Blog

Toss the vitamin D and calcium?

Preventing the risk of fractures as you grow older is important. Previously, vitamin D and calcium supplements were thought to help reduce that risk – but recommendations have changed.

The Task Force actually recommends against vitamin D in daily doses of 400 IU or less and calcium in daily doses of 1000 mg or less because it can increase the risk of kidney stones. At those doses, supplements do not prevent fractures in younger men and women.

However, the Task Force continues to recommend vitamin D supplements to prevent falls in adults 65 and older who are at higher risk for falls.

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More intense activity results in greater polyethylene wear for THA patients

More intense activity, rather than amount of activity, has been linked with greater in-vivo polyethylene wear in highly crosslinked polyethylene implants, according to a results of a study from the Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting.

“Based on this information, patients can be better instructed on what protects their joint form wear and what activities can be performed without affecting longevity,” Senden said. “Given our results, patients can protect the longevity of their implants without being less active.”

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What's it like: To get hip replacement surgery

Joint degeneration from age, wear or disease can drive a doctor's decision to replace your hip joint. Learn what the surgery and recovery is like.

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ACL insurance insight

ACL injuries have increased 400% in teens and adolescents in the last ten years. They’re also on the rise among baby boomers. To make sure you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket to fix the injury, doctors are using a new tool to show surgery works.

That’s where the gait-rite system comes in. This 26 foot carpet contains sensors to assess gait after injury and again after surgery to show how patients are doing.

Dr. Maloney says that, “We will have seen that their gait has been restored to what we consider normal and safe and allow them to progress.”

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OA pain loss through weight loss

Osteoarthritis is known as the "wear and tear" form of arthritis. If you're overweight, you could be putting more strain on your joints and adding to this wear and tear. But losing weight could change that.
A recent study showed that patients with knee osteoarthritis may be able to relieve pain and improve function by losing weight.

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Why so idle with knee OA?

Being obese or overweight can make osteoarthritis worse. Staying physically active is one of the best ways to avoid putting on extra pounds. However, many osteoarthritis patients remain inactive.

These findings suggest that there may be a serious need to improve physical activity among patients with knee osteoarthritis. According to the authors, increasing physical activity among these patients will likely involve weight management, healthy diet and improving pain and disability.

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Disabled by weight: obese with arthritis

Being obese is just plain unhealthy. All that excess fat can make outcomes worse for patients with any of a number of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.

A recent study showed that morbidly obese patients with inflammatory polyarthritis - which includes diseases like rheumatoid arthritis - had higher levels of disability than arthritis patients who were not obese. Morbidly obese patients had about twice the odds of disability compared to those who were not obese

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New rheumatoid arthritis drug performs

Painful swollen joints are familiar to those with rheumatoid arthritis. But patients may have another option if they don't respond well to typically used medications.

A recent industry-funded study found that combining a new drug called tofacitinib with an existing prescription drug improved symptoms in those with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that involves inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints.

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Strong muscles better for function in OA

Osteoarthritis of the knee can get in the way of physical activity. For people with this condition, strong muscles may be the key to maintaining strong physical function.

In a recent study, people with severe knee osteoarthritis had more trouble on a test of physical ability when they had poor muscle strength in their legs. Their performance on the test was not influenced by pain, age or body weight.

The authors said that muscle strengthening treatments may help people with severe osteoarthritis of the knee.

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Treatment with platelet-rich plasma shows potential for knee osteoarthritis

Several treatments for osteoarthritis exist, including exercise, weight control, bracing, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, Tylenol, cortisone shots and viscosupplementation, a procedure that involves injecting a gel-like substance into the knee to supplement the natural lubricant in the joint. A new treatment that is being studied by a small number of doctors is PRP injections. PRP, which is produced from a patient's own blood, delivers a high concentration of growth factors to arthritic cartilage that can potentially enhance healing.

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