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
High Performance Problem Solvers
Photo:David Moss
Dr. Carolyn Anglin developed a computer-assisted surgery system with the goal of reducing pain after knee replacement surgery. To read more please click on the link below and view pdf pages 32-35…
A Great Return on Investment.
By Laurie Wang, UCalgary Medicine Magazine, Fall, 2009
Dr. Shrive and Dr. Frank with
the Spider Limb Positioner
The founders of TENET Medical Engineering are not only making it easier for orthopedic surgeons to perform procedures, they’re ensuring future Faculty of Medicine researchers have the tools to succeed. It’s strong, it’s powerful and it’s used to save limbs. The Spider Limb Positioner is a popular tool commonly used by orthopedic surgeons to provide optimal positioning for limbs during surgical procedures. more…
Unraveling the Spine
From Utoday News, Nov. 3, 2009
Kitty Choy, a master’s student in biomedical
engineering, holds a piece of ox
tail that she uses in her research.
Photo: Ken Bendiktsen
Each year, the Undergraduate Research Students Program (USRP) in health and wellness provides students with unique opportunities to work and collaborate with leading faculty researchers who have similar research interests. Kitty Choy, a master’s student in biomedical engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, is studying the complicated mechanics of the spine. Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic lower back pain due to spinal injuries. It is estimated that 80 percent of adults will experience lower back pain as a result of disc degeneration. “Current treatments are aimed at relieving pain,” says Choy. “However, if we could create a treatment that can slow down the degenerative process early on or even regenerate tissue, it would be much more effective.” Choy explains that some of the current treatments involve the risk of increasing the rate of degeneration in the rest of the spine. In her research, she uses three-dimensional simulation to create a representation showing how various treatments and diseases interact to affect the motion of the spine. “When surgeons fuse a damaged portion of the spine, they change how the rest of the spine moves and this can cause accelerated disease in other regions,” says bioengineer Christopher Hunter, Choy’s supervising professor. “Even worse, the rest of the spine is rarely completely healthy in these individuals, so we’re making changes that we really don’t understand. Choy hopes to gain a better understanding of how conditions such as slipped or herniated discs affect other areas of the spine. More knowledge in this field could lead to better treatments for spinal injuries, improve patient outcomes and reduce the need for surgery.
Young McCaig Researcher receives Award from the Canadian Arthritis Network .
November, 2009
Tannin Schmidt is a researcher in the Faculty of Kinesiology and the Schulich School of Engineering. As a member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Dr. Schmidt investigates the lubrication in our joints and how it affects the health of articular cartilage. The title of his proposal for which he was granted this award is: “Proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) characterization and supplementation in human post-knee injury synovial fluid: Implications for restoration of impaired cartilage lubricating ability and osteoarthritis biotherapeutics”.
Dr. Schmidt is one of four researchers in Canada who was recently honoured with a Canadian Arthritis Network Scholar Award. He will receive $60,000/year in salary support for 3 years and Dr. John Matyas will act as Dr. Schmidt’s mentor during this time. more…
Upcoming Events
Skeletal Regenerative Medicine Team
Online Seminar by Dr. Derrick Rancourt
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Time: 10:30 am -12:30 pm (MST)
Place: Accessible through http://srmt.ca/News/Seminars
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. The calendar will be posted soon.
