bringing together surgeons and scientists from around the world to present the research shaping how hip pain is treated in young and active patients. Earning one of the society’s named research awards on that stage places Dr. Rynecki Baker’s work among the most significant presented at the meeting.

The Research: The Mind’s Role in Hip Surgery Outcomes

Most research on hip arthroscopy focuses on the hip itself: the shape of the bone, the condition of the labrum and cartilage, and the surgical technique. Dr. Rynecki Baker’s award-winning study looked at something just as important and far less studied: how mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, affect how patients do after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement, followed for at least ten years.

Ten-year follow-up is rare in hip arthroscopy research, and it is what makes this work stand out. It shows not just how patients feel in the first year or two after surgery, but whether their results hold up for a decade.

Among 243 patients followed for an average of 14 years, those with a mental health condition before surgery were more likely to need a revision or a hip replacement (23% versus 5%). Importantly, these patients still improved meaningfully after surgery, which means a mental health condition is a reason to plan recovery more carefully, not a reason to avoid surgery.

Turning Research into Better Care

For Dr. Rynecki Baker, the purpose of this research is practical: identifying which patients may need more support, and making sure they get it. In her practice, that means:

• Recognizing who needs a closer eye. Screening for active mental health symptoms is part of every hip evaluation, so patients who may face a harder recovery are identified before surgery, not after.
• Supporting adherence to the recovery protocol. Rehabilitation after hip arthroscopy is demanding. Closer follow-up and check-ins help patients stay on track when recovery feels slow.
• Appropriate medication management. Ensuring pain control and other medications are used thoughtfully and appropriately throughout recovery.
• Coordinating with mental health specialists.Rynecki Baker works alongside psychiatrists, therapists, and other mental health professionals so that a patient’s emotional health and physical recovery are treated together.
• Coaching and support resources. Her practice offers coaching and wellness resources to help patients stay motivated and confident through recovery.

Treating the Whole Patient

This award reflects a theme that runs throughout Dr. Rynecki Baker’s work: recovery is not just physical. Her research on fear of reinjury and the mental side of returning to sport points the same direction. The best surgical results come when the hip, the rehabilitation, and the person are all cared for together.

The award caps a standout year for Dr. Rynecki Baker within the ISHA community. Earlier in 2026, she was selected as a NextGen Bursary Award recipient, which brought her to the Vail Hip Summit to train alongside national and international leaders in hip preservation.