With the wealth of available equipment, resources and techniques, the lab focuses on musculoskeletal injury and repair, as well as the use of stem cell therapies as they apply to orthopaedics. Current research is focused on developing strategies to improve healing in complex fractures and rotator cuff injuries.
H & E stained health rotator cuff slide
In the laboratory, bone marrow derived stem cells is collected, cultured, characterized and placed into animal models to observe their effects on bone and soft tissue healing. Assessments typically include X-ray and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT scanning), histology, gene analysis and biomechanical testing. Initial results indicate these cells can have a significant improvement on bone and blood vessel formation in fracture models, and improved tendon strength in rotator cuff injuries. Continued testing and optimization of these novel techniques will hopefully translate to clinical trials and improved orthopedic patient outcomes.
Fluorescently labeled stem cells
