Our stiff bones are held together by ligaments and tendons and carry the weight and transfer the large forces that are required for locomotion. Without these load bearing mechanical tissues we would look like a gelatin pudding. With aging or after trauma the delicate internal architecture of these connective tissues gets lost, which can result in e.g. cartilage damage and subsequent deterioration (osteoarthritis), loss of bone mass (osteoporosis) problematic healing of fractures or tendons. Bone and cartilage are load bearing structures and degeneration and regeneration in these tissues are continuously influenced by and adapted to the biomechanical demands. The major goal of my research is to investigate the degenerative processes in the skeletal structures and find methods to counterbalance this degeneration or even induce appropriate regeneration after the tissue is already diminished.

Harrie Weinans is minority shareholder of Uplanner BV and Replasia BV