Week 2

Week 2

06-22-2018

We were blessed with wonderful weather when we visited the Status of Liberty last weekend. Even though we couldn’t reserve the tickets to go up to the crown, looking down from the top of the pedestal was enough to make my heart rate go up because of the height (so much for going up to the Empire State Building, haha!).

I have yet to visit the clinic or observe in the OR due to scheduling issues and Dr. Rodeo’s travel plan. However, the paperwork should be down by next week.

Things have been moving smoothly in the lab. I practiced the ACL transection on rat cadavers as planned. Anterior 

cruciate ligament (ACL) originates from the lateral posterior side of the femur, cross the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and link the medial anterior side of the tibia. It is one of the several very important ligament in mammalian knees. Its rapture is the most common of the ligaments in knee injuries and a major cause of post traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). As a result, the open surgical method of ACL transection has been used as a standard to study PTOA. Anteriorly to the knee is the meniscus, a transvers thin fibrous cartilage. Flanking the knee are the lateral and medial collateral ligaments, the later is also used in some PTOA models. In the open surgical ACLT model, it is important to not damage the surrounding ligaments and tissues, especially the MCL and PCL. The open surgical ACLT procedure is relatively easier in rats than in mice because the ACL can be exposed and is visible thus avoiding the bind operation that could possibly damage other ligaments and structures.

For the closed POTA model development, I have designed a simple crankshaft apparatus to produce a controlled linear motion. The parts should be printing in the 3D printer as I type these words. I will assemble them and conduct some preliminary testing next week.