Last month, the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) at UW–Madison announced the recipients of its 2024 Translational Basic and Clinical (TBC) pilot awards. Among the 11 projects funded is a study led by Jack Martin, PhD, a research scientist in the University of Wisconsin Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, and Scott Crawford, PhD, an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin Departments of Kinesiology at the School of Education and Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the School of Medicine and Public Health. Their project, “Measuring Patellar Tendon Load during Exercise Using Wearable Sensors,” was awarded $50,000 to advance research on rehabilitation practices for tendon injuries.

Martin and Crawford’s study seeks to improve the accuracy of patellar tendon loading during rehabilitation after tendon injuries by:

• Determining whether the external loading prescribed by physical therapists aligns with the actual load experienced by the patient’s patellar tendon;
• Investigating the potential of electrical muscle stimulation to enhance tendon loading during rehabilitation exercises;
• Exploring the use of quantitative ultrasound to monitor tendon health over time.

Co-researchers on the project include Naoaki Ito, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in orthopedics and rehabilitation, and Ivan Rosado-Mendez, PhD, an assistant professor in medical physics and radiology. The proposal was accepted on September 27, 2024, with the awarded funds supporting this cutting-edge work to enhance patient recovery and outcomes in tendinopathy treatment.