Pain-Free Mobility for Life
We envision a world without arthritis and preventable bone and joint injuries.
Our mission is to achieve this vision through excellence in research and education.
The McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health is home to researchers and clinicians whose work ranges from basic science at the molecular level to whole joint transplants in the operating room, in addition to effective and efficient health service delivery. The Institute currently has 109 faculty members (rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons and researchers), 85 trainees (graduate students, post doctoral fellows), 50 laboratory personnel (research associates, lab technicians, nurses and LPNs), and 64 office staff (administrative assistants) from 5 different faculties at the University of Calgary and 5 partner institutions (University of Alberta, Oxford University, University of Lethbridge, University of Michigan, and the Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine). Your interest in who we are and what we do is greatly appreciated.
What’s New
Music in Motion
Join us at Music in Motion and support the McCaig Institute!
On September 21, 2010, friends and colleagues are invited to join us at a fabulous musical concert featuring The Canadian Tenors, The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Tommy Banks and special guests. Proceeds from Music in Motion will support funding for the Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Unit of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and The Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute. Click here
for more information and to purchase tickets.
Competition for New Chair in Musculoskeletal Research, University of Alberta
August 20, 2010
Click on the image to read about this position.
Historic Cartilage Transplant Possible Thanks to the Research at the McCaig Institute
July 28, 2010
Photograph by Colleen De Neve, Calgary Herald
Following two decades of work, researchers have discovered a method to preserve live cartilage. While live cartilage is effective at restoring the surface of the joint, it is very difficult to preserve during the time between donor and patient, making surgery with it difficult. The new findings, thanks to the McCaig Institute, now allow live cartilage to be banked for as long as 30 days.
Click here to read more about the first live shoulder tissue transplant
Click here to view a video of the transplant
New Vitamin D Guidelines Published by Dr. David Hanley, McCaig Institute Member
July 13, 2010
Photograph by Ted Rhodes, Canwest News Service
New and updated guidelines on recommended vitamin D intake have been published this week in the online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Dr. David Hanley, professor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, McCaig Institute member and member of Osteoporosis Canada’s (OC) Scientific Advisory Council, is the lead author of the paper on behalf of Osteoporosis Canada. Click here to learn more.
“Shaking” the spine could be good for your back.
From Utoday News, July 07, 2010
Photo by Riley Brandt, University of Calgary
“Shaking” the spine could be good for your back, says, Christopher Hunter, biomedical engineer at the Schulich School of Engineering and the McCaig Institute.
Slipped discs, pinched nerves, whiplash and disc degeneration affect millions of North Americans. Sufferers often rely on medication for relief, and that medication can be addictive. It’s long been thought that people exposed to mechanical vibrations, such as construction workers and truck drivers are more prone to back disorders. But, new research at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering in collaboration with Optima Health Solutions International Corp. has uncovered potential benefits of these vibrations. Click here to learn more
Stem Cell Program Profiled at Osteoporosis Canada Annual General Meeting
On June 12, 2010, the Alberta Chapter for Osteoporosis Canada held their annual general meeting which included a public forum in which the topic of using stem cells to regrow bone was discussed. Over 100 people came out to the forum including doctors, advocates and patients suffering from Osteoporosis. The panel at the forum was comprised of five McCaig Institute members: Dr. David Hanley, Dr. Derrick Rancourt, Dr. Steve Boyd, Dr. Jeff Dunn and PhD. Graduate Student Jaymi Taiani
UofC Connections to Body Worlds Exhibit
From Utoday News, April 30, 2010
The Soccer Player, 2005
Copyright:
Gunther von Hagens, Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany
The world famous exhibit makes its Canadian debut today at the TELUS World of Science – Calgary. Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Brain features more than 200 specimens, including full body plastinates. This is the first time in Canada the exhibit also features the latest in neuroscience.
Faculty of Medicine academics and students are helping to educate the public about the intricacies and the importance of studying the human body, as well as giving lectures on the brain and volunteering as roving expert guides for the exhibit.
Dr. John Bertram, the Director of the Gross Anatomy Lab and the university’s Body Donation Program, is training volunteers from the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health to give tours at the exhibit. He is also giving tours himself, and speaking about the role of body donation programs in medical education and research. Read more…
Upcoming Events
Music in Motion
Join us at Music in Motion and support the McCaig Institute!
On September 21, 2010, friends and colleagues are invited to join us at a fabulous musical concert featuring The Canadian Tenors, The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Tommy Banks and special guests. Proceeds from Music in Motion will support funding for the Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Unit of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and The Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
An Afternoon in Arthoplasty
This event is a public forum for patients considering or awaiting hip or knee replacement surgery.
Click on the poster to learn more and to register.
The McCaig Institute holds a weekly seminar series in HRIC every Wednesday at noon. All graduate students and post-docs are required to give an annual talk on their own research project. Seminars will also include special guest speakers from outside the McCaig Institute and the University of Calgary communities. Click here for the schedule of speakers…
