Basic Science Staff

The adverse effect of arthritis on individuals and our country as a whole has prompted our Foundation physicians and scientists to develop new surgical procedures and non-operative treatments to combat degenerative cartilage disease.

Microfracture
The development and validation of the microfracture technique by the foundation has impacted multitudes of patients worldwide. Just 10 years ago, only a small percentage of the world's orthopaedic surgeons performed microfracture. Today, it is the treatment of choice among surgeons all over the world to relieve pain and slow the progression of arthritis in the knee. This procedure may also prevent or at least postpone the need for irreversible and highly invasive knee-replacement surgery.

The procedure involves making small punctures in the bone beneath the damaged cartilage. These small procedures, or microfractures, provide access to the cells and the healing factors present in the bone marrow. Microfracture allows these elements, the body's own powerful healing agents, to be released and form a "super clot" which supports the formation of new "repair" cartilage to replace what has been lost through injury or wear and tear.

Healing Response
Once again employing the body's own recuperative power, the Healing Response technique, developed and validated by the Foundation, serves as an alternative to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the knee in certain instances. Our research has shown that a weakened or lax ACL increases the risk of damage to the joint surface and cartilage, which may over time lead to the joint surface and cartilage, which may over time lead to the development of arthritis. The Healing Response provides treatment for certain types of ACL injuries arthroscopically, thereby reducing surgical risk and immobilization.

The Healing Response uses micorfracture holes in both the bone where the injured ligament connects, as well as in the ligament itself, "to induce a super clot." This clot stimulates an enriched environment for tissue healing. The ligament end then gradually reunites with the bone on its own without the necessity for other mechanical fixation. By avoiding a more invasive open procedure, this technically straightforward method also greatly reduces recovery time and healthcare costs.

Rotator Cuff Repair
The Shoulder presents another area where injuries often lead to arthritis. In complex joint, injuries are usually treated by surgical procedures that cut into the joint's tissue. However, our researchers have been improving arthroscopic techniques which are far less invasive than open surgical procedures.

Arthroscopic repair is much less damaging to tissues, allowing the body to focus its regenerative resources on healing the joint. Since there is trauma to the body, a quicker recovery is possible. This means a shorter hospital stay and less medication for pain, making the procedure far easier on patients and reducing healthcare costs as well.

Our Foundation supported research in the role of growth factors in enhancing rotator cuff repair in the shoulder, which allows the body to once again play an important role in its own recovery. The results of this research may lead to stronger and more stable shoulder repair in a complicated joint that endures unique strains and has complex movement requirements.