Research summary
Musculoskeletal diseases are the second-leading cause of disability in Canada, affecting more than three million people. But surgical and post-surgical complications limit current treatment options.
To address these limitations, Dr. Jianyu Li, Canada Research Chair in Biomaterials and Musculoskeletal Health, is working to translate biomaterials (natural or synthetic materials that interact with biological systems) into surgical tools and therapies that can treat musculoskeletal diseases, especially cartilage and meniscus injuries. He and his research team expect that these new technologies will be able to mitigate the complications associated with musculoskeletal repair. Ultimately, the technologies will improve the quality of life quality for millions of patients with musculoskeletal disease.