Health & Wellbeing
33
Also see:
Health & Wellbeing –
11.3
Medical imaging, page 52
5.3
Musculoskeletal disorders in humans and animals
Keywords
Animal health, arthritis, musculoskeletal, pain, muscle
weakness
Expertise
The University has an excellent infrastructure for
musculoskeletal research. We study human and animal
patients and undertake research in musculoskeletal
disorders and ageing of the musculoskeletal system.
Pharmaceutical and nutrition-based companies use
our expertise in age-related degenerative pathways
in the musculoskeletal area to help define targets for
interventions.
Our veterinary orthopaedics expertise includes specialist
veterinary surgeons and musculoskeletal scientists;
together they provide capability in the diagnosis and
assessment of arthritis in domestic species (canine,
equine and feline). Facilities include a dedicated canine
gait analysis suite with non-invasive kinetic and kinematic
systems as well as standard and advanced imaging
technologies (MRI, CT, DEXA).
In the area of canine osteoarthritis and chronic pain,
our researchers offer considerable experience of robust,
high-quality clinical trials run to good clinical practice
standards. We employ a range of outcome measurement
tools, including clinical metrology instruments,
biomarkers, accelerometry and gait analysis.
Collaboration with colleagues adds expertise in
computer modelling of quadripedal gait and gait
simulation technology.
External organisations such as pharmaceutical
companies use our expertise for Phase II and III clinical
trials in the areas of veterinary chronic pain and
osteoarthritis research. Our validated clinical metrology
instrument for canine osteoarthritis has been licensed
to external partners for clinical trials. In addition, our
in vitro
models have been used by nutrition and
pharmaceutical companies for product development
and Phase IV studies resulting in patents and additional
label claims respectively.
