Joint pain can make it difficult to move or function, affecting your entire life. At University of Missouri Health Care, we find new answers for your joint pain. No matter how severe your condition, we seek out treatments that can relieve your pain and restore your joint function.

At the Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, MU Health Care experts perform innovative research into groundbreaking treatments, shaping the future of orthopaedic care. The physicians, scientists and researchers at the Thompson Laboratory pursue new discoveries for joint replacement and restoration so you can return to the activities you love faster and with fewer financial costs.

Housed in the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, the only hospital in the region dedicated solely to bone and muscle health, the Thompson Lab allows MU Health Care orthopaedic surgeons to provide comprehensive care options to all patients. We are committed to helping patients across Missouri and the globe find the treatments they need for better joint health and mobility.

Breakthroughs in joint care

One of the breakthrough efforts our experts have developed through research in the Thompson Laborator involves biologic joint restoration. We are able to offer procedures that use donor tissue to restore cartilage in damaged joints instead of using metal or plastic replacements.

Our researchers also developed a new way to store donor tissues. This technology, called Missouri Osteochondral Allograft Preservation System (MOPS), allows our researchers to keep donor tissue for up to 60 days — double the time that tissues could previously be preserved. By preserving donor tissue, physicians are better able to find donor matches for patients when they need them.

Patients from across the world have come to MU Health Care to take advantage of these breakthrough treatments and find relief from joint pain and physical disability.

Teaching a new generation of physicians and scientists

Numerous physicians and researchers train at the Thompson Laboratory, learning about new treatments and technology. By sharing this knowledge, experts at MU Health Care can help people around the world take advantage of the latest orthopaedic treatments. These physicians and researchers continue to advance the field of regenerative orthopaedics, conducting award-winning research that will benefit patients for many years to come.