MSK Report News

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 General: Structural Changes in Femoral Neck Increase Risk of Hip Fracture
Walking may not be enough to strengthen the hip; instead, it may be necessary to develop exercises that target the superolateral cortex of the femoral neck, which is often associated with fractures from sideways falls... Mayhew PM, et al. Lancet. 2005;366:129-135.

Friday, July 08, 2005 General: Weight Loss Reduces Knee Joint Load
Losing just one pound results in a four-fold reduction in knee joint load in overweight and obese patients with OA of the knee... Messier SP, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2026-2032.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005 Orthopaedics: Radiological Grade, High Global Assessment, and Past NSAID Use Strongly Predictive of Hip OA Joint Replacement
Patients with OA of the hip who presented with a radiological grade of III or IV, a high mean global assessment during the first 6 months, and previous treatment with NSAIDs have a stronger likelihood of undergoing total hip replacement surgery... Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:1028-1032

Thursday, June 30, 2005 General: Doxycycline Slows Osteoarthritis Disease Progression
New study results confirm preclinical data suggesting that doxycycline can slow joint space narrowing in the medial tibiofemoral compartment in knee osteoarthritis, but the common antibiotic did not affect pain...Brandt K, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2015-2025

Wednesday, June 29, 2005 General: EMEA Recommends HumiraR as First Line for Moderate-to-Severe RA
Abbott Laboratories announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended approval of HumiraR (adalimumab) for first-line treatment of moderate-to-severe early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Monday, May 16, 2005 News: Higher Doses of Vitamin D May Reduce Risk of Fractures in the Elderly
In contrast to several recently published studies showing that regular supplements of calcium and vitamin D may not effectively prevent fractures, a newly published meta-analysis found that large doses of vitamin D-taken with or without calcium-reduce the risk of nonvertebral fractures in the elderly...Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. JAMA. 2005;293:2257-2264

Wednesday, March 09, 2005 Arthritis: First CINOD Fails to Show Gastrointestinal Protection in Osteoarthritis Trial
Despite promising preclinical data, an experimental COX-inhibiting nitric oxide donator does not cause fewer ulcers than naproxen in osteoarthritis patients; Astra Zeneca shuts down the project...Lohmander LS. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:449-456

Monday, March 07, 2005 Spondyloarthropathies: Latest Trial Results for Biologics in Psoriatic Arthritis
Highlighted results from the American Academy of Dermatology meeting confirm the efficacy of anti-TNF therapy in treating psoriatic arthritis...63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, February18-22, 2005; New Orleans, La.

Thursday, March 03, 2005 AAOS 2005: Internet Can Be a Less Than Reliable Source of Information on Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery
Online direct-to-consumer marketing and surgeon self-promotion can create false expectations for patients researching hip arthroplasty...The 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; February 23-27, 2005; Washington, DC.

Tuesday, December 21, 2004 News: SLE Patients Treated with TNF-ÃŽalpha Blockade Show Improvement
Study indicates that TNF-alpha blocker may reduce SLE disease activity in patients' joints and kidneys, without serious adverse events; need for larger clinical trials cited... Aringer M, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50: 3161-3169.