Constance Chu, M.D. Receives Kappa Delta AND $10 Million

Constance Chu, M.D., professor and vice chair of Research in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University, is set to receive not only an award for her research, but the most substantial research grant in the history of the department—all in recognition of her efforts to prevent osteoarthritis (OA).

Dr. Chu will receive the Kappa Delta Award at the meeting of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on March 14 in Las Vegas. The award includes $20,000, part of which she will invest in future research and a portion of which will be shared with her team.

“It is really a huge honor,” Chu said, adding that the award is sometimes referred to as the Nobel Prize in orthopedic surgery. “Our work early on was viewed with some skepticism, but our persistence and teamwork have paid off.”

Also notable is the $10 million grant awarded last fall to Dr. Chu and her team from the U.S. Department of Defense. She is set to undertake clinical trials to study ways to prevent osteoarthritis from occurring after an injury.

Dr. Chu is conducting five studies using this grant, including two clinical trials that will test new strategies to prevent osteoarthritis. One trial will focus on how patients walk after injury and whether improving their gait can prevent the condition from developing. Another will involve testing gene therapy in horses, which develop osteoarthritis similar to the way humans do. The team will also examine preventive medications, stem cell therapies and the molecular changes that lead to the deterioration of cartilage.

Asked why she decided to focus on OA prevention, Dr. Chu told OTW, “I love a good challenge, so I started trying to regenerate articular cartilage because Henry Mankin said no one had been able to figure out the cartilage problem and tossed me the gauntlet during medical school. After being introduced to osteochondral allografts by Wayne Akeson and trying to create tissue engineered osteochondral grafts in David Amiel’s lab as a resident, I gained a better appreciation for the enormity of Mankin’s challenge and started thinking about how to maintain that pristine articular surface. Thus, my focus was always on prevention.”

“While mechanical loading is critical to joint health and development, cumulative mechanical overload destroys joints. Walking is a basic activity and we all should take at least 10,000 steps a day. Thus, optimizing gait mechanics can have a large effect on modulating a decades long process with a strong mechanical component such as OA development.”

“We all treat joint injuries which fast track many joints toward OA development. Our research shows about half of patients have signs of what we call ‘’pre-osteoarthritis,’ as early as 1 to 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction. The newly funded clinical trials will evaluate a number of early treatment strategies for patients at or near the time of joint injury to reduce OA risk. These developments are important to anyone treating joints—whether large or small.”