The Osteoarthritis Research Society International's World Congress on Osteoarthritis concluded on April 21, with a clear focus on finding new ways to recognize the disease early and identify and slow progression.
Conferences page on Musculoskeletal Network features reports on the latest in osteoarthritis research, including:
Collaborating to reassess patient-level data from existing trials, a new cooperative effort is working to improve the evidence base for osteoarthritis treatments. More »
New research has examined 3D motion and muscle activity in knee osteoarthritis, and correlated gait with pain. Result: a better description of knees destined for replacement. More »
Synovitis is present in 90% of painful knees, and emerging data is showing that this inflammation is "not just a bystander" in osteoarthritis-induced damage. Research is revealing the roles of macrophages and T-cells, and signposts toward new drug targets. More »
No speaker at the OARSI meeting turned up with the Holy Grail -- a new disease modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD). Some promising alternatives are not available to US patients; others are in very preliminary testing. More »
Patients with knee osteoarthritis should have mild exercise every day to reduce inflammation, should walk with shorter steps to reduce knee loading, and should strengthen their upper leg muscles, to judge from new research. But studies have yet to say how much exercise is best, how often, and at... More »
What you want to see in progressive images of knee osteoarthritis is not a particular kind of change, but homeostasis, to judge from two studies presented at the annual meeting of OARSI. More »
At the OARSI annual meeting in Philadelphia, two osteoarthritis experts tacklde the issue of whether to focus first on structural abnormalities or pain, and merged toward a consensus. More »
OARSI 2013: More support for the supplement chondroitin sulfate (CS) in osteoarthritis: In a large observational study from Spain, six months' use of CS significantly reduced the likelihood of having total knee replacement. Observers noted the well-known issues in applying this knowledge in the US. More »
A set of six simple performance-based measures have been recommended by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International for assessing physical function in osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. More »
Limited Joint Mobility in Diabetes Mellitus: The Clinical Implications
Take care not to be overenthusiastic about the prayer-sign test for limited joint mobility, for instance in patients with diabetes. One study found that 26% of healthy controls were not able to make complete contact of the palmar surfaces. . ..
Viral causes are implicated in potentially deadly A-DRESS SYNDROME (dermatitis, hepatitis, interstitial nephritis, and eosinophilia) among allopurinol users. Skin biopsy and a wide panel of viral titers are well advised. . ..
Latent Tuberculosis Infection in RA: The Disease and the Diagnosis
Although tuberculosis is common in RA even in the absence of treatment, false-negative tuberculin skin test results are frequent because of either immunosuppressive treatment or a natural waning of immunity. . ..
The quads and hamstrings of OA patients who later have knee replacement seem to be firing continuously, according to new biomechanics research. Training with the Alexander technique may offer relief. . ..
Recognizing and Managing Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Gradually increasing mild pain in the back of the knee, stiffness, and pain with squatting or kneeling may be the only signs of PCL injury, arising long past the acute period after a seemingly trivial inciting event. . ..
Recognizing Rheumatologic Aspects of Cocaine Abuse
Cocaine and its contaminants, primarily levamisole, can cause lesions of the earlobes and cheeks, midline granulomatous lesions, and a mimic of vasculitis. . ..
Is There Truly A Therapeutic "Window of Opportunity" in RA?
Combined studies of more than 6,000 patients agree: To lessen joint damage and achieve remission, treat rheumatoid arthritis at least during the first 12 weeks after diagnosis.. . .
Raynaud's phenomenon is usually absent from eosinophilic fasciitis, which may be difficult to differentiate from scleroderma. Nearly all scleroderma patients have Raynaud's, usually early on. . .
Obese Woman With Fibromyalgia and Increasing Back Pain
Clues to spinal epidural abscess as a cause of back pain (a potentially disabling condition and thus a diagnostic "great save"):
1. Usually insidious onset 2. Usually thoracic (most back pain is cervical or lumbar) 3. Major red flag: fever (though often absent, especially early in the course). . .
Over two million anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur worldwide annually, and the greater prevalence for ACL injury in young female athletes is one of the major problems in sports medicine. Optimal treatment of ACL injury requires individualised management. Patient selection is of utmost importance, and so is respect for the patient's functional demands and interests. All patients with an ACL tear may not need surgery, however athletes and persons with an active lifestyle with high knee fun
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the degree of osteoarthritis, degree of laxity, and quality-of-life (QOL) scores in primary and revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study; 25 patients who had undergone revision ACL reconstruction with allografts were identified and compared with 27randomly selected primary ACL reconstruction patients operated on in the same hospital in the same period with the same technique. The main outcome mea
Although it is generally accepted that osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the cartilage, other tissues such as synovium in which immunological and inflammatory reactions occur contribute to the development of joint pathology. This sheds new light on the potential mechanism of action of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in osteoarthritis. Rather than tissue repair due to local transformation of injected mesenchymal stem cells to chondrocytes and filling defects in cartilage, such treatment might sup
Five Steps to Improving Patient Access Judy Capko, May 21, 2013 Patient access is getting increased attention through reform initiatives. Here are five steps you can take to make sure patients get appropriate access to care in your office.
Growing HIPAA Threat – Ignore Windows XP at Your Own Peril Marion K. Jenkins, May 21, 2013 Chances are good that you have some major ticking software time bombs lurking in your medical practice's computer environment, namely Windows XP and Server 2003.
Three Areas to Reduce Costs at Your Medical Practice Greg Mertz, May 19, 2013 By taking a hard look at reducing costs for staffing, overhead, and technology at your medical practice, you may see increased physician compensation.
Dos and Don’ts for Starting a Physician Blog Michael Woo-Ming, MD, May 18, 2013 Starting a physician blog can provide your medical practice with marketing benefits, but it's important to do it right.
