Tendon 2 Ligament Mechanobiology by Jasper Foolen

We are pleased to announce the invited talk given by Jasper Foolen, Assistant Professor at the Orthopaedic Biomechanics group of the department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, about “Tendon 2 Ligament Mechanobiology”.   In my talk I will explain how I attempt to pursue my ultimate goal, which is to develop materials, tools and strategies that can assist in optimizing the quality of life of patients that suffer from tendon and ligament issues. Tendon and ligament injuries are involved in over 30% of all musculoskeletal consultations. Over the past decades there has been limited progress in the treatment of tendinopathy and connective tissue fibrosis (scarring). It suffers from poor innate regenerative capacity, the clinical outcome of surgical interventions has remained rather poor and there is controversy concerning adequate treatment. I thus explore the mechanobiological processes that initiate degeneration and promote healing of tendons and ligaments. Experimental platforms that we developed were exploited, in combination with numerical models, to develop strategies to improve the structure and functionality of affected tendons and ligaments. In my talk I will address these model systems, which mimic specific material properties of in vivo tissue, and elaborate on the science that we derived from them.   The talk will be on October 14th at 10:00.   The event is free and open for everybody, it will be online via TEAMS with the following link:   https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTFmMjY0MzctOTNiMC00ZjczLTkzN2EtN2JkYmE4Mzc2NTFm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%222f54ab68-83af-4d70-8895-a0d1e95ec899%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%227778b4e1-e06d-485b-b530-cf013d4e9498%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&btype=a&role=a   Do not miss it!