AAOS: Research Comes Closer to Finding Heterotopic Ossification Treatment

By Laura Miller | April 13, 2011

A recent breakthrough regarding treatment for heterotopic ossification could bring relief to wounded military personnel and civilians, according to an American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons news release.

HO affects nearly 65 percent of wounded members of the U.S. military and there isn't currently an effective treatment. However, a new study from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has shown that a new drug can prevent abnormal buildup of bone tissue.

The study treated mice with retinoid agonists, which showed good results in preventing HO with minimal side effects. The study was funded almost entirely by the Orthopaedic Extremity Trauma Research Program, which is supported by AAOS, Orthopaedic Trauma Association and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.