Arthritis and Growth in Children

Dr. Bukulmez is studying the effect of chronic arthritis on a child’s growth. The most dramatic negative effects are found in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA): destruction of growth plates in children often requires surgical correction. Dr. Bukulmez is studying the mechanisms of inflammation as they relate to growth delay in bones. Her study is at the molecular level with the goal of developing a new treatment for preventing growth delay or correcting the bone and cartilage damage seen during JRA and adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA).