Grant: Undergraduate: Mobility, musculoskeletal health and arthritis - ICS

The objective of 'Imaging Impingement at the Hip' is to develop a method to observe blocked motion within the hip joint known as impingement. Hip impingements occur in many active people and can cause pain, stiffness, or limited joint mobility. The impingement mechanism is believed to eventually wear down cartilage within the joint - wear of cartilage then leads to arthritis. Arthritis is a disease that will affect a majority of Canadians by the time they reach 70 years. However, current medical technology allows the hip to be imaged only in a lying-down position. Since blocked hip motion is only visible in certain positions such as squatting and lunging, doctors are unable to directly observe impingement. This research is concerned with determining a way to take direct snapshots of impingement in action. Our imaging technique will be used to assess cases of hip disorders, and ultimately develop a better understanding of arthritis in the hip. It is hoped that this research will benefit all Canadians who suffer from hip disorders and also aid the public health system's ability to treat those people.