COIMBATORE: In a bid to promote research on ways to preserve bones and joints in natural ways, Coimbatore-based Rex Ortho Hospital will open a specialised research centre on its premises.
The centre, which will be inaugurated on April 10, will explore the various reasons which lead to wear and tear of bones and cartilage and try finding natural means and medicines to preserve them, thus avoiding the need of patients having to undergo joint replacement surgeries.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Dr C Rex, chief consultant and orthopaedic surgeon at Rex Ortho Hospital, said they were going to study various aspects of health that lead to arthritis.
"We are looking at the role played by food habits, body weight, day-to-day activities and sports and games," he said.
"In fact, when it comes to sports and games, we are going to closely study the problem of ligament tears and knee injuries. We want to work with sportspersons so that we can tell them how to land, how to not over exert their muscles and balance their protein intake," said the doctor.
The centre will also focus on how cartilage growth and repair can be achieved with just injections and medications.
"When the cartilage starts seeing a tear, abrasion or damage, patients suffer from osteoarthritis," said the doctor.
"Currently, there is a technology of using stem cell culture to treat this condition. However, it is used rarely in India. We usually, through arthroscopy or keyhole surgery extract a piece of healthy cartilage and place it on the repaired area for it to start growing naturally," he said.
"We want to find medicines to make a torn cartilage regrow through injection of just growth hormones," he said.
The centre, which will be inaugurated on April 10, will explore the various reasons which lead to wear and tear of bones and cartilage and try finding natural means and medicines to preserve them, thus avoiding the need of patients having to undergo joint replacement surgeries.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Dr C Rex, chief consultant and orthopaedic surgeon at Rex Ortho Hospital, said they were going to study various aspects of health that lead to arthritis.
"We are looking at the role played by food habits, body weight, day-to-day activities and sports and games," he said.
"In fact, when it comes to sports and games, we are going to closely study the problem of ligament tears and knee injuries. We want to work with sportspersons so that we can tell them how to land, how to not over exert their muscles and balance their protein intake," said the doctor.
The centre will also focus on how cartilage growth and repair can be achieved with just injections and medications.
"When the cartilage starts seeing a tear, abrasion or damage, patients suffer from osteoarthritis," said the doctor.
"Currently, there is a technology of using stem cell culture to treat this condition. However, it is used rarely in India. We usually, through arthroscopy or keyhole surgery extract a piece of healthy cartilage and place it on the repaired area for it to start growing naturally," he said.
"We want to find medicines to make a torn cartilage regrow through injection of just growth hormones," he said.