Early and accurate diagnosis
Bone and joint disorders are one of the most common chronic conditions affecting Canadians, and the leading cause of disability world-wide. Evidence suggests that early diagnosis and intervention can alter the long-term outcome of these chronic diseases.
3D facial scans have potential to speed diagnoses for children with genetic diseases
An international team led by scientists and clinicians at the universities of Calgary, Colorado and California has developed a prototype tool based on three-dimensional (3D) facial imaging with potential to shorten that diagnostic odyssey by making it easier to diagnose genetic diseases.
Taking the guesswork out of gout
Gout has been called “the king of diseases and the disease of kings” because of its link to the consumption of rich foods and good ale. But for Shannon Pelley, above, it’s just a royal pain in the… foot.
Finding the right drug to control arthritis in kids
When Ava Morgan was seven years old, she began complaining about sore knees. Within a few months, her knees, ankles and shoulders were swollen, and she was having trouble walking. A visit to paediatric rheumatologist Dr. Susa Benseler and a series of blood tests confirmed Ava had psoriatic juvenile arthritis.
Biomarkers: Immune system fingerprints
When McCaig Institute researcher Marv Fritzler was first recruited to Calgary in 1978, he was the only rheumatologist at the Foothills Hospital. Day after day he saw complex cases of autoimmune and rheumatic diseases that were extremely difficult to diagnose. “Before you can successfully treat a patient, you need to know everything you can about their condition,” says Fritzler. “That’s where the detective work comes in.”
Study aims to improve early detection of osteoarthritis after knee injury
A tumble on the ski hill or a slip on the sidewalk can prove to be traumatic on the knees short-term and potentially long-term. Suffering a knee injury increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis. Now a researcher in the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary is embarking on a new study to change the negative outcomes associated with knee injuries with new diagnostic techniques that will monitor the body for changes immediately following an injury.