Two Western U researchers receive grants to find solutions for arthritis

Arthritis Society Canada is trying to uncover more solutions to arthritis disease which is currently affecting six million Canadians, according to Dr. Sian Bevan.

The national charity has announced two researchers from Western University have been awarded grants to further research how to prevent and treat this disease.

“With these awards, we are investing in rising research stars and novel solutions to get ahead of arthritis and push for a future that is pain-free,” said Bevan, who is the chief science officer with Arthritis Society Canada.

“We know that arthritis is a very significant problem in Canada. Arthritis is actually the leading cause of disability and chronic illness in the country so we need to do something,” she said.

Dr. Matthew Teeter is one of the eight recipients. He is a professor in medical biophysics, medical imaging and surgery at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. He is also a scientist at Robarts Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute.

Teeter said one of his goals is to improve patient’s quality of life after joint replacement.

One of his projects will look at the factors that affect bone and growth around implants to make sure they are going to last a long time.

Dr. Matthew Teeter, an associate professor at Western University is one of the eight recipients who received a research grant from Arthritis Society Canada. (Source: Teeter Lab)

“With these research dollars we can actually make sure that people undergoing joint replacement are going to get the best possible outcome,” he said. “To make sure that if they've waited long enough and they finally get the surgery they know they’re going to have a long-lasting joint replacement which is going to give them their life back.”

The other project he is working on also looks at the outcome of patients’ surgeries following joint replacement.

“Many patients are unhappy after the surgery and we want to find out if it’s because they have an inappropriate expectation going into the surgery or whether there are some ongoing issues within the joint which is causing them to be unhappy,” said Teeter. 

Teeter’s goal is to “enhance patient mobility and quality of life after joint replacement through the development and application of imaging and digital technologies.”

Understanding what puts patients at risk and how they can be treated can help them receive a more personalized treatment, which Teeter hopes will avoid any complications for the patient.

Dr. Jim Johnson is also one of the eight recipients. He’s a professor of mechanical and materials engineering at Western University and is one of the directors of the bioengineering research laboratory at Lawson.

Johnson also works as the director of the Hand and Upper Limb Clinic at St. Josephs Health Care.

Dr. Jim Johnson, a professor at Western University said he and his graduate students will be looking for new designs for partial implants in hopes the study could lead to a new type of joint replacement. (Jenn Basa/CTV News London)

He told CTV News London that he and his graduate students would be looking for new designs for partial implants in hopes the study could lead to a new type of joint replacement that would be less invasive and a faster recovery for patients.

“I have been fortunate enough to attract really strong graduate students so it will primarily be given to them,” said Johnson.

“They will both conduct experimental studies where they will look at how these new designs, which they will design actually, perform and will also do computer-based computational models,” he explained.

Since there are no age restrictions when it comes to arthritis, Johnson said one of the advantages of the devices they are interested in is that they are smaller and less invasive, meaning younger patients can benefit from this new implant.

“Younger patients, even 50 is young for a patient these days. You’re not replacing a lot of bone just a little bit, and hence giving them those extra years they need, maybe to move onto a total joint replacement at this point,” he said. 

A common misconception is that the disease only affects older people, said Bevan. However, teens and children can also be susceptible to arthritis. “One in five Canadians has arthritis and by 2040 it will rise to one in four.” She added.

There are over 100 different types of arthritis, according to Bevan. She said finding treatments for each one is one of their goals.

The Arthritis Society, which has branches across Canada, is vital in helping people deal with the disease at all ages, providing programs, support and information through a variety of means including phone lines and an extensive website.