Hello everyone! My name is Angelina Kwan and I am finishing up my second year at the University of California, San Diego. I am majoring in Human Biology with a minor in Global Health. I grew up in Valley Center, CA but I have also lived in Arizona and the San Diego area. My curiosity for understanding how diseases progress motivated my decision to study conditions that affect quality of life.
With the support of the Tyler Center for Global Studies, I will be traveling to Wakayama, Japan this summer to work on my research project and complete a clinical observership under the guidance of my faculty mentors at Wakayama Medical University. I am currently working at the Skeletal Translational Research Laboratory at the UC San Diego School of Medicine that is studying the efficacy of an experimental treatment for knee osteoarthritis. My mentor at UC San Diego connected me with faculty at Wakayama Medical University who have agreed to oversee my summer research project. This summer, my research project will be focusing on novel improvements to medical innovation, such as surgical intervention, for osteoarthritis of the knee.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases affecting the aging population. It is characterized by progressive wear and tear on the articular cartilage or tough connective tissue that protects the joints. At the knee joint, cartilage facilitates movement by covering the ends of the femur and tibia, the two bones that connect at the knee, to provide a smooth surface that prevents friction and absorbs shock. Damage to the cartilage in the knee is permanent and may cause worsening pain and decreased mobility.
Total knee replacement surgery is a corrective procedure for advanced osteoarthritis of the knee that involves the replacement of impaired cartilage surfaces in the knee with a metal implant that serves as artificial cartilage.
I will be working on a retrospective study analyzing how changes to the alignment of key anatomical landmarks during total knee replacement surgery could affect the success of the operation. It Is hypothesized that a shift towards personalized alignment of structures in the knee, a method based on an individual’s own unique anatomy, may improve long-term patient outcomes. An analysis of patient data from individuals who were determined to have alignment deviation after surgery compared to individuals who experienced no alignment changes will be done to explore trends in patient satisfaction and clinical results.
I am excited to conduct research that utilizes clinical data to interpret postoperative success. It is my goal to help contribute to the field of study and offer insight that may be useful in a clinical setting. Observing surgical procedures such as total knee replacement will help inform my research so I am looking forward to gaining this experience. This will also be my first time traveling outside of North America so I am a bit unsure about the logistics behind my trip. However, I am also eager to gain a better understanding of the differences between healthcare delivery in Japan and the United States as well as the influence of culture on the medical field.
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