Original broadcast date: August 30, 2009

“There has to be a better way,” says orthopedic surgeon Dr Cyril Frank. What Dr. Frank refers to is the present approach used to repair damaged ligaments in joints such as the knee with methods that are still “fairly barbaric”.

In that vein, the University of Calgary is expanding its biomedical engineering research program within which Dr. Frank is undertaking an approach to stimulating the size of the ligament scar tissue in order to regain as close to 100 per cent of the strength of a normal tendon.

• Dr. Cyril (Cy) Frank, MD, FRCSC, professor of orthopaedic surgery and Orthopaedics, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scientist, and executive director of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute