MSU Team Recognized For Research Project

August 3, 2004

A Michigan State University research team was honored by the American Orthopedic Sports Medicine Society with the prestigious Cabaud Award for orthopedic research.

The project was a collaboration between members of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The researchers included Steve Arnoczky, D.V.M., Brinker Professor of Small Animal Clinical Science; Cheryl Swenson, D.V.M., Associate Professor of Pathology and Diagnostic Investigations; Matthew Crawford, D.O., Clinical Instructor of Osteopathic Surgical Specialties; Herbert Ross, D.O., Associate Professor of Osteopathic Surgical Specialties; and Jeremy O’Shea, MSUCOM Class of 2006.

The study was an attempt to learn about the effects of storage techniques on tendon and bone tissues used in transplants. Such tissues are currently freeze dried, which was thought to inactivate retroviruses such as HIV and therefore prevent infection from transplantation. The MSU study proved that the current freeze drying technique used by the tissue banks does not inactivate infectious retrovirus in tendon or bone tissue and that the virus is still capable of infecting other cells.

The award was presented at the AOSSM conference held in Quebec City, Canada in June.