Translational Orthopaedic Research Lab Funded to Explore Effects of Hormones on ACL Injury Risk

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS) have awarded a five-year, $3.2 million grant to Matthew Fisher, associate professor in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering and principal investigator of the Translational Orthopaedic Research Laboratory. Understanding the typical composition and operation of the soft tissues in the musculoskeletal system is the main goal of Fisher's laboratory in order to create novel approaches to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The lab's study on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) function in the developing knee joint is specifically supported by this award.

The project will investigate the ways in which skeletal growth and sex affect ACL anatomy, function, injury risk, and therapy. Males and females have different risks of ACL injuries, which are noticed in early adolescence and continue through adolescence but not in childhood or adulthood. The anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles, the two main ligament fiber bundles in the ACL, will be studied in Fisher's lab to see how sex hormones affect their size and functionality. In particular, the team will examine how the onset of puberty affects the size and function of the long-term ACL bundle. Fisher's group also intends to investigate whether or not stabilizing hormone levels lessens alterations in the bundle and the impact of cyclic hormone levels on ACL bundle size and function.

The knowledge gathered from this study can also help human clinical trials investigating new treatment approaches and ways to reduce the risk of injuries. Collaborators from NC State University on this project include Lauren Schnabel, professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Jorge Piedrahita, director of the Comparative Medicine Institute, and Emily Griffith, associate department head in the Department of Statistics. Additional collaborators include Jeffrey Spang, associate professor at UNC-Chapel Hill Orthopaedics, Alon Conley, professor in Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and Sandra Shultz, director of the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at UNC-Greensboro.