Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for August 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Pharmacist-Led Intervention Benefits Knee Osteoarthritis
TUESDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Community-based pharmacists can initiate a coordinated care strategy to better identify knee osteoarthritis (OA) and improve function, pain, and quality of life, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Poorer Bone Health Seen in Black Children With Fractures
MONDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- African-American children with forearm fractures are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency and lower bone mineral density than their peers without fractures, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in Pediatrics.
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Kyphoplasty Superior to Vertebroplasty for Vertebral Fx
MONDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- For people with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, kyphoplasty (KP) is superior to vertebroplasty (VP) for correcting kyphosis, restoring vertebral height, and preventing leakage of bone cement, according to research published in the August issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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Claustrophobia Linked to Depression With Back Pain
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Claustrophobia is tied to higher rates of depression and psychological distress, but not disability, in back pain patients, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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Procedure Aids Severe, Rigid Scoliosis in Low-Weight Adults
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with severe and rigid scoliosis and low body weight, a two-stage vertebral column resection (VCR) procedure with posterior pedicle screw instrumentation can achieve good correction of scoliosis, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in The Spine Journal.
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Muscle-Related Statin Effects Seem to Correlate With Potency
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The rates of muscle-related adverse effects (AEs) differ greatly for various statins, with the highest reported rates seen for rosuvastatin, according to research published online Aug. 22 in PLoS One.
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Mortality Rates Down for Adult Trauma Patients in Last Decade
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- The mortality rate for adult patients admitted to trauma centers in Pennsylvania has declined over the past decade, according to research published in the August issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Dual Action Antibody Reverses Menopausal Bone Loss
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- An antibody can reverse bone loss in menopausal mice by both blocking bone breakdown and stimulating bone formation, according to an experimental study published online Aug. 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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New Decision Aid for Treatment of Herniated Disc Beneficial
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A new patient decision instrument meets the criteria of acceptability, reliability, and validity, and improves the quality of patient decision-making for treatment of a herniated disc, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of Spine.
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Low Back Pain Outcomes Not Improved by Early Imaging
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthDay News) -- For workers with low back pain, early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not associated with better health outcomes at one year, according to a study published in the Aug. 15 issue of Spine.
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BMI, Post-Exercise Knee Laxity Change Tied to OA Progression
TUESDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, changes in knee joint laxity during stair climbing or other repetitive physical activity and baseline body mass index (BMI) are associated with disease progression, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Even Minor Changes in Physical Activity Improve Bone Health
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For premenopausal women, physical activity correlates with decreased sclerostin, increased serum insulin-like growth factor-I (s-IGF-I), and increased bone formation markers, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Catastrophizing Doesn't Predict Low Back Pain Evolution
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- For adult patients with acute or chronic low back pain (LBP), assessing the baseline score for catastrophizing does not help clinicians in routine clinical practice predict the evolution of LBP or the patient's disability at three months, according to a study published online July 23 in The Spine Journal.
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Denosumab Better for Breast Cancer With Bone Metastases
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- In women with advanced breast cancer and bone metastases, denosumab is better than zoledronic acid in preventing skeletal complications and improving health-related quality of life, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in Clinical Cancer Research.
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Poor Follow-Up of Hospital Tests Often Due to Late Orders
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Poor follow-up of test results at or after discharge from the hospital is often due to tests requested on the day of discharge, according to a letter to the editor published online Aug. 13 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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High-Field MRI Superior for Delineation of Alar Ligaments
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (1.5 Tesla [T], 3 T) is superior to low-field MRI (1 T) for the delineation of alar ligaments (AL), but the field strength does not influence signal intensity in healthy volunteers, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of Spine.
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Good Stability With Artificial Disc Plus Cage Fusion
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with multi-level cervical disc herniation, artificial cervical disc replacement and adjacent segment cage fusion achieves definite stabilization and satisfactory mobility, according to research published online July 24 in the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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No Increased Risk of Stroke After Spinal Fusion Surgery
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In the three years following spinal fusion surgery, the incidence of stroke is similar to or insignificantly lower than that of controls, according to a study published in the June issue of The Spine Journal.
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Multifactorial Mechanisms Underlie Leg Weakness in Hip OA
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple factors contribute to leg weakness in people with hip osteoarthritis (OA), with muscle atrophy being the strongest contributor, according to the results of a systematic review published online July 25 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Lifestyle-Integrated Approach Reduces Falls Among Elderly
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults at risk of falls, the integration of balance and strength training into routine daily activities correlates with a reduced rate of falls, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in BMJ.
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Clinicians Can Unintentionally Prompt Nocebo Effect
THURSDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The nocebo effect, or induction of a symptom perceived as negative by sham treatment and/or the suggestion of negative expectation, may arise from suggestions by doctors and nurses, according to a study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.
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