Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for February 2006. 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.
Acupuncture Helps Control Chronic Low Back Pain
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Acupuncture is more effective at controlling chronic low back pain than no treatment at all, but it is no more effective than a sham acupuncture treatment, according to a study published in the Feb. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Elderly Patients Experience Delays for Pain Relief in ER
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly patients seen in the emergency department for hip fracture are at risk of delays in pain assessment and treatment with analgesics, particularly in crowded emergency departments, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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New Back Pain Criteria for Ankylosing Spondylitis
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- A new set of criteria to diagnose inflammatory back pain associated with ankylosing spondylitis may help differentiate the condition from mechanical low back pain, according to a study published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Exercise Program May Curb Depression After Stroke
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke patients may reduce their risk of depression if they participate in a structured exercise program as part of their rehabilitation, according to a report in the February issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Glucosamine/Chondroitin Trial Produces Mixed Results
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone or together are no more effective than placebo at reducing knee-arthritis pain, although the dietary supplements may be effective in patients with moderate-to-severe knee pain, according to the results of the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), published in the Feb. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Denosumab Increases Bone Mineral Density
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The fully human monoclonal antibody denosumab increases bone mineral density and decreases bone resorption in postmenopausal women with low bone mass, suggesting that it may be an effective treatment for osteoporosis, according to a study in the Feb. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Helmets Cut Head Injury Risk 60 Percent in Alpine Sports
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injuries in alpine skiers and snowboarders by 60 percent, researchers from Norway report in the Feb. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Acupressure Effective in Treating Back Pain
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Acupressure, or applying pressure with the fingertips to the same points on the body stimulated by acupuncture, is more effective than physical therapy in treating lower back pain, with effects lasting for at least six months, Taiwanese researchers report in a study published online Feb. 17 in BMJ.
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Risk of Dying is Higher in Year After Spouse Hospitalized
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients have a higher risk of dying in the year after a spouse is hospitalized than they do at other times, particularly if the spouse has dementia, psychiatric disease or hip fracture, researchers report in the Feb. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Calcium, Vitamin D Slightly Boost Bone Density in Hip
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements daily have a small but significant improvement in hip bone density, but no reduction in hip fracture, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Gene Variants Affect Efficacy of Anti-Malarials in Lupus Patients
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who carry genetic polymorphisms for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) that cause abnormally high and low levels, respectively, are those who respond best to anti-malarial drugs used to treat the disease, a Spanish team reports in the February issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy.
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Female Athletes Vulnerable to Trio of Health Problems
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Elite athletes who are prone to the female athlete triad -- a combination of eating disorders, amenorrhea and osteoporosis -- may find that management and treatment are affected by factors specific to top sporting competition, according to an article published online Feb. 9 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
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Vardenafil May Improve ED in Men with Spinal Cord Injury
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Men with erectile dysfunction due to spinal cord injury may benefit from treatment with vardenafil (Levitra), according to a study published in the Jan. 24 issue of Neurology.
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Home Paper Shredders Pose Hazard to Small Children
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The increasing popularity of home paper shedders may place small children at risk of serious injury, according to a case report published in the February issue of Pediatrics.
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Musculoskeletal Pain Common Among Teens
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Neck/shoulder and other musculoskeletal pain is common among adolescents, but this pain is more often associated with depression and stress, rather than computer use or exercise, according to a Dutch study published in the February issue of Pediatrics.
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Mortality Risk Lower in Top 5 Percent of Hospitals
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare patients are 27 percent less likely to die of complications after cardiac surgery and other procedures in hospitals ranked in the top 5 percent of the nation's health care institutions, according to HealthGrades' fourth annual Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study.
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Teen Girl Athletes at Risk for Eating, Bone Mass Problems
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Female high school athletes may be putting their long-term health at risk due to a "triad" of disordered eating, menstrual irregularity and low bone mass, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Bone SPECT Can Target Back Pain Treatment
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnostic imaging with bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can identify patients with lower back pain who will benefit from facet joint injections and indicates the sites where the injections should be given, Houston researchers report in the February issue of Radiology.
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Casts Below, Above Elbow Equally Effective in Children
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- In children with fractures of the distal third of the forearm, plaster casts either above or below the elbow are equally effective and have similar complication risks, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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