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Clinical Times: Musculoskeletal
All entries for Musculoskeletal
Update on vitamin D and calcium
Prof Moira O’Brien | 26 February 2010
Osteoporosis Supplement: Prof Moira O’Brien discusses the growing awareness of vitamin D as being essential to bone health and its necessity in the adequate absorpotion of calcium, as well as the most current research on calcium supplements... Read more
Evaluating treatment options
Prof Gerald H. Tomkin | 26 February 2010
Osteoporosis Supplement: Prof Gerald H. Tomkin looks at recent studies investigating the merits of different osteoporosis treatments and stresses the importance of compliance... Read more
It takes guts to build bones
26 February 2010
Osteoporosis Supplement: Researchers have found a potential new treatment for osteoporosis... Read more
Reducing vertebral fractures
Natalya Anderson | 26 February 2010
Natalya Anderson reviews a study which found that the risk of vertebral fracture in young postmenopausal women could be reduced with strontium ranelate treatment... Read more
Osteoporosis can strike at any age
26 February 2010
Osteoporosis Supplement: The Irish Osteoporosis Society, with the support of an unrestricted educational grant from A.Menarini Pharmaceuticals Ireland Ltd, has launched a new patient information leaflet on calcium and vitamin D3.... Read more
Dairy dangers — the milky way to osteoporosis?
Rory Hafford | 26 February 2010
Osteoporosis Supplement: Rory Hafford examines the findings of a number of studies into the rise of osteoporosis and looks at a new and controversial book on the condition... Read more
Minimising the risk of venous thromboembolism
Gary Culliton | 25 February 2010
Clinical Update: Hip and knee surgery - It is not practical to screen every hip and knee replacement patient post-operatively for the low risk of possible silent venous thrombosis, a leading orthopaedic surgeon has stated.... Read more
Aftercare regime key for patient recovery
Gary Culliton | 25 February 2010
Clinical Update: Hip and knee surgery - All going well, patients remain for a week in hospital after hip and knee replacements. However, some are administered warfarin for up to six weeks after they return home from hospital.... Read more
Need to distinguish between venous and arterial disorders
Gary Culliton | 25 February 2010
Clinical Update: Hip and knee surgery - As we have seen, patients who have undergone hip and knee replacement surgeries are at a significant and clear risk of clotting.... Read more
Programme may help prevent knee injuries in soccer players
20 January 2010
A soccer-specific exercise programme that includes individual instruction of athletes appears to reduce the risk of knee injuries in young female players, according to a new Swedish study. In the study, doctors assessed an intervention programme specifically designed to reduce... Read more
Harnessing science in the fight against pain
Gary Finnegan | 04 December 2009
Experts believe understanding neuro-pharmacology could promise new approaches to treating nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Gary Finnegan reports from the EFIC Pain in Europe Congress in Lisbon... Read more
Top tips in Osteoporosis
Dr Malachi McKenna | 27 November 2009
Continuing the Top Tips series, Dr Malachi McKenna offers his top tips for diagnosing and managing osteoporosis... Read more
Preventing bone loss, reducing risk
Gary Culliton | 06 November 2009
CLINICAL UPDATE - Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a condition of the bone itself, where the bone mass is reduced. The bones become weaker and more prone to fracture. Good evidence supports the treatment of patients with osteoporosis to prevent further bone... Read more
HRT no longer recommended for PM women
Gary Culliton | 06 November 2009
CLINICAL UPDATE - Osteporosis: Osteoporosis – particularly in those who are predisposed to it – accelerates around the time of menopause. In the past there was a lot less that clinicians could do about it.... Read more
GPs need to check history
Gary Culliton | 06 November 2009
CLINICAL UPDATE - Osteporosis: New research has revealed a need for GPs to assess their patients’ history more closely when prescribing for post-menopausal osteoporosis, to reduce the risk of upper gastrointestinal (GI) side effects that could lead to treatment discontinuation.... Read more
DXA scans still gold standard
Gary Culliton | 06 November 2009
CLINICAL UPDATE - Osteoporosis: DXA scans (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) measure bone density in patients suspected of suffering from osteoporosis. They are the ‘gold standard’ test to recognise whether or not someone has osteoporosis.... Read more
Exercise better for shoulder pain
30 September 2009
Supervised exercises are more effective than shockwave treatment to relieve chronic shoulder pain, a new study has found. Several studies have suggested that shockwave treatment may not be effective, but it continues to be used widely.... Read more
Exercise and its links with bone mineral density
Prof Moira O'Brien | 24 September 2009
Prof Moira O'Brien examines the role that exercise plays in the development of bone strength — whether that means not enough exercise or too much... Read more
Exchanging knowledge in rheumatology
24 September 2009
The recent 3e National Meeting brought together 20 of Ireland's rheumatologists to discuss the best ways to investigate and follow up undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis... Read more
Exchanging knowledge in rheumatology
24 September 2009
The recent 3e National Meeting brought together 20 of Ireland's rheumatologists to discuss the best ways to investigate and follow up undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis... Read more
Laparoscopic surgery does not help pelvic pain
23 September 2009
The surgical procedure LUNA (laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation) did not result in improvements in chronic pelvic pain, painful menstruation, painful sexual intercourse or quality of life when compared with laparoscopic surgery that does not interrupt pelvic nerve connections, says a... Read more
Top tips in rheumatology
Dr Bobby Coughlan | 17 September 2009
Dr Bobby Coughlan offers readers his top tips on the management of rheumatology patients in the first article in a new, six-part series... Read more
Exchanging knowledge in rheumatology
03 September 2009
The recent 3e National Meeting brought together 20 of Ireland's rheumatologists to discuss the best ways to investigate and follow up undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis... Read more
Camera phones can help diagnose uncommon rheumatology problems
06 August 2009
Taking photographs or video of unusual symptoms on an ordinary camera phone can help doctors diagnose uncommon problems, including rheumatology conditions, according to researchers. One example of such a diagnosis came from doctors in Norway, who described the case of... Read more
Surgery for sciatica does not give better outcomes
JAMA | 18 July 2009
A study comparing surgical treatments for sciatica has found that the minimally invasive procedure known as tubular diskectomy does not provide a significant difference in improvement of functional disability compared to the more common surgery, conventional microdiskectomy. In the multicentre... Read more
Balance training found to prevent ankle sprains
BMJ Online | 17 July 2009
A simple training programme, based on a series of balancing exercises, can cut the risk of recurrent ankle sprains by 35 per cent and could lead to huge savings in medical and lost productivity costs, a new study has concluded.... Read more
Spinal-fusion surgery agent linked to complications
JAMA | 10 July 2009
A new American study has found that bone-morphogenetic protein (BMP), which is used in 25 per cent of spinal fusion procedures there, is associated with a higher rate of complications than in fusions that did not use BMP. BMPs promote... Read more
Monitoring bone density in older women is unnecessary and also potentially misleading
BMJ Online | 03 July 2009
Monitoring bone mineral density in postmenopausal women taking bisphosphonates is unnecessary and potentially misleading, a new study has concluded. According to the study’s authors, some guidelines recommend regular monitoring of bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, but it is costly... Read more
Label may be illegal, warns senior scientist
BMJ Online | 19 June 2009
The labelling of the first homeopathic product to get a licence from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) should be illegal, because they breach Unfair Trading regulations, a leading senior scientist has argued. Prof David Colquhoun from... Read more
Call to overturn court decision against critic
BMJ Online | 09 June 2009
Scientific criticism could be harmed if a recent libel judgment the UK is upheld, according to a UK member of Parliament. Evan Harris, MP, has warned that a recent High Court judgment against science writer Simon Singh – if upheld... Read more
Diagnosis and treatment of RA
Dr Paul O'Connell and Dr Khalid Ali Khan | 09 June 2009
Dr Paul O’Connell and Dr Khalid Ali Khan look at the issue of early treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and examine the different treatment options that are available. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common systemic inflammatory arthritis and also the... Read more
Splinting can reduce the pain in base-of-thumb osteoarthritis
Annals of Internal Medicine | 26 May 2009
A new study has concluded that splinting could be an inexpensive and effective alternative to drug treatment for patients with base-of-thumb osteoarthritis (BTOA). According to background information supplied by the study’s researchers, the recommended treatment for BTOA include drugs and... Read more
Risk of facial fractures in motor vehicle crashes is decreasing
Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery | 26 May 2009
Facial fractures from motor vehicle crashes appear to be decreasing, most likely due to design improvements in newer vehicles, according to a new report. The report followed a study in which doctors in the United States analysed records from a... Read more
Real and simulated acupuncture more effective than usual care for back pain
Archives of Internal Medicine | 19 May 2009
Three types of acupuncture therapy – an individually tailored programme, standard therapy and a simulation involving toothpicks at key acupuncture points – appear more effective than usual care for chronic low back pain, according to a new report. According to... Read more
Adverse events tracked online in US
Archives of Surgery | 18 May 2009
A web-based reporting system may help clinicians track surgical complications and detect patterns of adverse events, identifying opportunities to improve the quality of care, according to a new US report. The report followed a study in which doctors designed a... Read more
Bone metabolism and AED treatment
Dr Hassan Ahmad and Dr Syed A. Shah | 07 April 2009
Dr Hassan Ahmad and Dr Syed A. Shah present a case history of an elderly woman who was referred to hospital with a history of blackouts. She was found to be suffering from anti-epileptic drug-induced bone disease. We present this... Read more
Increased exercise in middle age prolongs a person's life — study
BMJ Online | 03 April 2009
Increased physical activity in middle age prolongs life, though it may take five to ten years before an effect is seen, a new study has concluded. Researchers in Sweden examined how changes in physical activity levels after middle age influence... Read more
Back pain still a major problem
Dr Paul Sandys | 31 March 2009
Dr Paul Sandys wonders just how much have we really progressed in the treatment and management of low back pain in the last 30 years. It has been over 30 years since the late orthopaedic surgeon Dr Alf Nachemson (world... Read more
Bones of evidence present a picture of past lives
Ian McGee | 24 March 2009
Ian McGee discusses how osteoarchaeology can provide an insight into diagnosing health and illness in our ancestors and how doctors and archaeologists are combining their skills to investigate the medical mysteries of the past. Disciplines within the study of both... Read more
Pharmacologic therapies in osteoporosis treatment
Dr Wan Aizad Wan Mahmood and Dr Malachi J. McKenna | 18 March 2009
Dr Wan Aizad Wan Mahmood and Dr Malachi J. McKenna look at the treatments for patients with osteoporosis in the second article of our two-part series. Approved therapies for the prevention or treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis include bisphosphonates, calcitonin, oestrogen,... Read more
Ankylosing spondylitis: a brief review
Dr Muhammad Haroon and Dr Donncha O'Gradaigh | 18 March 2009
Dr Muhammad Haroon and Dr Donncha O'Gradaigh define the concept of spondyloarthopathy and outline the treatment and management options for patients with ankylosing spondylitis. In daily practice, the concept of spondyloarthopathy helps enormously in making earlier diagnosis. Early diagnosis of... Read more
Risk assessment in bone health
Dr Wan Aizad Wan Mahmood and Dr Malachi J. McKenna | 16 March 2009
Dr Wan Aizad Wan Mahmood and Dr Malachi J. McKenna address the global practice issues in osteoporosis treatment regarding who should have a DXA and what patients need to be treated. Osteoporosis is defined empirically as a reduction in bone... Read more
Adrenal tumours associated with increased risk of bone fractures
Clinical Endocrinology | 25 February 2009
New research shows that male patients with benign tumours of the adrenal gland suffer more bone fractures. Published in the latest edition of Clinical Endocrinology, the study found men with a certain type of adrenal tumour have reduced bone mass... Read more
The science of MRI scanning
Laurence O'Dwyer | 13 December 2008
Laurence O'Dwyer looks at the science behind MRI scanners and how Irish research groups are using these machines during their investigations. One reason for the mystery of the human body is that its interior is largely out of bounds. What... Read more
Outcome measures in inflammatory arthritis
Dr Bernadette Lynch Dr Douglas J. Veale | 06 December 2008
Dr Bernadette Lynch and Dr Douglas J. Veale describe the types of remission in arthritis and the various methods of measuring outcomes. Inflammatory arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affect two per cent to three per... Read more
IL-6 inhibition offers new hope for RA patients
Greg Baxter | 03 December 2008
Greg Baxter talks to Dr Ernest Choy — one of the world's foremost experts in Rheumatoid Arthritis — who says new drugs offer hope for RA patients. Eight years ago, Dr Ernest Choy was studying anti-TNF treatments for patients with... Read more
GPs questions answered
Dr Robert Coughlan | 27 November 2008
In the fourth instalment of Irish Medical Times’s new 'Ask the Consultant' series, Dr Robert Coughlan answers some questions from general practitioners on rheumatological disorders. 1. When should disease-modifying agents be introduced in rheumatological disorders?... Read more
Time and surgery help with Ménière’s
Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery | 25 November 2008
Episodes of dizziness tend to become less frequent over time in patients with Ménière’s disease, and draining fluid from the inner ear appears to reduce vertigo in three-fourths of patients with the condition, two new studies have found. In the... Read more
The costs of bone loss and how to treat osteoporosis
28 October 2008
At a recent meeting in Dublin, GPs heard about the best ways to treat osteoporosis and learned about the huge cost of the condition — in terms of quality of life and of health service resources. A staggering 25,000 osteo-porotic... Read more
Questions answered on bones
Prof JB Walsh | 28 October 2008
In our new bi-monthly series, Irish Medical Times — in association with MSD Science Centre — has asked general practitioners to submit questions for consultants to answer. Here, Prof JB Walsh responds to GPs’ questions on bone disorders... Read more
Diagnosing and treating headache types
Dr Muhammad Rizwan Uddin | 21 October 2008
Dr Muhammad Rizwan Uddin, Consultant in Internal Medicine, outlines the main types of headache and describes how best to diagnose and treat each different type. Headache characterises the most common neurological condition presenting to physicians and neurologists. Primary headache syndromes... Read more
Osteoporosis in athletes
Prof Moira O'Brien | 09 September 2008
Prof Moira O'Brien describes the reasons for loss of bone mineral density (BMD) in athletes and outlines the best ways to treat the problem. Osteoporosis and/or osteopenia in athletes is associated with the age of onset of training; duration, intensity... Read more
Physical activity is shown to steadily decline as children age
JAMA | 28 August 2008
New research documents the decline in physical activity among children, with less than a third meeting recommended physical activity guidelines by the time they are 15 years old, according to a new study. Expert opinion and studies suggest that children... Read more
No justification for denying knee replacements to obese patients
http://press.psprings.co.uk/ard/july/ar93229.pdf | 18 August 2008
There is no justification for denying obese patients knee replacement surgery; they benefit almost as much as anyone else from the procedure, concludes a small study published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Around 55,000 knee... Read more
Modern thinking on gait disorders
Dr Aishling Murray and Prof Desmond O’Neill | 15 August 2008
Dr Aishling Murray and Prof Desmond O’Neill give a practical guide on how to diagnose and manage gait disorders in older people Gait disorders are common among older people, but until recently have been overlooked as a treatable medical syndrome.... Read more
How to treat early onset arthritis
Dr Joanne Kitchen and Dr David Kane | 06 August 2008
Dr Joanne Kitchen and Dr David Kane from AMNCH's Department of Rheumatology explain how to treat patients with early onset arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology that primarily involves joints. It can be a... Read more
Excellent long term outcomes for hip and knee replacements
23 July 2008
Older adults who have hip or knee replacement surgery for severe osteoarthritis may take several weeks to recover but appear to have excellent long-term outcomes, according to a new report. According to the report, doctors studied medical decision-making and treatment... Read more
Heavy birthweight babies twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis
Online First Annals of Rheumatic Diseases | 12 July 2008
Heavy birthweight female babies are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood as their average birthweight peers, a new study has found. The results support the foetal origin of disease theory, which argues that certain conditions and diseases... Read more
Overweight men - but not women - at risk of osteoarthritis of hip
Online First Annals of Rheumatic Diseases | 20 June 2008
Men who are overweight or obese are much more likely need a hip replacement for osteoarthritis than men who are of normal weight, new research has found. People who are overweight are known to be more likely to get osteoarthritis... Read more
Rheumatoid arthritis risk curbed by tipple
Online First Annals of Rheumatic Diseases | 19 June 2008
Alcohol cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50 per cent, a new study has revealed.The Scandinavian researchers based their findings on more than 2,750 people taking part in two separate studies, which assessed environmental and genetic... Read more
Easing the pain of rotator cuff tears
Mr John Lunn | 23 May 2008
Mr John Lunn, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Hermitage Medical Clinic, looks at rotator cuff tears and how treatment can be tailored according to the patient's profile. Rotator cuff tears are a problem more often seen in older individuals. They... Read more
New surgical treatments for back pain
Mr Stephen Young | 09 May 2008
Mr Steven Young, Consultant Neurosurgeon at the Hermitage Medical Clinic, on a new surgical procedure using interspinous implants which eases the suffering caused by chronic back pain There is a growing interest in the use of interspinous implants to stabilise... Read more
Better outcomes for sports injuries
17 April 2008
Mr Ray Moran, Mr Mark Jackson and Dr Eanna Falvey on advances in treating sports injuries and using a multi-disciplinary focus to return athletes to optimum performance. With high demand activity no longer the preserve of the elite athlete, the... Read more
Better outcomes for sports injuries
17 April 2008
Mr Ray Moran, Mr Mark Jackson and Dr Eanna Falvey on advances in treating sports injuries and using a multi-disciplinary focus to return athletes to optimum performance. With high demand activity no longer the preserve of the elite athlete, the... Read more
Heavy lifting: training no cure for back pain
BMJ Online First, at: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/february/backpain.pdf | 12 February 2008
Training showing the correct way to lift heavy objects does not prevent back injuries, according to a systematic review of published studies. The reviewers looked at eleven studies: eight studies dealt with health workers who manually handled patients; the other... Read more
Bone fracture rates are grossly underestimated
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2008;62:174-180 | 01 February 2008
If the findings of a new study from England are any indication, the rate of bone fracture in Ireland may be grossly underestimated. That study showed that the annual bone fracture rate in England is just short of 4 per... Read more
Vitamin D2 link to winter accidents
Archives of Internal Medicine 2008;168:103-108 | 25 January 2008
Supplements of vitamin D2 appear to reduce the risk of falls among women with a history of falling and low blood vitamin D-levels living in sunny climates, especially during the winter, according to a new report. According to the report,... Read more
Surgery, neurological injury and the spine
Dr Shehzad Mehmood | 18 January 2008
Although spinal anaesthesia has been administered to patients for surgical procedures in prone position, it is not a common practice. It has been performed for varicose veins ligation, tendon Achilles repair, spinal surgery and percutaneous nephrolithotripsy. Spinal anaesthesia for spinal... Read more
Factors identified to help predict risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women
JAMA 2007;298:2389-2398 | 14 December 2007
A clinical model that includes 11 factors has been developed to help predict the 5-year risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women, according to a new study. In the study, doctors evaluated clinical risk factors for hip fracture in postmenopausal... Read more
Lumbar facet syndrome: a common cause of back pain
Dr Connail McCrory | 16 November 2007
Low back pain (LBP) remains a frequent musculoskeletal complaint. It is the most common musculoskeletal reason for consulting a doctor. Many structures have been incriminated as causing lower back pain, however facet joints have become increasingly accepted as a significant... Read more
Expensive runners are a waste of money
British Journal of Sports Medicine | 09 November 2007
Expensive runners are just not worth the money, a UK study has found. In fact, the study found that cheap and moderately priced running shoes are just as good, if not better, in terms of cushioning impact and overall comfort.... Read more
Young children are not getting enough exercise
Archives of Disease in Childhood | 26 October 2007
Less than three per cent of 11-year-olds are taking enough exercise, according to new research from the United Kingdom. The researchers monitored the physical activity levels of more than 5,500 11-year-olds in the South West of England over seven consecutive... Read more
Physiotherapy - short-term benefits after knee surgery
BMJ Online First | 26 October 2007
Physiotherapy can improve the daily lives of patients who have had knee replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis in the short-term. Six trials involving 614 patients were included overall in the review.... Read more
Osteoporosis on the increase
05 October 2007
Increasingly high levels of stress in our daily lives is leading to a reduction in the amount of sex hormones produced by men, which, among other factors, is leading to significantly more men developing osteoporosis, according to Prof Moira O’Brien,... Read more
Acupuncture more effective than conventional therapy for back pain
Archives of Internal Medicine | 05 October 2007
Six months of acupuncture treatment appears to be more effective than conventional therapy in treating lower back pain, according to a new German study. In the study, doctors conducted a randomised clinical trial involving 1,162 patients who had experienced chronic... Read more
Intensive training of young tennis players may lead to arthritis
British Journal of Sports Medicine | 14 September 2007
The intensive training given to young elite tennis players damages their spines and may lead to arthritis, according to new research from the UK. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of young elite tennis players with no symptoms of pain showed a... Read more
Knee arthritis link to lung cancer
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases | 14 September 2007
Arthritis of the knee may be the first sign of non-small cell lung cancer in heavy smokers, novel research from Italy has found. The researchers reviewed the case notes of all patients with rheumatic disorders, diagnosed at one tertiary referral... Read more
Calcium can help reduce fractures
The Lancet | 07 September 2007
Calcium supplementation alone, or in combination with vitamin D supplementation, reduces the risk of fractures in people aged over 50 years by 12 per cent, according to a new meta-analysis of previous studies. Researchers pooled findings from 17 studies featuring... Read more
A highly innovative procedure for fractures
Dr J Van Meirhaeghe | 24 August 2007
Balloon Kyphoplasty (BKP) is a minimally invasive treatment option for painful vertebral compression fractures (VCF). After the creation of a void by means of two balloons, a viscous bone cement is injected to stabilise the fracture. Important advantages of Balloon... Read more
Hip protector does not reduce the risk of hip fracture for elderly
JAMA | 03 August 2007
Use of an energy-absorbing hip protector does not provide a protective effect against hip fracture for nursing home residents, according to a new study. In the study, doctors conducted a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an energy-absorbing... Read more
Anti-malarial drug may reduce risk of diabetes in patients with arthritis
JAMA | 20 July 2007
Preliminary research suggests that use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine may help reduce the risk of the development of diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the study, doctors examined the association between hydroxychloroquine therapy and risk of diabetes in... Read more
Three new drugs mark revolution in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
The Lancet | 29 June 2007
Three new drugs for rheumatoid arthritis have ushered in a new era of treatment according to Austrian researchers. The findings followed a comprehensive study on the drugs rituximab, abatacept and tocilizumab and their effects as sole therapies or working in... Read more
Radium-223 may be an alternative treatment for prostate cancer
Lancet Oncology | 15 June 2007
The bone-targeting radioisotope radium-223 has delivered promising results in a randomised trial to test its efficacy in treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). According to background information supplied by the UK-led researchers, patients who have HRPC often have involvement of... Read more
Calcium plus vitamin D may prevent weight gain in postmenopausal women
Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:893-902 | 08 June 2007
Older postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may gain less weight than those who do not, although the overall effect is small, according to a new report. In the study, doctors enrolled 36,282 postmenopausal women aged 50... Read more
Chondroitin is not good for joint pain
Annals of Internal Medicine 2007;146:580-590 | 04 May 2007
The dietary supplement chondroitin does not prevent or reduce knee or hip pain from osteoarthritis any better than placebo, a new study has found. Researchers conducted an extensive literature search for a meta-analysis and selected 20 trials– with a total... Read more
Ibuprofen may boost heart risk in osteoarthritis patients
Annals of Rheumatic Diseases | 27 April 2007
Ibuprofen may boost the likelihood of heart problems in high risk patients who have osteoarthritis, according to new research. The research team compared the cardiovascular health over one year of more than 18,000 patients aged over 50 with osteoarthritis. The... Read more
Good results for spinal disc transplantation
The Lancet 2007;369:993-999 | 06 April 2007
Transplanting human intervertebral discs could be the future for treating spinal-disc degeneration, according to a new study. In the Chinese-led study, surgeons reported on a preliminary study about the feasibility, safety and long-term clinical results of fresh-frozen allogenic disc transplantation... Read more
Genes play role determining success of hip replacement
Annals of Rheumatic Diseases | 30 March 2007
The success of long-term hip replacement surgery may lie in a patient’s genes, according to new research. The researchers analysed genetic variations in 312 people, just over half of whom (162) had problems after hip replacement in the 10 years... Read more
Antidepressant link to fracture
Archives of Internal Medicine 2007;167:188-194 | 02 February 2007
Daily use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by adults aged 50 years and older is associated with a doubled risk of some fractures, according to a new report from Canada. In the study, doctors evaluated 5,008 community-dwelling adults aged... Read more
Osteoarthritis may be a sign of faster ‘biological ageing’
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases | 05 January 2007
Osteoarthritis may be a sign of faster “biological ageing”, according to new research. The research was based on a study of almost 1,100 people, aged between 30 and 79 years. Most of them were female twins. X-rays of both hands... Read more
Optimism on treatment of osteoporosis
15 December 2006
Osteoporosis affects all age groups and both sexes and in many cases the associated fractures can be prevented, according to Prof Moira O’Brien, President of the Irish Osteoporosis Society. She was speaking at the Irish Osteoporosis Society annual scientific meeting,... Read more
Herniated disk patients improved with or without surgery
JAMA 2006;296:2441-2450 | 01 December 2006
Patients with lumbar disk herniation who had surgery or non-operative treatments showed similar levels of improvement in the reduction of pain over a two-year period, according to a new randomised trial. In the study, doctors looked at outcomes from the... Read more