Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for July 2007. 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.
Child Abuse in Military More Likely During Deployments
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Among families of enlisted soldiers in the U.S. Army, the rates of child maltreatment and neglect are higher during combat-related deployments than in other duties, according to a study in the Aug. 1 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Surgery and Radiation Effective for Spinal Cord Injury
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Carefully timed microsurgery to relieve fluid buildup and radiation to eliminate cells that interfere with repair nearly doubles the repair and preservation of injured spinal cord in rats, according to a study in the July 18 issue of PLoS ONE.
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Biking a Common Cause of Pediatric Brain Injury
TUESDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Among all sports and recreational activities, children and teenagers are most likely to experience a nonfatal traumatic brain injury from bike riding and football, according to a report in the July 27 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Interleukin-7 Receptor Gene Linked to Multiple Sclerosis
MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- An international team of researchers has discovered that variants of the interleukin-7 receptor α (IL7Rα) gene increase the risk of multiple sclerosis. The findings were published online July 29 in two studies in Nature Genetics and confirmed in a third, which was released early by the New England Journal of Medicine.
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FDA Halts Gene Therapy Trial After Patient's Death
FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it had halted a gene therapy trial after Targeted Genetics Corporation of Seattle reported that a patient in the trial had died.
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Redundant Nerve Roots Predict Spondylolisthesis Severity
FRIDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with lumbar 4-5 (L4-5) spondylolisthesis, those with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of redundant nerve roots of the cauda equina are more likely to present with severe clinical symptoms, according to the results of a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
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Early Surgery Urged for Thoracic Myelopathy
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with thoracic myelopathy, decompressive surgery is more successful in those with a shorter preoperative duration of symptoms and milder myelopathy, suggesting that early diagnosis and treatment are important, according to a report published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
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Hysterectomies Have Slight Effect on Fracture Risk
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Hysterectomies, including oophorectomies, don't increase the long-term risk of osteoporotic fractures of the hip, spine or wrist except in cases in which surgery is performed for uterine prolapse, according to study findings published in the July issue of Fertility and Sterility.
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Running Plays Cause Most College, HS Football Injuries
THURSDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- College football players are twice as likely to sustain an injury as high school football players, but high school players are more likely to sustain season-ending injuries, researchers report in the August issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
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Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Surgeries Found Effective
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis, anterior lumbar interbody fusion and posterior lumbar interbody fusion are both effective treatments. But patients who receive anterior lumbar interbody fusion may be less likely to develop adjacent-segment degeneration, researchers report in the July issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
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Hip Protector Ineffective for Nursing Home Residents
TUESDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Among elderly nursing home residents, the use of a hip protector does not reduce the incidence of fracture, according to study findings published in the July 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Many Teen Elite Tennis Players Have Spinal Abnormalities
THURSDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- Most young elite tennis players with no symptoms of pain have abnormalities in their lower spine including fractures and degenerated discs, according to a report published online July 19 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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FDA OKs First Artificial Disc for Cervical Degenerative Disease
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first artificial disc for the treatment of cervical degenerative disease. The Prestige Cervical Disc, made by Medtronic Sofamor Danek, is as safe and effective as cervical fusion, according to clinical trials.
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Diabetic Trauma Patients at Greater Risk of Complications
TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients hospitalized for trauma, those with diabetes mellitus are significantly more likely than non-diabetics to develop complications and require a higher level of care, which increases the cost of their hospitalization, according to study findings published in the July issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Insulin-Like Growth Factor Helps Regulate Bone Growth
MONDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- The growth factor insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a major regulator of bone growth by regulating epiphyseal chondrocyte growth, with some cell types more sensitive to IGF-I than others, according to study findings published in the July issue of Endocrinology.
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Shaving Spine Incision Site Boosts Risk of Infection
FRIDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- Shaving the incision site before spinal surgery may increase the risk for postoperative infection, researchers report in the July issue of Spine.
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Temporal Scanning Inaccurate for Body Temperature
THURSDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- Temporal scanning thermometry, which tracks internal body temperature by detecting the highest forehead skin temperature by infrared scanning, does not accurately detect increases in internal body temperature after heat stress, researchers report in the July issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
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Minimal Effects from Exercise Program for Low Back Pain
WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with persistent and disabling low back pain find limited relief from an exercise and educational treatment program, but those who have a preference for that type of intervention tend to fare better than others, according to a report in the July issue of Spine.
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High School Football Riskier for Head Injury Than College
WEDNESDAY, July 11 (HealthDay News) -- Catastrophic head injuries, although relatively rare, are more likely to occur in high school football players than college football players, possibly because more high school players continue to play after previous head injuries, according to a study in the July issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
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High Intensity Walking Improves Blood Pressure
TUESDAY, July 10 (HealthDay News) -- Healthy older adults who incorporate some high intensity into their walking program can significantly improve muscle strength and reduce blood pressure, according to the results of a study published in the July issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Ascorbic Acid May Help Avert Pain After Wrist Fractures
MONDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with a wrist fracture who take vitamin C daily may be less likely than other patients to develop complex regional pain syndrome, according to the results of a placebo-controlled trial published in the July issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Sciatic Nerve Release May Improve Fracture Neuropathy
MONDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who have fracture-associated sciatic neuropathy who undergo sciatic nerve release during acetabular reconstruction may have an improvement in symptoms, including a reduction in radicular pain, weakness or footdrop, according to the results of a small study in the July issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Hip Impingement May Not Cause Arthritis in Asians
FRIDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Femoro-acetabular impingement occurs during sitting positions common to Asian and Middle Eastern cultures but it may not cause primary osteoarthritis of the hip, according to a small study of Japanese women published online June 28 ahead of print in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Reluctant to Switch Therapies
WEDNESDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are reluctant to change their current therapy, even if it's not working, largely because of fear of losing control of their disease or the potential for side effects, researchers report in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Some Studies of Glucosamine May Overstate Effects
WEDNESDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- Trial results on glucosamine hydrochloride differ widely because the drug is not effective for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, with industry-sponsored researched overstating the effects, according to a report published in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. But an accompanying editorial points out some potential problems with the investigation and advises caution with interpretation.
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Off-Road Motorized Vehicle Injuries Rising Among Children
TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- The annual number of injuries involving children using non-automobile motorized vehicles nearly doubled between 1990 and 2003, with almost half due to all-terrain vehicles, according to study findings published in the July issue of Pediatrics.
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Older Youth Hockey Players at Higher Risk of Injury
MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- Relatively older players in youth Canadian ice hockey leagues are at higher risk of injury than younger children, particularly at more competitive levels of play, according to a report in the July issue of Pediatrics.
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