BME Seminar Series: Dr. Blaine Christiansen, UC Davis Medical Center

Associate Professor In Residence, Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

All dates for this event occur in the past.

B050 James Cancer Hospital
B050 James Cancer Hospital
460 W. 10th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Abstract:

"Injury-Induced Adaptation of Bone: Beyond Fracture Healing"

Bone fractures initiate a rapid healing response involving local and systemic inflammation, formation of a cartilage callus, mineralization, and remodeling of bone. Similarly, injuries to the soft tissues of a joint can cause inflammation, subchondral bone remodeling, and formation of chondrophytes and osteophytes. However, these injuries may also have further reaching effects that can negatively affect the entire skeleton. Our lab investigates injury-induced adaptation of bone in mice, and how joint injuries initiate degradative processes that ultimately result in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Additionally, we are investigating systemic skeletal changes following bone fracture and other injuries in mice. We have shown that fracture initiates a systemic response that results in a loss of trabecular bone and may affect future risk of fractures at all skeletal sites. This may have wide-reaching clinical implications for patient care; uncovering the etiology of this phenomenon will allow us to inform treatments aimed at preserving lifelong skeletal health for the aging population.

 

Bio:

Dr. Christiansen received his B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. His doctoral research was performed under the direction of Professor Matthew J. Silva in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, where he investigate the use of vibrational loading to initiate bone formation in mice. After completing his doctoral research, he conducted a postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Advanced Orthopedic Studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The primary focus of his postdoctoral research was the biomechanical mechanisms of vertebral fractures and spinal loading in humans. Dr. Christiansen started his faculty appointment at UC Davis in March 2010. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and a member of the UC Davis Biomedical Engineering Graduate Group. His research focuses on adaptation of bone to mechanical loading or unloading, injury, and aging. In particular, he is interested in post-traumatic osteoarthritis and systemic adaptation of bone to acute injuries.