What We are Doing
Current Projects
The following are list of projects under MSK-IF for development. For more information for each project, please contact the project's principal investigator (PI) or MSK-IF.
Joint Protection Self-management Program for Hand & Arthritis Patients
PI: Joy MacDermid
Project Status: Stage - Execution: In Progress
Joint protection is a traditional component of hand arthritis management which can result in temporary relief of pain and reduce the progression of arthritis and deformity through reduced loading over the longer term.
Collaborating with Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre (HULC), MSK-IF aims to develop a joint protection program for hands and shoulder arthritis patients with accessible modules that well-accommodates the target users.
Virtual Bone Health Program for Upper Extremity or Spinal Fragility Fracture
PI: Joy MacDermid, Tina Ziebart
Project Status: Stage - Planning: In Progress
Exercise, diet, and safe movement strategies are important to patients experiencing osteoporosis (OP) to lower the risk of fragility fractures, pain, and disabilities.
With consultation from various healthcare professionals, MSK-IF aims to develop education modules for OP patients (with fractures in upper extremity or spinal or have these areas affected) offering information and guidance that is tailored to their current health status and future bone risks.
Low-cost Wearable for Long Term Monitoring of Knee Brace Active Wear Time
PI: Trevor Birmingham, David Holdsworth
Project Status: Stage - Planning: In Progress
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) limits one's physical activities and increases the risk of vascular events and death. Knee braces have the potential to help people with this condition, however, their effectiveness remains unclear.
As part of the randomized clinical trial study funded by the Arthritis Society and Western's Bone and Joint Institute, this project aims to identify the knee braces' effectiveness by accurately monitoring their active wear time (adherence) with custom wearable devices assembled by MSK-IF.
Completed Projects
Multi-dimensional Symptom Index (MSI) Application
PI: Dave Walton
Pain frequency and pain interference are key indicators for interpreting chronic pain recovery, and several clinicians and researchers have shown interest in developing a tool that incorporates both of these aspects during the pain assessment. MSI allows respondents to indicate how often they experience each symptom, and how much each one interferes with their daily routine.
MSK-IF develops the web application with enhanced user interface and workflow, allowing the users to easily generate a report to identify patients' conditions in a quick, holistic way.
