Research Projects

Dr. Amadio and his research team in the Tendon and Soft Tissue Biology Lab are engaged in numerous research projects, including studies of carpal tunnel syndrome, engineering tendon grafts, regenerative medicine in plastic surgery transplantation and tissue healing, and more.

Dynamic Ultrasound to Enhance Understanding of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: R01 AR 62613 NIH/NIAMS

Study goals for this project are to assess the ability of the functional biomarkers we have identified to predict outcome after steroid injection; assess the ability of the functional biomarkers to predict outcome after surgery in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome; test the secondary hypothesis that treatment response after both injection and surgery correlates with a change toward normal in the affected ultrasound variables; identify additional biomarkers that may correlate with treatment outcome; and identify any composite clinical and biomarker measures that may improve the ability to predict outcome after treatment.

Principal investigator: Peter C. Amadio, M.D.

Engineering Tendon Grafts for Better Outcomes: R01 AR 57745 NIH/NIAMS

Our overall goal for this project is to develop a clinically applicable tendon graft alternative, an engineered allograft with a surface lubricated with cd-HA-lubricin that could become an off-the-shelf, functionally superior alternative to currently used allograft or autograft tendon reconstruction.

Principal investigator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D.

Engineering Tendon Grafts for Rotator Cuff Repair and Regeneration: STAR Program NIH/NIAMS

This research proposal is to develop a novel method for engineering tendon to augment rotator cuff repair using a canine model.

Principal investigator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D.

Novel Non-Invasive Measurement of Carpal Tunnel Pressure: AR 67421 NIH/NIAMS R21

This research proposal is to develop a noninvasive imaging technology for carpal tunnel syndrome detection using ultrasound elastography.

Principal investigator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D.

Synovialization and Revitalization of Tendon Allograft for Flexor Tendon Reconstruction: Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation

The overall goal of this project is to develop a clinically applicable engineered tendon allograft that could become an off-the-shelf, functionally superior alternative to the conventional tendon autograft.

Principal investigator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D.

Regenerative Medicine in Plastic Surgery Transplantation and Tissue Healing: Obaid Fund for Transplantation

The project is supporting the personnel effort to conduct research related to plastic surgery regenerative medicine, including ischemia skin healing, allograft, and face and hand transplantation projects.

Principal investigator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D.

Exploration of a Turkey Model for Flexor Tendon Related Research: Mayo Biomedical Discovery Pilot Award

This project is to develop a novel flexor tendon research animal model using a turkey digit, both in vitro and in vivo.

Principal investigator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D.; co-principal investigator: Steven L. Moran, M.D.; co-investigator: Assaf Kadar, M.D.

Stem Cell Mediated Regeneration in Degenerative Tendinopathy: Center for Regenerative Medicine

The goal of this research is to explore multiple stem cell therapies to treat tendinopathy and to compare the efficacy of multiple stem cell sources on their effectiveness to heal tendon injury.

Principal investigator: Anne Gingery, Ph.D.

Development of In Vivo Long Bone Mechanical Loading Protocol and Probing the Role of Bone Cells as Mechanosensors: Orthopedic Research Committee

In this study, we propose to develop and validate a tibial loading apparatus to evaluate tibial responses to mechanical loading.

Principal investigator: Anne Gingery, Ph.D.

Next-Gen Sequencing in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Center for Individualized Medicine — Clinomics Grant

The overall goal of this project is to improve the care of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) by identifying therapeutic targets that underlie biological mechanisms that drive the progression of CTS, and thereby block the progression, and potentially even reverse the course, of the disease.

Principal investigator: Peter C. Amadio, M.D.; co-principal investigator: Anne Gingery, Ph.D.