Neuraxial anesthesia improves outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement
Source: News-Medical.Net
A highly underutilized anesthesia technique called neuraxial anesthesia, also known as spinal or epidural anesthesia, improves outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery. The study, which appears in the May issue of the journal Anesthesiology, found that neuraxial anesthesia, a type of regional anesthesia, reduced morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay and costs when compared with general anesthesia.
Using neuraxial anesthesia over general anesthesia reduced the risk of pulmonary compromise by twofold in knee replacement patients and over threefold in hip replacement patients.
Embrace the Knee Brace
Source: dailyRx
It’s been established that braces for the knees can provide relief from pain and protection from injury. But until now, not much was known on whether knee braces can pinpoint pain in the kneecap.
Knee braces can ease pain from osteoarthritis specifically in the kneecap, according to a study recently presented at a conference.
The findings show that the brace is a step forward from relying on painkillers and reducing the chances of needing joint surgery, according to researchers.
Fat cells in knee secrete a protein linked to arthritis
Source: News-Medical.Net
Scientists have discovered that fat cells in the knee secrete a protein linked to arthritis, a finding that paves the way for new gene therapies that could offer relief and mobility to millions worldwide.
“We found that fat in the knee joints secretes a protein called pro-factor D which gives rise to another protein known as factor D that is linked to arthritis,” said Nirmal Banda, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Without factor D, mice cannot get rheumatoid arthritis.”
Knee osteoarthritis patients have improved knee loads when using specialized mobility shoe
Source: Daily Rx
When patients with knee osteoarthritis are walking, their knees may jut out to the side. Shoes that imitate barefoot walking can help with that.
A recently published study found that wearing a “mobility” shoe keeps the knee joint more aligned in knee osteoarthritis patients.
Using flat, flexible footwear can significantly reduce knee loading in patients with the joint condition, according to researchers.
Which knees need the knife?
Source: Daily Rx
Jeffery Katz, MD, of Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and colleagues led the study to determine if patients with a meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis had better outcomes with surgery plus physical therapy or just physical therapy.
Cartilage damage helps detect osteoarthritis?
Source: ivanhoe.com
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder and affects about one-third of older adults. New research suggests that cartilage damage from exercise may aid in early detection of osteoarthritis.
“We discovered that GAG-depleted tissue is most vulnerable to high rates of loading and not just the magnitude of the load. This finding suggests that people with early degradation of cartilage, even before such changes would be felt as pain, should be careful of dynamic activities such as running or jumping,” Grodzinsky was quoted as saying.
3-D system could prevent shoulder injuries in baseball pitchers
Source: Science Daily
A new 3-D motion detection system could help identify baseball pitchers who are at risk for shoulder injuries, according to a new study. The system can be used on the field, and requires only a laptop computer. Other systems that evaluate pitchers’ throwing motions require cameras and other equipment and generally are confined to indoor use.
Loyola University Medical Center sports medicine surgeon Pietro Tonino, MD, is a co-author of the study, published in the journal Musculoskeletal Surgery.
Ask well: exercises for shoulder pain
Source: NY Times
You are certainly right that sore shoulders are common, especially as a person ages. About half of all middle-aged tennis players suffer from shoulder pain, according to a 2012 study in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, and youngsters aren’t immune either. The same study reported that about a quarter of competitive tennis players under 20 hurt their shoulders every year.
Many of these injuries involve the rotator cuff, the group of muscles and tendons at the back of the shoulder that stabilize the joint. Studies show that forces equivalent to at least 120 percent of a person’s body weight slam through the rotator cuff during a typical tennis serve or baseball pitch. To withstand that pounding, the rotator cuff needs to be strong.
Outcomes in tennis elbow significantly improved by PRP
Source: Medical News Today
Eighty-four percent of patients suffering from chronic tennis elbow (lateral epicondylar tendinopathy) reported significantly less pain and elbow tenderness at six months following platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment, according to results from the largest, multi-center study, to date, on PRP and tennis elbow, presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
Tennis elbow is a common, painful condition affecting approximately 1 to 2 percent of the population. In this study, 230 patients suffering from chronic tennis elbow who had failed traditional therapies were treated at 12 U.S. medical centers. Patients were randomized and received either an injection of PRP made from their own concentrated blood platelets, or a placebo, administered with an analgesic at the site of pain.
Teen baseball players benefit from docking technique to repair torn elbow ligament
Source: Medical News Today
A study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) found that a surgical procedure known as the “docking technique” to repair a torn elbow ligament in teenage athletes yielded favorable results. The outcomes were better than those in previously published reports on reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), also known as Tommy John surgery, in this age group and may be attributed to technique-specific factors, according to the study authors.
The paper, titled, “The Docking Technique for Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Insufficiency: Two-Year Follow Up in Adolescent Athletes,” was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in Chicago.
