Arthritis Research UK has launched a new £11m (US$17.1m, €12.9m) research centre initiative aiming to reduce the impact of sports injuries incurred by elite and recreational players and understand why some sport and exercise injuries develop into debilitating osteoarthritis in later life.

The centre, which is based over multiple sites, is led by Nottingham University Hospitals and the Universities of Nottingham and Oxford. Also participating will be the Universities of Southampton, Bath, Loughborough, Leeds and University College London.

“Our centre aims to keep people of all sporting abilities active and injury-free by developing definitive, evidence-based advice and information to minimise the consequence of injury and recommend effective treatments to reduce long-term damage,” said Centre director Professor Mark Batt. “This is the first time in Europe that specialists in sports medicine and osteoarthritis are combining their expertise to understand why some sports injuries will go on to develop into osteoarthritis, and whether we can prevent or slow down degeneration of the joints.”

The project, which has seen Arthritis Research UK invest £3m (US$4.6m, €3.5m), will be significantly bolstered by an additional £8m investment being pledged as in-kind support by the seven participating universities.