$2.3 Million NIH Grant Tackles Osteoarthritis After Injury

One of the longer-term effects of a traumatic injury to the knee or other joints is inflammation that often becomes the basis for future osteoarthritis (OA).

University of California Davis researchers hope to better identify novel treatment protocols which would interrupt the degenerative process to OA which often occurs following injury with their new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Principal investigator Blaine Christiansen, Ph.D., B.A., M.S., associate professor of orthopedic surgery, and his team will use the $2.3 million grant to pinpoint the right balance of exercise and rest after a joint injury to reduce inflammation and osteoarthritis in mice. They will also investigate if surgical restabilization of the joint also further reduces OA.

“Our goals are to develop biomechanical interventions for treating joint degeneration in the immediate post-injury phase and determine the best ways to use those interventions to reduce the negative long-term effects of injury,” Christiansen said.

OA is a type of arthritis that causes the breakdown of cartilage and tissue in a joint. It can be triggered by common sports injuries like ligament or meniscus tears, Christiansen said. The inflammation can start to spike within the first few days after the injury. The pain and other OA symptoms may not develop, however, for many years.

Physical activity and rest are both important in recovery of joint injuries, but too much exercise can increase inflammation and cause further damage to the tissue while too much rest can lead to joint stiffness and bone and muscle loss.

OA affects more than 30 million U.S. adults and at least 12% of all cases are trauma related. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that with almost $304 billion in medical and earning losses, it is one of the most expensive medical conditions in the U.S.

“Establishing early treatments that can be applied before the joint is degenerated would reduce disability and surgeries associated with the condition, together with its significant economic impact,” Christiansen said.