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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders

Varus Thrust Is Associated with Progressive Knee OA

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To determine if varus thrust, a bowing out of the knee during gait (i.e., the first appearance or worsening of varus alignment during stance), is associated with incident and progressive knee osteoarthritis (OA), these researchers undertook an Osteoarthritis Initiative ancillary study. They also considered hypothesized associations adjusted for static alignment, anticipating some attenuation. Methods: Gait…

Where OA & Depression Intersect

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Pain, limited mobility and lower quality of life—these aspects of living with osteoarthritis may result in severe depression. New research from Alan Rathbun, PhD, MPH, may enable physicians to better understand the intersection of physical and mental health so they can improve overall patient care…

Do Older Women Who Use Bisphosphonates Need Fewer Knee Replacements?

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The rate of knee replacement surgery among older women with knee osteoarthritis is lower in those who take bisphosphonates than in those who don’t, according to a database study. Knee osteoarthritis accounts for 97% of all knee replacement surgeries. Trials of bisphosphonates in knee osteoarthritis have yielded conflicting results. To learn more,…

Rheumatologist’s Passion for Gardening Keeps Plants, Patients Healthy

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Deborah Dyett Desir, MD, vividly remembers her first day as an undergraduate student at Harvard University, Boston. When her parents helped her move into the dorm, her mother, Betty, handed her a beautiful begonia. “My response was, ‘What on earth am I going to do with this plant?’” she says, recalling how she examined the…

Letter: Tips to Improve Osteoporosis Screening Rates

Timothy Harrington, MD  |  

Osteoporosis Screening The aphorism, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,” applies to The Rheumatologist August 2017 article that documents the continued low screening rates for those at high risk for osteoporosis-related fragility fractures, in particular people older than 65 and those who have suffered a fracture already. So here’s a…

Flexion’s Knee Pain Drug Gets FDA Approval

Divya Grover  |  

(Reuters)—Flexion Therapeutics Inc. said its injectable drug to treat osteoarthritis-related knee pain was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The approval comes at a time when U.S. federal authorities are implementing a slew of measures to combat opioid abuse, with President Donald Trump in August declaring the opioid epidemic a national emergency. The…

New Data May Explain the Role of Sclerostin in Bone Formation

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New research in mice shows that sclerostin deficiency may play a significant role in bone formation, possibly despite skeletal age. In the study, sclerostin-deficient mice more readily formed cortical bone and had increases in periosteal bone formation rates, as well as increased expression of the Wnt inhibitor Dkk1, than controls…

Undetected Fractures Linked to Back Pain in Older Men

Shereen Lehman  |  

(Reuters Health)—About three in five older men with tiny spinal fractures related to osteoporosis reported new or worsening back pain in a new study. Only about one-quarter of new vertebral fractures are diagnosed by a doctor, the study team writes in their September 7 online report in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, though the…