Advanced medical imaging has allowed Tasmanian scientists to trial new therapies for osteoarthritis and to potentially delay the need for joint-replacement surgery.
Graeme Jones and his team from the Menzies Research Institute used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to see what was happening to a joint’s internal structure as osteoarthritis developed, allowing them to spot changes long before a conventional X-ray could.
With a better understanding of the early factors that lead to the disease, the team has been able to test new therapies to target bone swelling, cartilage regeneration and inflammation, among others.
Graeme’s research has earned him the Tasmanian Scientist of the Year Award.