Eoghan Hurley, MD, a PGY-4 resident in the Duke University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, has received the 2026 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Excellence in Research Award, a national honor recognizing outstanding scientific contributions that advance the care of athletes and active patients.
Hurley was selected for his manuscript, “Development and Validation of the BRACE (Bankart Risk Assessment & Clinical Estimator) Score – An International Multicenter Study,” which was praised by the AOSSM Research Committee for its rigor, clinical relevance, and potential impact on decision-making in the treatment of shoulder instability.
“I’m incredibly proud and honored to receive this award,” said Hurley. “This is a study I’ve worked on for several years, and I’m hopeful it will make a meaningful impact in how we assess and manage patients with anterior shoulder instability. I’m deeply grateful for the mentorship and support I’ve received at Duke, especially from Jonathan Dickens, MD, who served as the principal investigator.”
The BRACE Score was developed to help clinicians more accurately assess a patient’s risk profile following a Bankart injury, a common cause of anterior shoulder instability, particularly in young and athletic populations. By incorporating clinical and imaging variables across a large, international cohort, the tool aims to improve shared decision-making around nonoperative versus surgical treatment and reduce the likelihood of recurrent instability.
Hurley’s work reflects Duke Orthopaedics’ strong emphasis on clinically driven, data-informed research that translates directly to improved patient care. The project brought together collaborators from multiple institutions and countries, underscoring the growing role of multicenter research in building robust, generalizable evidence in sports medicine.
As part of the award, Hurley will receive an honorarium and be formally recognized at the AOSSM Annual Meeting later this year.
Hurley plans to continue pursuing outcomes-focused research alongside his clinical training to integrate evidence-based tools like the BRACE Score into everyday orthopaedic practice.
The AOSSM Excellence in Research Award is presented annually to investigators whose work demonstrates exceptional quality, innovation, and relevance to sports medicine and orthopaedic care.