Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, affecting primarily the knees, hips, hands, and spine. Joint damage in OA includes cartilage erosion, subchondral bone sclerosis, bone remodeling with osteophyte formation, and episodes of synovitis. Pain is the predominant symptom of osteoarthritis, and effective treatment do not yet exist.
Pain is also a key symptom of many other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, however for many patients the available treatment options provide inadequate pain relief.
At the Laboratory for Translational Research in Osteoarthritis and Rheumatic Diseases, established in 2009 at Rush University Medical Center in the Division of Rheumatology, Principal Investigators Dr. Anne-Marie Malfait and Dr. Rachel Miller lead studies in the following areas of interest:
Pain pathways in osteoarthritis
Role of biomechanics in osteoarthritis pain
Joint neurobiology
Pain pathways in Ehlers Danlos Syndromes, spondyloarthritis, and other rheumatic diseases
Development of DMOADs (disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs), with a focus on intra-articular treatment modalities