£1.6m study will determine how bone size, shape and structure contributes towards arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases

Team will analyse data from 100,000 men and
women

How the size, shape
and structure of bones and joints contribute towards the development of common
age-related diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis will be
investigated by an international research team thanks to a £1.6 million Wellcome
Trust award.

Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause
of disability in the UK’s rising aging population, primarily due to low back
pain, fractures and diseases such as osteoarthritis. The total cost of joint
replacement and hip fracture surgery is approaching £9.5bn annually and
represents a major burden on society and the NHS. The study is intended to
reduce the impact of these common musculoskeletal disorders by providing a
basis for improved means of disease prediction, prevention and treatment.

The study, led by
Jon Tobias, Professor of Rheumatology at Bristol Medical School, will
involve a collaboration between researchers from Bristol, Manchester,
Southampton, Aberdeen, Cardiff and Queensland universities.

Using a combination
of scans and genetic data from around 100,000 40-to-69-year-old men and women
who were recruited to the UK
biobank study, the team will explore
how the size, shape and structure of hips, knees and spines
contribute to the development of fractures, osteoarthritis and back pain. The
findings will then be used to develop novel strategies for identifying those at
risk, slowing disease progression and treating those with established disease.

Professor Tobias said:

“The sheer scale of UK
Biobank in terms of the number of participants involved and detailed amount of
information collected represents a unique resource for the international
research community. This study will help us to realise the potential of UK
Biobank for understanding the causes of common diseases and reducing their
impact on health, through investigation of the role of size, shape and
structure of bones and joints in the development of common musculoskeletal
conditions.”