Orthopaedic medicine utilises precise control of critical aspects of the bone healing response. This proposal looks at a novel, and powerful neural-based method for controlling these processes. This will be done by modulating the activity of the neuropeptide Y1 receptor, recently identified on osteoblastic cells and capable of powerful, inverse regulation of bone formation activity. Harnessing these effects will provide a critical tool for existing surgical practice.
Biomechanics of the human spine measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Statistics show that 80% of the population suffer back pain at some time. However, because the spine is very complex our understanding of its mechanics and the causes of back pain are still limited. This project will investigate the anatomy and activity of the spinal muscles and the behaviour of the intervertebral disc in living subjects using innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Significant outcomes will be ....Biomechanics of the human spine measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Statistics show that 80% of the population suffer back pain at some time. However, because the spine is very complex our understanding of its mechanics and the causes of back pain are still limited. This project will investigate the anatomy and activity of the spinal muscles and the behaviour of the intervertebral disc in living subjects using innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques. Significant outcomes will be new definitive descriptions of the detailed anatomy of the spine and its mechanisms. This will enhance the accuracy and detail of models under development for predicting spinal function following disease, injury or surgical procedures.Read moreRead less
Bilayered and growth factor-loaded composite scaffolds for the guided bi-differentiation of bone marrow stem cells. The project will regenerate bone-cartilage (osteochondral) tissues using scaffolds, growth factors, and stem cells in order to repair osteochondral defects. The project will improve the quality of life for ~1.4 million Australians suffering from joint pain and disability due to damage or disease of cartilage and subchondral bone. The project will promote Australia research strength ....Bilayered and growth factor-loaded composite scaffolds for the guided bi-differentiation of bone marrow stem cells. The project will regenerate bone-cartilage (osteochondral) tissues using scaffolds, growth factors, and stem cells in order to repair osteochondral defects. The project will improve the quality of life for ~1.4 million Australians suffering from joint pain and disability due to damage or disease of cartilage and subchondral bone. The project will promote Australia research strength in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. The project will also create research opportunities for PhD students, who will be equipped with interdisciplinary skills.Read moreRead less
Development of a Prothrombogenic Bone Graft Substitute. The clinical demand for bone is massive and to counter this bone can be either harvested from the patient or bone substitutes are used. The success or failure of a bone substitute is determined the instant it come into contact with blood. The surfaces of traditional biomaterials induce a foreign body reaction. The aim of this project is to test the bone forming capacity of a biomaterial that is optimised to produce a natural response from ....Development of a Prothrombogenic Bone Graft Substitute. The clinical demand for bone is massive and to counter this bone can be either harvested from the patient or bone substitutes are used. The success or failure of a bone substitute is determined the instant it come into contact with blood. The surfaces of traditional biomaterials induce a foreign body reaction. The aim of this project is to test the bone forming capacity of a biomaterial that is optimised to produce a natural response from the blood. This response will lead to the formation new viable tissue and eventually bone. Such a material will cause faster bone healing, less pain from graft sites, shorter hospital stays and shorter waiting lists. Read moreRead less
The Design, Development And Clinical Assessment Of A New Metacarpophalangeal Joint Prosthesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$188,450.00
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling form of arthritis that affects many people in the community. It commonly involves the finger joints in the hands resulting in deformity, pain and subsequent loss of function. There have been implants designed for finger joint replacement, but unfortunately these implants have had only moderate benefits and can break and lead to further joint destruction resulting in the worsening of deformity and pain. A new implant for finger joint replacement has been develo ....Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling form of arthritis that affects many people in the community. It commonly involves the finger joints in the hands resulting in deformity, pain and subsequent loss of function. There have been implants designed for finger joint replacement, but unfortunately these implants have had only moderate benefits and can break and lead to further joint destruction resulting in the worsening of deformity and pain. A new implant for finger joint replacement has been developed. This implant has several potential advantages. Firstly the unique design acts to prevent recurring deformity in the fingers with rheumatoid disease while allowing functional motion. Secondly, it is thought that patients will return to function earlier and avoid the need for further finger surgery as this implant design relies less on the tissues around it for stability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the biomechanical and clinical benefits of this new implant for finger joint replacement. The new design will undergo specific laboratory tests and be used in a clinical trial to quantify the therapeutic benefits it provides to patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Read moreRead less
Innovative solutions to primary care management of back pain. Each year in Australia over $1billion is spent on low back pain treatment. Part of the reason for this massive expenditure is that back pain is extremely common. Most existing treatments involve highly skilled practitioners and considerable cost to the patient. This program of research will look at evaluating simple, low-cost care for patients with back pain. It will also consider the delivery of back pain care by community pharmacist ....Innovative solutions to primary care management of back pain. Each year in Australia over $1billion is spent on low back pain treatment. Part of the reason for this massive expenditure is that back pain is extremely common. Most existing treatments involve highly skilled practitioners and considerable cost to the patient. This program of research will look at evaluating simple, low-cost care for patients with back pain. It will also consider the delivery of back pain care by community pharmacists, an approach not previously evaluated. Prevention of recurrent back pain will also be studied. Such methods of delivering care will provide enormous savings to the health system while still ensuring best practice care for the patient.Read moreRead less
Using Good Measurement Principles To Examine Musculoskeletal Disease And Improve The Evaluation Of New Diagnostic Tests
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,489.00
Summary
This proposal will apply good measurement principles to 2 important but under-resourced areas: 1) To examine risk factors for musculoskeletal disease (particularly osteoarthritis or “wear and tear” arthritis) and to determine how changes in these risk factors in our community will affect the burden of disease, thus identifying new targets for disease prevention. 2) To improve our ability to evaluate how well new diagnostic tests function when introduced into our healthcare system.
Advanced micro-architecture and nanotopography for enhanced tissue growth in scaffolds. Tissue engineering scaffolds offer an urgently needed synthetic biomaterials solution to overcome disease transmission from donor transplants. This work will combine biomaterial chemistry and designed surface topography to trigger bone formation within a scaffold for the first time in the world. Collaboration with national research leaders on stem cell and animal testing of the new scaffolds will provide the ....Advanced micro-architecture and nanotopography for enhanced tissue growth in scaffolds. Tissue engineering scaffolds offer an urgently needed synthetic biomaterials solution to overcome disease transmission from donor transplants. This work will combine biomaterial chemistry and designed surface topography to trigger bone formation within a scaffold for the first time in the world. Collaboration with national research leaders on stem cell and animal testing of the new scaffolds will provide the necessary interdisciplinary approach to generate a new product for patients in need of bone regeneration. Australia will benefit from the contribution to medical science, the development of a new device for rapid prototyping tissue engineering scaffolds, retain biomaterials research expertise, and generate new biomedical products.Read moreRead less
Improving orthopaedic/dental devices by surface chemical modification. The estimated world market for the orthopaedic implants is expected to be US$125 billion by 2010. Australia imports most of it's orthopaedic implants with an estimated cost in excess of AUD300 million by 2010. The current rate of prosthetic failures in orthopaedic patients is unacceptably high. The project aims to develop new implants that integrate better into bone, thus reducing the rate of revision arthroplasty. This would ....Improving orthopaedic/dental devices by surface chemical modification. The estimated world market for the orthopaedic implants is expected to be US$125 billion by 2010. Australia imports most of it's orthopaedic implants with an estimated cost in excess of AUD300 million by 2010. The current rate of prosthetic failures in orthopaedic patients is unacceptably high. The project aims to develop new implants that integrate better into bone, thus reducing the rate of revision arthroplasty. This would lead to a significant reduction in the cost of health care in our aging population and improve the quality of life for prosthetic recipients. Knowledge gained will facilitate the optimization of orthopaedic and implant dentistry, promoting the technology transfer from academia to the relevant medical device industry.Read moreRead less