Dance: why is osteoarthritis so difficult to treat?

PhD student Nikae te Moller explains her research in an original way: with a dance of 4 minutes she talks about osteoarthritis and her research into this disease.

Te Moller, who herself dances in the video: “With this project, I want to share my research with the general public in a creative and accessible way and call for attention to research on osteoarthritis. Also, I would like to inspire other scientists to share their work in a creative way by showing that science and art can reinforce each other.” Currently, te Moller is working on a live performance together with the dancers, which will be shown at Utrecht University during Weekend van de Wetenschap at 6th October 2019.

Irreversible damage
Have you ever wondered how you would move without functioning joints? You would not. Joints are the pivotal element of the locomotor system. They allow you to bend your legs, stretch your arms, to move smoothly and to dance. Whether you are a human or a horse. For patients with osteoarthritis the situation is different. Osteoarthritis causes irreversible damage to the articular cartilage and eventually leads to stiff and painful joints. But why? And why is it so difficult to treat this disease? Watch the video below.

Contributing to research
At the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, several scientist work on osteoarthritis. Would you like to contribute to one of their projects? You can via Vrienden Diergeneeskunde. With her project “Joints Jumping for Joy”, supported by the Public Engagement Seed Fund, Nikae te Moller explains the beautiful dynamics of the joint and the complexity of osteoarthritis by dancing it. She does this together with L.O.F. DanceCrew Utrecht.