Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for February 2009. 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.
Spine Surgery Outcomes Affect Patient Satisfaction
THURSDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- In patients undergoing cervical spine surgery, clinical improvement -- especially in neck pain -- is associated with improved patient satisfaction, according to a report published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
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Pain May Occur After Magnetic Resonance Arthrography
THURSDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Patients may notice pain following magnetic resonance arthrography, particularly several hours after the procedure, according to research published in the March issue of Radiology.
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Balloon Kyphoplasty Can Treat Vertebral Fractures
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Painful vertebral fractures can be safely and effectively treated with balloon kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure, according to research published online Feb. 25 in The Lancet.
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Insurance Essential for Good Health, Well-Being
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Having health insurance is vital for health and well-being, and when rates of uninsurance are high, even insured people are more likely to struggle to obtain necessary care, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine released online Feb. 24.
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US Health Spending May Have Hit $2.4 Trillion in 2008
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Health spending in the United States was estimated to be $2.4 trillion last year, and is expected to account for an unprecedented share of the economy this year, according to a report published online Feb. 24 in Health Affairs.
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Workers' Comp Linked to Poor Back Surgery Outcomes
TUESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Workers' compensation patients who undergo lumbar discectomy may have a greater risk of poor outcomes than non-compensated patients, according to study findings published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
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Racial Disparity Persists in Total Knee Replacements
MONDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Racial disparity between blacks and whites in total knee replacement procedures has persisted, despite adoption of a Healthy People 2010 objective to eliminate these disparities, according to a report published in the Feb. 20 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Medicaid Patients May Travel Long Distance for Spine Care
MONDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Medicaid patients may have less access to local spine care than patients with private, commercial health insurance, according to a report published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
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Vertebroplasty May Protect Osteoporotic Vertebrae
FRIDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Prophylactic vertebroplasty may protect adjacent intact vertebrae from fatigue injury in some patients with osteoporosis, according to a biomechanical study in the Feb. 15 issue of Spine.
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Proposed Changes to Health Care Would Reduce Costs
THURSDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Simultaneous gains in universal health coverage, improved health outcomes and slowed spending growth would have a major impact on the development of public policy, according to a perspective published in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Transparency, Globalization Growing in Clinical Research
THURSDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- All clinical trial data and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration database should be publicly available, and global clinical research should be conducted in relevant populations for potential applications of the intervention, according to two articles published in the Feb. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Implementing a Quality Improvement Faculty Path
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A new career pathway in academic medicine, termed clinicians in quality improvement, is a justified concept to achieve and recognize excellence in patient safety, according to a commentary published in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Possible Risk of Herpes Zoster with Anti-TNF-α Therapy
TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Monoclonal antibodies directed against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a class of drugs that treat a variety of systemic inflammatory diseases, are associated with an increased risk of herpes zoster, according to research published in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Ads Featuring 'Drug Facts Box' Help Educate Consumers
TUESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Replacing the brief summary in direct-to-consumer ads with a "drug facts box" may result in improved consumer knowledge and judgment about medication benefits and side effects, according to study findings released online Feb. 17 in advance of publication in the Apr. 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Below-Knee Casts Better Than Compression for Ankle Sprain
FRIDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Using a below-knee cast or Aircast for patients with severe ankle sprain leads to a faster recovery than using a tubular compression bandage, according to an article published in the Feb. 14 issue of The Lancet.
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Chondroitin May Protect Joints in Knee Osteoarthritis
THURSDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The long-term use of chondroitin sulfate may prevent joint structure damage in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to research published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Rheumatologist Offers View on Needs in Osteoarthritis Care
THURSDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- There are several deficiencies in the diagnosis and management of patients with osteoarthritis, and a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of this condition is essential to provide the best care, according to a view published in the February issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Surgery Helps Amputees Control Complex Artificial Arms
TUESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with arm amputations may have improved control of artificial arms that use electromyogram signals after undergoing targeted muscle reinnervation surgery that transfers remaining arm nerves to the chest or upper-arm muscles, according to research published in the Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Care Coordination Programs Don't Benefit Medicare Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- For Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illnesses, most care coordination programs have little impact on reducing hospitalizations and costs or improving quality of care, according to a report published in the Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Spine Surgeons Receptive to Total Disc Arthroplasty
TUESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Spine surgeons are generally enthusiastic about cervical and lumbar disc replacement, but are also concerned about long-term outcomes and reimbursement issues, according to research published in the February issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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C-Arm Fluoroscopes Carry Radiation Exposure Risk
MONDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Orthopedic surgeons who use large-c-arm and mini-C-arm fluoroscopy to examine patients should be mindful of their exposure to radiation, particularly when imaging body parts larger than the hand or wrist or when the extremity is closer to the x-ray source, according to a report published in the February issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Low Back Pain Treatable with a Range of Options
MONDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Since most cases of low back pain will resolve in the short term even without treatment, clinicians should typically first address this complaint with a non-surgical approach, according to an overview of symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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Rotator Cuff Tears Common Among the Elderly
MONDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Rotator cuff tears are common among elderly patients and can significantly reduce shoulder function, specifically abduction strength, even when they do not cause pain or other symptoms, according to study findings published in the February issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Artificial Disc Articles Found Lacking on the Internet
MONDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Because Web sites often publish potentially misleading articles about lumbar artificial disc replacement, physicians should caution patients about relying on the Internet for information about the procedure, according to a report published in the February issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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Preoperative Reduction in Smoking is Cost-Beneficial
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Preoperative interventions for smoking cessation can result in modest cost savings, which may accumulate with the use of an institution-based smoking cessation program through reduced total hospitalization costs, according to research published in the February issue of Chest.
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Immediate Imaging Does Not Help Treat Low Back Pain
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical care without immediate imaging yields similar results as care with immediate imaging for patients with low back pain and no indication of serious underlying illness, according to an article published in the Feb. 7 issue of The Lancet.
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Electromyographic Monitoring Useful During Spinal Surgery
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- In patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, intraoperative electromyography may identify the operative events leading to recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and help reduce the risk of operative recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, researchers report in the February issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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Physical Activity Components Affect Knee Osteoarthritis Risk
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults may be more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis if they regularly engage in either high mechanical strain activities, such as dancing or tennis, or in low muscle strength activities, such as light housework, according to an article published in the Feb. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Single Drug Dose Prevents Migration of Hip Replacement
FRIDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- A single dose of zoledronic acid helps prevent migration of a total hip replacement, according to a report in the February issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Graded Exercise Program Improves Low Back Pain
THURSDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A graded exercise intervention emphasizing stabilizing exercises reduces disability and improves physical health better than daily walks in patients with recurrent low back pain, researchers report in the Feb. 1 issue of Spine.
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Quadriceps Exercise Beneficial After Knee Replacement
THURSDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- In patients who undergo primary, unilateral total knee arthroplasty, progressive quadriceps strengthening with or without neuromuscular electrical stimulation leads to functional improvements that nearly approach the functional level of healthy older adults, according to a report published in the Feb. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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