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The Neurovascular Territories Of The Human Body: Anatomic Study And Clinical Applications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$186,650.00
Summary
A Melways Roadmap of the anatomy of the large and small nerves, arteries and veins of the human body is underway and will take a further three years to complete. The aim is to evolve or modify Reconstructive Plastic Surgery techniques taking tissue from a hidden site and, where possible, include a nerve supply with the transplant so that feeling can be restored to skin flaps and function to transferred muscle. The fundamental objective is to improve the quality of the patients life. We have alre ....A Melways Roadmap of the anatomy of the large and small nerves, arteries and veins of the human body is underway and will take a further three years to complete. The aim is to evolve or modify Reconstructive Plastic Surgery techniques taking tissue from a hidden site and, where possible, include a nerve supply with the transplant so that feeling can be restored to skin flaps and function to transferred muscle. The fundamental objective is to improve the quality of the patients life. We have already completed a thorough examination of the following regions: (i) head and neck (ii) forearm (iii) leg These have received international acclaim and awards. We are currently examining: (i) hand and foot (ii) thigh and buttock. Still to be commenced: (i) arm and shoulder (ii) torso (iii) back. Reconstructive surgery involves the treatment and the reconstruction of defects throughout the whole human body. These defects may arise in any member of the family. With modern reconstructive techniques a problem can often be solved in one operation thus avoiding multiple operations and long periods of hospitalisation which can be devastating to both patient and family. These new techniques nevertheless have demanded a reappraisal of the basic sciences, especially the anatomy of the blood and nerve supply to the potential transplant. This is essential so that they can be designed with not only precision and safety but in such a way that there is minimal disability at the donor site. As well as restoring shape and form, the patient can have tremendous improvement in quality of life and independence if function is also restored. In order to provide function (feeling and movement) a working nerve supply must be included in the reconstruction. Therefore our research must continue to investigate the complex patterns of nerve supply to tissues of the body and correlate this information with the blood supply which is needed to keep the tissue alive.Read moreRead less
Identifying Strategies To Reduce The Risk Of Kneecap Arthritis After Serious Knee Ligament Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Early-onset kneecap arthritis, and associated pain and disability, affects younger adults at an alarming rate after serious knee ligament injury – “young people, old knees”. This research aims to identify modifiable risk factors for early-onset kneecap arthritis (reconstruction surgery, knee biomechanics and functional deficits) which will aid the development of interventions to minimise onset and progression of kneecap arthritis, and reduce the burden of this important public health problem.
Post-discharge Care And Recovery Of Seriously Injured Patients In A Regionalised Trauma System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
The establishment of hospital trauma centres has improved survival for seriously-injured patients. However, there is still potential to improve the care of trauma patients following their discharge from hospital, particularly when they live outside big cities. This research will investigate the challenges faced by trauma patients in accessing follow-up care after they leave hospital, whether this influences their long-term recovery and what can be done to improve their care.
Repairing The Injured Spinal Cord: Potential For Human Olfactory Ensheathing Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$255,990.00
Summary
Spinal cord injury is a major cause of morbidity, particularly among young people involved in road accidents and sports injuries. Finding ways to treat paraplegia is a major goal of neuroscience research. Recently, there has been considerable interest in a special cell found in the olfactory system, the ensheathing cell, which has been found to support regeneration in the spinal cord. Our laboratory has shown that injection of these ensheathing cells into the completely cut spinal cord of adult ....Spinal cord injury is a major cause of morbidity, particularly among young people involved in road accidents and sports injuries. Finding ways to treat paraplegia is a major goal of neuroscience research. Recently, there has been considerable interest in a special cell found in the olfactory system, the ensheathing cell, which has been found to support regeneration in the spinal cord. Our laboratory has shown that injection of these ensheathing cells into the completely cut spinal cord of adult rats can lead to limited functional recovery of hindlimb movement. We used peripheral ensheathing cells because, in humans, such cells can be obtained relatively easily and they reduce problems of tissue rejection. We found that peripheral cells are as effective as previous reports using central ensheathing cells. Our overall aim now is to advance towards the use of olfactory cells in human spinal cord injury, by trialing 3 procedures of clinical relevance: a) to test whether human olfactory cells can also support functional recovery in rats. Human cells can be obtained from the nose by a simple biopsy procedure. If they able to support regeneration, this will open the way for their use in autografts in human paraplegia. b) to delay the time when the olfactory cells are applied to the injured cord. At present, neurosurgeons are not be willing to treat the cord immediately after the injury, because of the risk of causing further damage. This trial is designed to test whether delayed treatment is still effective. c) to test the effectiveness of the cells after bruising, rather than cutting, the cord. Bruising is a more common type of injury in people, hence it is necessary to know how these cells respond to this type of damage. These procedures have been chosen to move our basic research closer to clinical application. Although treatment in humans is still a long way off, these basic studies are essential if conditions like paraplegia are eventually to become treatable.Read moreRead less
ANALYSIS OF KNEE KINEMATICS- An MRI Study Of The Normal, Anterior Cruciate Injured, And Reconstructed Knee.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$161,320.00
Summary
People with anterior cruciate ligament damage to the knee tend to develop osteoarthritis in this knee, perhaps because the instability produced by the ligament tear changes the patterns of wear on the joint surfaces. There are several studies using cadaver knees which examine the impact on the joint surfaces of cutting the anterior cruciate ligament, but very little of people moving voluntarily. This study plans to use MRI images of people with a torn cruciate ligament in one knee, and one norma ....People with anterior cruciate ligament damage to the knee tend to develop osteoarthritis in this knee, perhaps because the instability produced by the ligament tear changes the patterns of wear on the joint surfaces. There are several studies using cadaver knees which examine the impact on the joint surfaces of cutting the anterior cruciate ligament, but very little of people moving voluntarily. This study plans to use MRI images of people with a torn cruciate ligament in one knee, and one normal knee. The subjects will simulate a squat inside the MRI magnet against a weighted footplate. The images will be taken at fifteen degree intervals of knee movement. The contact points between the joint surfaces will be measured and compared to the normal knee. This imaging will be repeated after surgical repair, and then again two years later, to assess whether the normal movement pattern has been restored.Read moreRead less
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) And Neuromuscular Training
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$99,248.00
Summary
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructive (ACLR) following ACL rupture is a successful surgery that improves stability of the knee joint. However, evidence is emerging that despite undergoing reconstructive surgery, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is prevalent in the proceeding years. The proposed research aims to improve biomechanical abnormalities by providing a neuromuscular intervention. This could lead to a more optimal biomechanical pattern which could reduce the degenerative changes occu ....Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructive (ACLR) following ACL rupture is a successful surgery that improves stability of the knee joint. However, evidence is emerging that despite undergoing reconstructive surgery, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is prevalent in the proceeding years. The proposed research aims to improve biomechanical abnormalities by providing a neuromuscular intervention. This could lead to a more optimal biomechanical pattern which could reduce the degenerative changes occurring within the knee of ACLR patients.Read moreRead less