What’s New

February 2010

A “shot” to the knees

From Utoday News, Feb. 22, 2010

protein lubricant for joints
Kristen Barton researched a
protein that lubricates joints.
Photo: Don McSwiney

Imagine if you could fix arthritic knees with a shot of “knee WD-40.” It may sound far-fetched, but it’s an idea that’s gaining strength among scientists looking for treatments for the painful condition. It’s also an idea that kinesiology undergraduate student and women’s Dinos soccer goalie Kristen Barton finds very appealing.

“Definitely very appealing,” she says with a laugh, “I blew the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in my knee and had both meniscuses repaired, so I think it’s really just a matter of time before I get osteoarthritis myself.”

Barton has just successfully completed her second Undergraduate Student Research Project (USRP), split between the labs of Dr. Cy Frank and Dr. Tannin Schmidt. The project examines the properties of a protein called proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), manufactured by the PRG4 gene. Scientists believe that this protein, also called lubricin, lubricates our big joints and stops them from grinding—which is essentially what happens in osteoarthritis.

“Studies have shown that people who injure their knees and have them surgically repaired have lower levels of PRG4 after the surgery,” says Barton. “So the long term goal of this research is to find some kind of therapeutic intervention where lubricin could actually be somehow injected into the joint and delay the onset of arthritis.”

Of course, as an undergrad, Barton wasn’t expecting to find the breakthrough herself, but she was hoping to contribute to the lab’s progress, and she did that.“I was working on finding a way to isolate and quantify amounts of PRG4 in the synovial fluid of animals and humans. The first method I tried to isolate and measure the protein wasn’t working, but I found that using another method was more successful. I’m not sure how much of a contribution that was but I hope it helped.”

Schmidt says the experience of having undergrads working in the lab is a fantastic opportunity. “It’s an opportunity I never had as an under grad, and for young researchers like myself, it’s essentially new students coming in who are eager to learn and get a program off the ground which facilitates the further growth of the program.” He adds: “I’m not sure if Kristen completely knows how important her project was, but the work she has done will help us to move the entire research program along.”

Barton hopes this experience will do a more than just pad her resume. She’s hoping to be part of kinesiology’s “4+1” program that allows students to complete an undergraduate and master’s degree in just five years and believes the USRP experience will give her a head start. “It provided me with a great foundation for what I’ll be doing in the lab on the research side of things,” she says. “It provided me with a lot of background and practical work that you really don’t get with a chemistry or biology lab. Dr. Frank and Dr. Schmidt were in the lab with me a lot and it was a great experience—having a prof right beside me doing the lab work and teaching it to me.”

Barton is now in Aberdeen, Scotland, where she will spend the winter 2010 semester as a visiting student.

November 2009

Congratulations to Nathan Solback - a McCaig Institute trainee who was the winner of a Graeme Bell Undergraduate Student Research Project (USRP) Travel Grant for 2009/2010.

Nathan Solback travel grant Click here to view the full poster

Dr. Nigel Shrive confirmed as new Director

of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health.

“I am pleased to announce that Nigel Shrive, D.Phil., P.Eng, C.Eng, has been confirmed as the new Director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health effective January 1, 2010. Dr. Shrive has served as the McCaig Institute’s Interim Director since July 1, 2008. He has been involved heavily in both the University of Calgary and the Faculty of Medicine’s biomedical engineering initiatives over the past two decades, serving as the graduate coordinator for the Biomedical Engineering Graduate program for its first 10 years. Dr. Shrive also holds a Killam Memorial Chair and is a professor of civil engineering, an adjunct associate professor of surgery and an adjunct professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary.

A long-time collaborator and member of the McCaig Institute in the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Shrive’s research is in the area of structural mechanics, ranging from materials science to structural behaviour. In the biomechanical field, this research has provided insight into the mechanical and structural behaviour of ligaments and articular cartilage. More specifically, this research has been focused on defining how the properties of these tissues change with age, and improving the healing of damaged and transplanted tissues to restore as close to normal function as possible. It is through this engineering research—combined with the work of Faculty of Medicine colleagues Dr. Cy Frank and Dr. David Hart—that clinical treatment of damaged ligaments has changed.

Having earned his engineering degree and his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford (Oxford, United Kingdom), Dr. Shrive is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers and the Masonry Society. This year he was also elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE), and a fellow of Engineers Canada (FEC). Please join me in welcoming Dr. Shrive to his new role.”

Tom Feasby, MD Dean, Faculty of Medicine

source: http://medicine.ucalgary.ca/onthemove/shrive

A Great Return on Investment.

By Laurie Wang, UCalgary Medicine Magazine, Fall, 2009

Frank Shrive limb positioner
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. Powered by the compressed nitrogen or air supply in the operating room, the positioner allows the patient to have a more comfortable experience during surgery. But it doesn’t stop there. This robot-like tool is part of what University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cy Frank calls the ‘cycle of innovation’. Manufactured by TENET Medical Engineering, the Spider Limb Positioner is among many products that generate annual revenues of $8 million for TENET—and part of these profits go back to bone and joint research at the University of Calgary. “It’s the model for a cycle of innovation. The university trained people who created a business that’s generating revenue, and in turn this business is paying to train more people and advance research,” says Frank. “Everyone wins. And ultimately it’s the patients who are benefiting from these products.” TENET’s President, Ken Moore, was part of a joint injury research group headed by Frank at UCalgary’s McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. He started the company in 1994 with the support and advice of many colleagues at the Faculty of Medicine including Dr. Bob Bray, professor, Department of Surgery; Nigel Shrive, PhD, McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health; and Frank.

“At the time, myself, Nigel Shrive and Cy Frank noticed that a lot of research had turned into good products, but the university didn’t really get the credit for it,” Moore explains. “So we thought, let’s see if we can start a company and put the profit back into research.” Since its first profit in 2001, TENET has grown steadily by 25% to 30% each year. It has made a name for itself internationally, with sales in about 50 countries. The philanthropic gifts from TENET have contributed to scholarships and bursaries for students and trainees at the Faculty of Medicine. As well, TENET is proud to have many UCalgary graduates on staff. “Our engineers are UCalgary grads. We’ve also hired interns and summer students from the university,” Moore explains. “TENET is very unique,” adds Frank. “I don’t think there are many companies out there doing what they are doing.” Frank, Executive Director of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, was part of the original scientific advisory committee for the orthopedic design and manufacturing company. He supported the initiative but has stayed with the University of Calgary. “There were several people who helped come up with the idea but stayed with the university. Their concept wasn’t to create a company that would make millions; it was to help research,” Moore explains. “The word ‘tenet’ means fundamental principle. We’ve created a profitable company and we’re putting funds back into research—the cycle of innovation.” As TENET continues on, Moore sees the company further developing products that are easier for surgeons to use. “Bone and joint research is continually advancing. The key thing is for us to be able to understand injury conditions and create devices that help surgeons in the operating room,” Moore says. “It is also important to understand the healing process and how surgeons help restore normal function in the joint.” That’s where UCalgary surgeons and researchers play an integral role. “Everyone has been very helpful in testing our products and giving us ideas on how to improve them. Together, we are taking Spiders—and bone and joint health— to the next generation.”


What’s New

November 2009

Unraveling the Spine

From Utoday News, Nov. 3, 2009

Spine mechanics
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

Tanin Schmidt CAN award

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. Learn more about the funding opportunities provided by the Canadian Arthritis Network

October 2009

Dr. Cy Frank sets sights high for term as president

of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association

Oct. 01, 2009

Dr. Cy Frank

Faculty of Medicine professor Dr. Cy Frank can add yet another title to the long list he currently carries-president of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA). Frank, an orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Calgary, was elected by his fellow COA members as president in July 2009 at the association’s annual general meeting in Whistler, British Columbia. He will serve as president for 2009-10. Among the many credits to his name, Frank is an Alberta Heritage Foundation Medical Research (AHFMR) scientist, the executive director of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, and he’s been honoured with such awards as Alumnus of the Year in 2002, International Bone & Joint Decade ‘Builder’ in 2005 and among the Top 40 Alumni at UCalgary in 2006.

“I am deeply honoured to represent all orthopaedic surgeons in Canada,” says Frank. “Among my presidential duties, I will be visiting all the national meetings of the orthopaedic associations of the English speaking world this year to learn what is happening in orthopaedics world wide, and to help bring best practices in musculoskeletal clinical care, research, education and administration back to our association in Canada.”

Frank says he has several goals he would like to achieve during his term.

“I’d really like to improve collaborations between the sub-specialties within orthopaedic surgery and with other partners who provide musculoskeletal care, education and research nationally and internationally.”

As a faculty member at the University of Calgary, Frank’s presidency increases the national and international profile for orthopaedic surgery not only for the university and its Faculty of Medicine, but also in Calgary and across Alberta.

“This role will establish the Faculty of Medicine as helping to create the future of health in bone and joint care, research and education.” Since its inception in 1943, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association has maintained internationally renowned status with liaison officers at affiliated institutions across Canada and around the world. In the 66 year history of the association, Frank is only the fourth to represent the University of Calgary in the esteemed position of president.