Musculoskeletal Biology and Orthopedics 

Skeletal defects, fractures and degenerative arthritis are common diseases in dogs and horses. Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine is aimed at prevention and treatment of these diseases. An important clinical aspect of osteoarthritis is debilitating pain, and pain management is an important area of research.

With the aging human population, the need for new hips, knees and soft tissues (e.g., heart valves, blood vessels) is expected to increase. Multidisciplinary teams of researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine, including surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, and immunologists, are collaborating with scientists in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, the Birck Nanotechnology Center and companies in Indiana, to develop new materials and devices and to study the body’s response to the implanted tissues.

Faculty

Bone biology and pathology

• Figueiredo, Marxa (BMS) 
• Lescun, Tim (VCS) – fracture repair; skeletal biomechanics
• Main, Russell (BMS) – regulation of bone structure and mass; biomechanics

Arthritis

• Lescun, Tim (VCS) – pathophysiology (horses)
• Little, Dianne (BMS) - tendon and ligament injury and repair
• Ko, Jeff (VCS) - pain management
• Malek, Sarah (VCS) - osteoarthritis 

Genetics

• Ekenstedt, Kari (BMS)

Investigative Surgery

• Lescun, Tim (VCS) – orthopedic surgery
• Tucker, Michelle – orthopedic surgery