VA opens new osteoarthritis research center at Philadelphia VA Medical Center

PHILADELPHIA — Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the opening of the Cartilage Regeneration using Advanced Technologies to Enable Motion Center — the CReATE Motion Center — at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.  

The CReATE Motion Center is designed to develop treatments that minimize the need for joint replacement surgeries by stopping progression of the disease early, retaining the “good” cartilage in the mid-stage of the disease, or regenerating replacement cartilage to restore motion in the late stages of the disease. Greater mobility and motion are linked to better physical and mental health and improved quality of life for Veterans.

This center is particularly critical for VA because Veterans are diagnosed with osteoarthritis at a much higher rate than the general population. Roughly one in three Veterans have some form of arthritis. In 2022 and 2023, VA performed 13,157 and 15,311 joint replacement surgeries respectively, with knee replacements accounting for about half of those surgeries.

“Veterans live with osteoarthritis at far higher rates than the general population, and this facility will be critical to helping those Vets manage their condition and avoid surgery,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough, who announced the facility at a ribbon cutting today. “At this center, we will work to develop new technologies, approaches, and treatments for osteoarthritis — and improve Veterans’ lives in the process.”

The CReATE Motion Center grows out of a decade of pioneering research work on osteoarthritis at the Philadelphia VA, in collaboration with the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Osteoarthritis is a deterioration of the cartilage that caps bones in the joints. It is the most common form of arthritis, often impacting people from middle age onward causing pain and stiffness, especially in the hip, knee, shoulder, and thumb joints.

Research is a critical part of VA’s mission to provide the world-class care that Veterans deserve. Veterans who receive VA health care have better health outcomes than non-enrolled Veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings. Additionally, VA health care is often more affordable than non-VA health care for Veterans.

For more information about research at VA, visit www.research.va.gov.