TCD Research on Damage and Repair of Human Bone Could Help Prevent Osteoporosis
Posted on: 03 May 2007
Significant advances have been made in the form of new methods to detect and monitor the growth of microscopic cracks in our bones and the development of sophisticated computer models enabling us to study the dynamic balance between damage and repair which is going on continuously inside our bones, according to research undertaken by TCD Professor David Taylor of the Mechanical Engineering Department and colleagues in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI).
Professor Taylor and his co-authors Jan Hazenberg and Clive Lee of the RSCI, have just published a review article on global research on damage and repair in human bone in the world leading journal Nature Materials.
The article reviews the work that has been done to understand how cracks form and grow in bone and how they can be detected and repaired in a timely manner. This is an interdisciplinary research field, requiring the close cooperation of materials scientists, biologists and engineers and has the potential of developing new therapies in the treatment of osteoporosis and stress fractures
It includes research which is being currently conducted by TCD in collaboration with the RCSI, funded by the PRTLI 'Bone for Life' project and also through the Health Research Board and Science Foundation Ireland. Funding on current projects is in excess of €2 million.
The TCD-RCSI research on bone ranges from theoretical, computer simulations through experimental work and clinical studies. It is a collaborative effort involving staff and research students in several departments, specialising in mechanics, anatomy, biochemistry, genetics and clinical medicine.
In a new phase of the project, planned to start in the coming months, Professor Taylor will work with clinicians at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght to investigate hip fractures in elderly patients. "A significant proportion of these fractures cannot be explained using current diagnostic equipment," said Professor Taylor. "It is hoped that the TCD-RCSI approach will lead to improved methods of screening and treatment for people who are at risk of sustaining fractures in later life."
Commenting on the significance of the research, Professor Taylor said: "This work is about understanding how bone looks after itself, how it maintains and repairs itself. More importantly, it is about what happens when things go wrong, leading to clinical problems such as osteoporosis and stress fractures. This is a global effort, and one in which our research group in Trinity College and RCSI is a recognised world leader.
"Through greater understanding of these phenomena we are hoping to develop better methods for measuring bone quality. This would enable doctors to detect osteoporosis at an earlier stage and so help in its treatment and prevention. For example our research will help understand how anti-osteoporosis drugs work and help in the design of better drugs in the future. It will also help us to prevent stress fractures in athletes, dancers and sports people, and so improve their rehabilitation so they can get back to full performance more quickly," concluded Professor Taylor.