Most damage, most gain in knee replacement
Source: Daily Rx
If you have knee osteoarthritis, you can take steps to prevent permanent damage. For those with the damage done, joint replacement surgery may relieve pain and boost knee function.
Osteoarthritis patients with the most joint damage before surgery may be the most likely to benefit from total knee replacement.
MRI may spot arthritis unseen by X-ray
Source: Daily Rx
Osteoarthritis happens when joints and joint tissues wear down over time. Usually, doctors use X-ray imaging to see this joint damage. But another imaging technique may give doctors a better picture.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spotted many signs of knee osteoarthritis in patients that had no signs of knee osteoarthritis in X-ray images.
Quit the bottle to build happy bones
Source: Daily Rx
Avoiding alcohol combined with regular exercise can help men build the bones lost from alcoholism, a new study has found.
The amount of osteocalcin, which is a protein in the bones and teeth, increased over the eight-week period as men continued to avoid alcohol.
This means that there was a “higher rate of bone formation during continuous abstinence,” the authors said in their study.
Global efforts necessary to prevent fragility fractures due to osteoporosis
Source: Medical News Today
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has released a new report, revealing approximately 80 percent of patients treated in clinics or hospitals following a fracture are not screened for osteoporosis or risk of future falls. Left untreated, these patients are at high risk of suffering secondary fractures and facing a future of pain, disfigurement, long-term disability and even early death.
The report ‘Capture the Fracture – A global campaign to break the fragility fracture cycle’ calls for concerted worldwide efforts to stop secondary fractures due to osteoporosis by implementing proven models of care.
Reverse surgical solution for a painful shoulder
Source: Science Centric
A standard shoulder replacement, a decades old treatment for severe shoulder arthritis, would likely not have worked for her due to her deficient rotator cuff. However, a recently developed – and radically different – prosthesis, called a reverse total shoulder, offered the best chance of decreasing her pain and improving shoulder function.
‘A normal shoulder is a ball-and-saucer joint, with its stability and motion governed to a large extent by the surrounding rotator cuff musculature,’ said Dr Omer Ilhai, an orthopedic surgeon at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. ‘In arthritis, the smooth cartilage overlying and cushioning the surface of the bones is worn away, leaving rough, exposed bone surfaces to rub against each other. This bone-on-bone contact is very painful and usually associated with joint stiffness.’
Recurring Shoulder Instability Injuries Likely Among Young Athletes Playing Contact Sports
Source: Science Daily
Summer is a peak season for many sports and with that comes sport-related injuries. Among those injuries is shoulder joint dislocation. According to a literature review in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, most incidents of shoulder joint instability are the result of traumatic contact injuries like force or falling on an outstretched arm; a direct blow to the shoulder area; forceful throwing, lifting or hitting; or contact with another player.
Sports medicine physician recommends two high-tech tools to enhance patient care
Source: News Medical
Research shows that the average person only retains 15 to 20 percent of what he or she is told during a medical appointment. According to Matt Roth, MD, associate medical director for ProMedica Sports Care, when patients have the opportunity to view actual images of their anatomy and diagnosis, their understanding and retention improves.
Experts offer tips to help keep fall sports injury free
Source: USnews.com
Fall sports such as soccer, football and volleyball are in high gear and players need to take steps to prevent injuries, experts say.
Arthroscopic surgery for torn shoulder muscles in elderly patients can reduce pain
Source: News Medical
Repairing torn shoulder muscles in elderly patients is often discouraged because of fears of complications. But a new study conducted at Rush University Medical Center has shown that minimally invasive, or arthroscopic, surgery can significantly improve pain and function.
The study has just been published online in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery and will appear in the October issue.
“In people over the age of 70, pain is the main issue, and pain relief is a fairly reliable outcome after surgery,” said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Nikhil Verma, who led the study. “Patients do not require that their shoulder function be fully restored. They just want the pain to be gone.” Verma is assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Rush.
With that requirement, Verma said, “age is not a contraindication” for the surgery.
PCL repair surgery did not lead to growth problems in pediatric, adolescent patients
Source: Healio.com
Following failed conservative treatment, PCL repair or reconstruction is a safe and viable treatment option for pediatric and adolescent patients with multiligament or isolated PCL injuries, according to recent study results.
