Gerard Malanga, MD, and Nathan Hogaboom, PhD, of the Kessler Foundation received a $ 185,707 award from The Geneva Foundation (Geneva) to study factors contributing to the development of osteoarthritis after a severe knee injury, a common disability condition among executive-duty staff.
The funding supports the Kessler Foundation’s participation as a collaborative partner in Musculoskeletal Injury and Rehabilitation Research for Operational Readiness (MIRROR) with headquarters at the University of Uniform Services (USU). The MIRROR program is managed by Geneva on behalf of USU. MIRROR supports a wide range of muscle projects, including this two-year study titled, “MIRROR Collaboration: Chemical and Cellular Characterization of Hemarthroses after Traumatic Knee Injury operational duty military work. “
Although osteoarthritic joint changes are most commonly associated with aging, there has recently been a focus on premature osteoarthritis in younger people with a history of traumatic knee injuries. Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the most common causes of disability among service members who are medically separated from active duty.
After injury, blood flow and inflammatory factors into the joint create hemarthrosis. Evidence suggests that toxic factors within the hemarthrosis contribute to osteoarthritic deterioration of the joint, according to Dr. Malanga, director of the New Jersey Rehabilitation Institute and a visiting scientist at the Kessler Foundation. “This new award will allow us to expand our research on knee injuries in the high-risk arms population,” Dr. Malanga said, “and explore how we can improve our knowledge of regenerative processes. implemented to combat the toxic effects of joint injuries, maintain co-operation, and help service members continue to serve actively. “
Dr. Malanga serves as co-lead investigator of the study with Drs. Hogaboom, a research scientist at the Centers for Spinal Cord Injury Research and Outcomes Research & Evaluation, and co-director of the Derfner-Lieberman Laboratory for Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Research at the Kessler Foundation. “We expect regenerative interventions to reduce the risk of disability in armed personnel,” Dr. Hogaboom said, “by reducing chronic and debilitating knee pain and preventing long-term damage. caused by osteoarthritis. “
This project is supported by the USU, however, the information does not normally represent official position or policy, and no official approval should be sought from the USU, the Department of Defense, or US Government. Award number: HU00011920011
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