Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders

Denosumab Linked to Rebound-Associated Fractures in Nine Patients

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients can develop rebound-associated vertebral fractures after stopping denosumab, a new report of nine cases shows. All of the patients were considered to be at low risk of fracture, and the fractures occurred within nine to 16 months of their last injection, Dr. Olivier Lamy and colleagues from Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland…

Liposomal Bupivacaine Helpful in Total Knee Arthroplasty

David Douglas  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Local infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) curbed use of opioids and antiemetics and appeared to be both beneficial and cost effective in a recent study. As Dr. Bryan Sakamoto told Reuters Health by email, the results “suggest that liposomal bupivacaine is effective as part of a…

Unclear If Sports Raise Later Arthritis Risk

Carolyn Crist  |  

(Reuters Health)—Playing team sports, especially soccer, at the elite level may lead to a higher risk for osteoarthritis, but the existing research is of such low quality it’s hard to say for sure, according to a recent review. In an analysis of past studies filled with conflicting results, researchers found that long-distance running was the…

Rheumatology Drug Updates: Abaloparatide Promising for Osteoporosis, Plus Secukinumab for Ankylosing Spondylitis

  |  

Abaloparatide for Osteoporosis Abaloparatide is completing Phase III clinical trials for the potential treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women who are at an increased risk of fracture.1 Abaloparatide is a synthetic peptide that engages the parathyroid hormone receptor and has favorable bone building activity. Abaloparatide has completed Phase 3 development for use as a daily…

Is Arthroscopic Meniscal Surgery Effective?

  |  

A recent review examined the effectiveness of arthroscopic mensical surgery in treating meniscal injuries. Researchers determined that little evidence exists to support the use of arthroscopic meniscal surgery and more studies that directly compare it with nonoperative treatments are needed…

Pain Linked to Inflammatory Lesions in Knee Osteoarthritis

  |  

Inflammation in the knee was found to be associated with development of pain sensitization in recent research with a cohort from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST). This research finding may indicate that targeting of inflammation could help reduce pain severity in knee osteoarthritis (OA). Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, says that her and her colleagues’ research,…

Conservative vs. Surgical: What Influences OA Treatment Choices?

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

Prior research has found that the use of surgery to treat osteoarthritis is increasing, while more conservative treatments, such as physical therapy, are underused. This disparity drove researchers to examine what influences a patient’s treatment choice. They found that a treatment’s characteristics—including a patient’s expectations for effectiveness and risk—affect decision making. Other influences: personal investment and circumstances, as well as support and advice from social networks and healthcare providers…

Placebo Outperforms Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee OA

Erin Blakemore  |  

(Reuters Health)—Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are not more beneficial than placebo treatments for patients with knee osteoarthritis, a recent trial suggests. In a double-blind study, researchers investigated the efficacy of a medicine that delivered both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The 164 participants all had osteoarthritis and moderate to severe knee pain. Half the participants…