Congratulations to Dr. Jordan Broberg, a postdoctoral research fellow at the UBC Department of Orthopaedics, for being awarded a 2025 Research Trainee award from Michael Smith Health Research BC.
The Health Research BC Research Trainee Program supports health researchers in the training phase of their research career to enable career development and enrich BC’s health research talent. Research trainees increase the productivity of their teams and drive discoveries that improve the health of people and communities.
His project—Effect of Lateral Meniscus Posterior Root Tears and Repairs on the Mechanics of the Loaded Knee—will study the effects of lateral meniscus root tears on joint mechanics and whether surgery can restore these mechanics to their optimal state.
“Several aspects of this project are particularly exciting. Collaborating with Dr. Wilson and Dr. Lodhia, both highly knowledgeable mentors, is a significant learning opportunity for me. Equally exciting is the opportunity to work directly with patients who have meniscal injuries. Using our unique, specialized imaging techniques, we are gathering new biomechanical information that could illuminate the effectiveness of current treatments in restoring normal knee mechanics. Ultimately, the prospect of contributing to improved outcomes for individuals with knee injuries is incredibly motivating.”
— Dr. Jordan Broberg, UBC Orthopaedics Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Menisci are crescent-shaped cartilaginous structures connected to the top of the shin bone at their tips, known as the roots. Tears to the roots of the lateral menisci are a common sports injury and can lead to future knee osteoarthritis.
While lateral root tears can be surgically repaired by stitching the torn root back to the bone, whether it helps restore the mechanics in a living person’s knee remains unknown.
Dr. Broberg and the research team are using a special upright MRI scanner that allows them to take pictures of patients while they stand and put weight on their knees. Their goal is to understand how injuries to the knee, specifically tears in the lateral root, affect how the knee works. By looking at patients both before and after they have surgery to repair these tears, the team hopes to learn how these injuries and their repairs might change the way knees function under stress. This knowledge could help in finding ways to prevent future knee problems, like arthritis, which can cause pain and limit movement.
The immediate next steps for the project include recruiting participants with and without meniscal tears and using the Open MRI scanner to image their knees in various weight-bearing and flexed postures to observe knee mechanics, simulating real-life conditions.
Project Team
Dr. Jordan Broberg, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Orthopaedics at UBC. His introduction to orthopaedic research began during his undergraduate studies in medical biophysics at Western University. He worked in Dr. Matthew Teeter’s lab using 3D X-ray techniques to study knee replacements, combining medical imaging, biomechanics, and its direct application to improving patient outcomes for those with arthritis. After eight years focused on joint replacement and X-ray imaging, he transitioned to UBC for his postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. David Wilson, working with him to develop this project studying cartilage and meniscus mechanics.
Dr. David Wilson, PhD, is the project’s principal investigator (PI) and supervisor. He is the Head of the Division of Orthopaedic Research at the UBC Department of Orthopaedics. His research interests include osteoarthritis, joint reconstruction/replacement, and medical imaging. Dr. Wilson is renowned for his research on the links between joint mechanics and joint health. He will provide essential guidance on the science of soft tissue mechanics.
Dr. Parth Lodhia, FRCSC, is a co-investigator and co-supervisor on the project. He is a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Arthroscopy and an orthopaedic surgeon with a special interest in joint preservation surgery of the hip and knee. He regularly performs meniscal repairs and will contribute crucial insights into the clinical aspects of the project, ensuring its relevance to patient care.
Congratulations to all the 2025 Research Trainees. Visit the Michael Smith Health Research BC website to learn more.
