Orthopedic News and Research

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Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics (also spelled orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital conditions.

Children with bone cancer in their arms or legs survival rate improved

Ross Wilkins and Stephen Withrow are doctors working together in the fight against bone cancer. Their goals are the same. Their patients are not.

20 Apr 2006

First gene therapy human trial in the United States for a form of muscular dystrophy under way

The clinical trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) tests the safety and effectiveness of a therapy that was developed over two decades by scientists at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh.

16 Apr 2006

Potent induction of chondrocytic differentiation of human adipose-derived adult stem cells by bone morphogenetic protein 6

A novel growth factor significantly improves the ability of specialized stem cells derived from human fat to be transformed into cartilage cells, according to Duke University Medical Center and Pratt School of Engineering researchers.

16 Apr 2006

Adult stem cells can be used to make new tendon or ligament tissue

Weekend athletes who overexert themselves running or playing basketball may one day reap the benefits of research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that shows that adult stem cells can be used to make new tendon or ligament tissue.

4 Apr 2006

Quality of care provided for elderly osteoarthritic patients needs improvement

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease affecting up to 80% of elderly adults. Among those living on their own, it is the leading cause of an inability to engage in daily activities, especially if the knee or hip is affected.

4 Apr 2006

Benefits of less-invasive knee replacement surgery

The benefits of less-invasive knee replacement surgery may not be as dramatic as some direct-to-consumer advertising may claim, but the procedure has resulted in less scarring, diminished pain and faster recoveries for select patients.

28 Mar 2006

Simple diagnostic imaging procedure changes treatment for lower back pain

A simple diagnostic imaging procedure can help identify patients with lower back pain who would benefit from spinal injections and spare those who would not, according to a study appearing in the February issue of Radiology.

13 Feb 2006

Patients checking into a top rated hospital have a 27 percent lower chance of mortality

Patients checking into a hospital rated in the top five percent in the country have, on average, a 27 percent lower chance of mortality and a 14 percent lower risk of complications, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings company.

7 Feb 2006

Robot designed to shoot X-ray video of sufferers of orthopedic injuries as they walk

The MRI and CT scan may one day have a robotic cousin capable of following and peering into patients as they move around.

23 Jan 2006

FDA approves jaw joint prosthetic developed by University of Pennsylvania

After a 10-year clinical trial of a jaw joint replacement developed by Peter Quinn of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration has given it a thumbs-up.

10 Jan 2006

Use of traction to help treat low back pain has no benefit

"Traction was introduced before it was properly evaluated in high-quality randomized trials, and as an intervention is already part of usual practice,” said lead author Judy M.A. Clarke, M.D. “It is hard to convince health care providers not to use it."

10 Nov 2005

Only 10 percent of doctors have ever heard of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

A new research study shows how common a medical misdiagnosis can be and how severely it can exacerbate a disease.

7 Nov 2005

Dead human tissue illegally used in surgery

London Health Sciences Centre is investigating if its surgeons used human tissue products that were recalled because they might have been taken illegally from corpses at funeral homes in the United States.

31 Oct 2005

Increased physical activity may strenghten adult joint cartilage

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability among adults. As the population ages, increased intervention efforts are vital to controlling the individual and public health toll of this chronic, crippling joint disease.

30 Oct 2005

Spire Corporation awarded grant to develop nanophase calcium phosphate coatings

Spire Corporation has announced that it has been awarded an SBIR Phase I grant for $156,878 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop nanophase calcium phosphate coatings loaded with bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs).

27 Oct 2005

Artificial Cervical (neck) Disc for treatment of degenerative disc disease

Rush University Medical Center is one of the few sites in the country selected to participate in a clinical trial for the Artificial Cervical (neck) Disc, the latest technology in the field.

27 Sep 2005

Powerful orthopedic repair compound

Bone Solutions, Inc. of Dallas, TX, announced at a Dow Jones Lifescience Conference that it had successfully tested its magnesium-based orthopedic adhesive technology in multiple studies to prove full biocompatibility for injection into animals and humans, with powerful mechanical properties that gave its unusual strength and performance beyond current orthopedic industry products.

26 Sep 2005

New way to create a permanent chemical bond between antibiotics and titanium

Infections associated with inserting a medical device can be devastating, painful, and cause prolonged disability, costing tens of thousands of dollars.

26 Sep 2005

$Diabetics who require surgery for ankle fractures fare worse than non-diabetics after surgery$

Diabetics who require surgery for ankle fractures fare worse than non-diabetics after surgery

In the largest analysis of its kind, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that patients with diabetes who require surgery for ankle fractures have significantly higher rates of complications and higher hospital costs compared to non-diabetic patients.

15 Aug 2005

Alternative to Cox II inhibitors

After the failure of cox II inhibitors such as Vioxx, osteoarthritis patients and their doctors are faced with a lack of alternative therapies. The Orthokine-therapy means knee-injections of IL-1Ra protein, obtained from the patient's blood.

11 Aug 2005