Advanced Robotics for Joint Function

The MIBJH is committed to bringing cutting edge research to the forefront of bone and joint health and health care – improving patient outcomes and creating a new standard of care for Albertans.

These are the initiatives that drive the research of Drs. Cy Frank and Nigel Shrive. Dr. Frank is a pioneer in models of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) grafting and repairs, one of the two sets of ligaments that provide the knee with much of its stability.

Transplanted ligaments sometimes stretch over time, resulting in a loose joint. “I need to understand why this happens, as well as why some patients develop osteoarthritis following ligament reconstruction surgery,” says Frank.

The knee joint, the most commonly injured joint in the body, is a sophisticated biological organ system involved in locomotion. Despite its apparently simple motion during gait, the knee actually features complex 3D motion that stems from the biomechanical interdependence and balance of its component tissues. Following joint injury, such balance is upset and is difficult to restore with existing clinical treatments.

“In order to successfully treat injuries to the knee it is necessary to understand the biomechanical responses of ligaments,” says Shrive, Killam Memorial Chair and an engineering Professor at the University of Calgary. “This understanding will allow us to gain insight into injury mechanisms, develop prevention strategies, and evaluate treatment options that optimize healing.”

This understanding is set to come from a unique source – a robotic knee simulator, the first of its kind in the world. Created by a team of engineers at the U of C led by Frank and Shrive, the robot can simulate human joint motions, like a complete walking cycle. This allows researchers to accurately measure forces in joint structures. “Right now this cannot be done in a living joint, so the robot is our best alternative,” explains Shrive. “And our robot is simply the best – no other team in the world has come this far in reproducing real-life motions.”

With the robot system fully functional, Frank and Shrive are living the future of science – answering questions about the mechanics of joints and figuring out how they are integrated into the functioning biological system.