COLUMBIA - Dr. James Cook will use the $120,000 to research ways to diagnose knee problems faster.
The money came from the NFL’s charity fund, which gives about 9 million dollars per year to medical research.
“I’m really excited,” Cook said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
The goal of the research is to diagnose injuries to the meniscus, which is the soft tissue cushioning the knee, as soon as the injury happens. Approximately 1 million people tear their meniscus each year.
Cook’s research has already shown doctors can diagnose a torn meniscus in dogs the same way they would in humans.
“It’s actually harder because it’s a smaller tissue and they can’t tell us, of course, about the pain or the catching symptoms,” Cook said.
One of the dogs Cook is currently treating for knee problems is a 2-year-old black lab named Vito. Vito’s owner Dewayne Cox drives from O’Fallon, Illinois, to have Cook treat his dog’s knee problems.
“When he was a puppy, he had bad front elbows,” Cox said. “He had loose cartilage in his elbows as a birth defect.”
By the time he’s 3, Vito will have had all of his elbows and knees replaced because of his condition. Cox said he’s grateful Cook’s practice is relatively close.
“We like to think he’s got a bad set of wheels, but God gave him to us so we could help him get better,” Cox said.
Aired 12/21/09
