Multi-Platform Pipeline for Engineering Human Knee Joint Function

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Multi-Platform Pipeline for Engineering Human Knee Joint Function

• IRAS ID

  343290

• Contact name

  Catherine Holt

• Contact email

  holt@cardiff.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Cardiff University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal condition that effects the whole joint, with pain and functional disability being two of the main symptoms. Treating OA, together with rheumatoid arthritis, was estimated to cost the NHS (National Health Service) and wider healthcare services £10.2 billion in 2017 [1].
  The knee is the most common site of OA. Around 654.1 million individuals (40 and over) globally were found to have knee OA[2]. With ageing populations and increasing rates of obesity and injury, the prevalence of osteoarthritis is expected to continue to increase globally. [3]
  To understand the effect of this disease on the knee joint, in particular its effect on movement (kinematics) and loading (pressure) within the joint, it is important to assess the joint in living people.
  This project will collect data on the knees of healthy individuals to understand how the joint moves during normal activities of daily living. We will then use this data to develop models to investigate how the joint is loaded throughout these activities. This will give us a better understanding of joint motion and we can use this data as a baseline to compare with data collected in future studies e.g. those with OA. This will allow us to gain a better understanding of how conditions like OA alter the movement of the knee joint.
  The ability to acquire data on different individuals about knee movement and loading has the potential to inform improvements in the design, testing and selection of surgical and non-surgical interventions for treating knee OA.

  References:
  [1] Versus Arthritis. 2021. The State of Musculoskeletal health 2021. www.versusarthritis.org.
  [2] Cui et al. 2020. EClinicalMedicine 29–30. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100587.
  [3] World Health Organization, Osteoarthritis Factsheet, 14 July 2023
  

• REC name

  East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  25/EM/0074

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 May 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion