Philly’s VA opens a research center to develop new treatments for osteoarthritis

The Veterans Administration is opening a research center in Philadelphia to develop new treatments for the most common form of arthritis, which is prevalent in veterans.

The CreATE Motion Center — formally named the Cartilage Regeneration Using Advance Technologies to Enable Motion Center — hopes to develop techniques to treat osteoarthritis early, so patients can avoid joint replacement surgeries, the VA said in a news release. It will be located at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center in West Philadelphia.

Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, causes the cartilage covering the joints to break down, resulting in pain and limited motion.

» READ MORE: Q&A: What can I do to limit joint pain from arthritis?

About one-third of veterans deal with some form of arthritis, and veterans are diagnosed with osteoarthritis more often than the general population, the VA said. About 32.5 million adults in the U.S. have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The VA performed more than 28,000 joint replacement surgeries in 2022 and 2023. About half of those surgeries were knee replacements.

“This facility will be critical to helping those vets manage their condition and avoid surgery,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement.

The VA hopes the work of the center will lead to treatments that regenerate cartilage for patients with late-stage osteoarthritis, or preserve cartilage that hasn’t yet broken down. The VA said improving mobility for its patients also contributes to better physical and mental health.

Doctors at Philadelphia’s VA, along with colleagues in Atlanta, have been researching osteoarthritis for the last 10 years. “Research is a critical part of VA’s mission to provide the world-class care that veterans deserve,” the VA said in a statement.