OAK’s Dr. Samaan Leads Study to Advance Treatment for Hip Osteoarthritis

As part of the Osteoarthritis Alliance of Kentucky (OAK) – and thanks to that collaboration and inspiration from his colleagues at UK – Michael Samaan, PhD, is leading a project funded by the National Institute of Aging (NIA). He will work to develop a novel experimental approach to investigate the potential role of the hip musculature on hip joint mechanics, pain, and cartilage health in hip osteoarthritis.

In short, Dr. Samaan’s project will challenge the notion that exercise-based programs are the most effective treatments for patients with hip osteoarthritis.

“If you have someone who has severe joint pain, and you tell them to go walk 20 minutes a day, they probably can’t do that,” Dr. Samaan said. “So I started thinking through it and thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s the muscles not working properly?’ That’s going to affect the way your joint moves, and in turn, maybe leads to abnormal loading patterns which start to break down cartilage, and the pain starts to become more evident.”

Dr. Samaan’s goal with the NIA study is to develop a new, multi-modal experimental platform including magnetic resonance imaging, muscle-function assessment, musculoskeletal simulations, and biochemical biomarkers to assess the pathomechanism and corresponding effects of hip extensor dysfunction during aerobic exercise.

The leadership and faculty in OAK, he says, have been vital in preparing him for this big step in his career.

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