ROSEMONT, IL – Dr. Robert C. Bray of the University of Calgary was recently selected as the winner of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) $250,000 Ligament and Tendon Repair and Regeneration Grant for his project, "Biological Augmentation of Ligament and Tendon Healing: Role of Neuropeptides."
Dr. Bray and his colleagues (Paul Salo, University of Calgary, and Per Renstrom and Paul Ackermann, both with the Karolinska Institutet) will conduct a series of experiments designed first to define the cellular, physiological, mechanical and structural changes in healing chronically injured tendons and ligaments and then assess the impact of blocking the action of a specific inflammatory neuropeptide, or augmenting the action of an anti-inflammatory neuropeptide.
"We are grateful to AOSSM and RTI Biologics for selecting our project and allowing us to continue to study such an important piece of the ligament and tendon repair puzzle," said Bray.
In 2006, the Society launched the first of a series of three-year research initiatives intended to highlight important issues in orthopaedic sports medicine and to promote high-level research in the selected topics. The first initiative focused on articular cartilage followed by the current initiative on ligament and tendon repair and regeneration. Following a think tank meeting in January 2009, and a grant workshop in July 2009, the Society solicited formal grant applications from workshop participants. This research initiative is sponsored by RTI Biologics Inc.
"We are proud to provide financial support to AOSSM's research initiatives. The efforts of the AOSSM membership in the field of ligament and tendon repair and regeneration will lead to improved patient care. Continued research in this field is central to both the mission of RTI Biologics and the ongoing scientific leadership of the AOSSM," said Rod Allen, Vice President of Sports Medicine Distribution, RTI Biologics Inc.
For more information on future AOSSM research initiatives, please visit www.sportsmed.org and click on the "research" tab.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. For more information, please contact AOSSM Director of Communications, Lisa Weisenberger, at 847/292-4900 or e-mail her at lisa@aossm.org. Additional information and press releases can be viewed in the newsroom on AOSSM's Web site at www.sportsmed.org. For more information about RTI Biologics Inc. visit their Web site at www.rtix.com.