Comprehensive Strategies for Preserving Knee Joint Function: Clinical, Biomechanical, and Biological Perspectives
Martin Husen
What did you research during your PhD?
“My Ph.D. centered around preserving the natural function of the knee joint. My goal was to find ways to delay or even avoid artificial joint replacement, particularly in younger and more active patients.
I developed and validated a hierarchical concept of joint preservation. This concept demonstrated that achieving successful long-term outcomes in knee joint preservation hinges on addressing the knee in a logical sequence:
1. Correcting alignment to restore a balanced load distribution.
2. Repairing or replacing the meniscus, which serves as the joint’s natural shock absorber.
3. Restoring cartilage on the joint surface only when the underlying mechanics are optimal.
This framework was extensively explored through clinical studies, biomechanical experiments conducted using robotic knee simulators, and biological approaches, such as enhancing meniscus healing using light-activated molecules. Collectively, these studies provide surgeons with a structured and personalized strategy to maintain patients’ knee function for as long as possible. This approach effectively bridges the gap between mechanical correction and biological regeneration."
How do you look back on your time in Utrecht?
“Although the largest part of my research was conducted at the Mayo Clinic, my time in Utrecht played a crucial and shaping role in my PhD journey. This project truly became a transatlantic collaborative effort — bringing together the clinical excellence and research infrastructure of Mayo Clinic with the scientific rigor, mentorship, and interdisciplinary culture of UMC Utrecht.
Utrecht offered an academic environment where orthopaedic surgeons, biomechanical engineers, and regenerative medicine scientists work side by side. Even while based primarily in the United States, I always felt connected and supported — discussions with my supervisors and co-supervisors in Utrecht and Rochester, joint meetings, and the shared vision for joint preservation created a seamless collaboration across borders. We went back and forth between places and were in constant contact, coordinating our scientific efforts closely.
Looking back, I value Utrecht not only as the institutional home of my PhD, but also as the place where my ideas were challenged, refined, and expanded. The partnership between Utrecht and the Mayo Clinic allowed me to grow into a clinician-scientist with a broader perspective, and it is a model of international cooperation that I deeply appreciate.”
What are your plans after this?
“I will continue my scientific career alongside my work as an orthopaedic surgeon, carrying forward the values and insights I gained at both UMC Utrecht and the Mayo Clinic. These experiences have profoundly shaped how I think about joint preservation, how I design and approach research, and how I mentor young scientists.
My next step is to further develop and strengthen my research group at the University of Heidelberg, where I aim to pass on what I have learned — the collaborative spirit, the integration of clinical practice with scientific inquiry, and the commitment to advancing patient care through innovation. I am also very much looking forward to continuing my collaborations with the Mayo Clinic and UMC Utrecht, building on this successful transatlantic partnership to investigate new and innovative joint-preserving strategies. In that sense, this PhD is not an endpoint, but a foundation — and the starting point for the work still to come.”