Arden Group | Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Diseases
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OSTEOARTHRITIS AND ARTHROPLASTY
We are interested in identifying the natural history and risk factors for the incidence and progression of osteoarthritis. As such we are setting up a large collection of international cohorts with a view to studying these risk factors in more detailed analysis, particularly using individual participant data meta-analytic techniques.
We are particularly interested in the combination of clinical risk factors with biomarkers both wet and dry. In order to enable this we are working with a large number of international partners with expertise in biomarkers.
PREDICTING OUTCOME AND PERSONALISED MEDICINE
We are very interested in the realm of personalised medicine i.e., targeting individual treatment and secondary prevention to individual patients as this will enable the best and hopefully most cost effective results.
We are working with our international partners to produce a tool to predict the onset and progression of osteoarthritis, which will enable not only treatments to be targeted to appropriate patients but also randomised control trials to recruit only relevant patients who are likely to progress.
We are also providing a large body of work to predict the outcome of hip and knee arthroplasty to enable better patient selection and better post-operative targeted treatment.
We work closely with Big Health Data Research, Musculoskeletal Pharmaco- and Device epidemiology, and Health Service Delivery.
SPORT & EXERCISE
With our collaborators in the Arthritis Research UK Sports Exercise and Osteoarthritis Centre of Excellence we are studying the effect of sport at both recreational and elite levels on the risk of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis in later life.
We hope to be able to ascertain individual sport and injury related risk factors which lead to poor long term musculoskeletal outcomes with the aid of enabling the general population to exercise safely and to enable modification in professional sports and to minimise their risk of adverse outcomes.
CLINICAL TRIALS
We have a strong track record in performing large scale clinical trials in patients with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. These include trials of existing and new medications as well as Intra-articular procedures.
HEALTH ECONOMICS OF MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AND INTERVENTIONS
Musculoskeletal conditions, whether prevalent or rare, can have profound impacts on patients' day-to-day quality of life.
Their costs can also be quite significant for national health services in both primary and secondary care, but they can extend to families when support is needed or to the broader society if productivity losses are considered.
Our research focuses on exploring the economic burden generated by musculoskeletal conditions and the cost-effectiveness of interventions using costs and relevant outcomes, often measured in quality of life, based primarily on nationally representative routinely collected data but also on smaller observational cohorts and clinical trials.
Our economic assessments, conducted in tandem with associated clinical, statistical and epidemiological analyses, are aimed at improving the evidence base available to patients, doctors, healthcare providers and national and international regulatory agencies in their decision-making.