Knee Replacement News and Research

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Arthritis prevalence in the U.S. substantially underestimated, research shows

New research indicates that the prevalence of arthritis in the United States has been substantially underestimated, especially among adults <65 years old. The Arthritis & Rheumatology findings indicate that research is needed to better monitor arthritis prevalence in the US population and to develop better prevention strategies.

27 Nov 2017

Study shows education and poverty affect outcomes of total knee replacement

In an Arthritis Care & Research study of individuals who underwent total knee replacement, those who did not attend college had worse pain and function after two years if they lived in poor communities, but educational level was not linked with pain or function in wealthy communities.

22 Nov 2017

CRFA better than steroid injection for managing pain from knee osteoarthritis

For patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, a minimally invasive procedure called cooled radiofrequency ablation provides better pain reduction and functional improvement compared to steroid injection of the knee, concludes a study in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, published by Wolters Kluwer.

2 Nov 2017

Multiple methods found to minimize pain caused by surgery and reduce use of opioids

Studies suggest that using more than one type of pain medicine to target different pain pathways has been shown to decrease pain while reducing side effects of knee replacement surgery.

28 Oct 2017

Research finds decrease in opioid use among patients recovering from hip and knee replacement

Opioid use in patients recovering from hip and knee replacement decreased by one-third between 2006 and 2014, reflecting success in efforts to promote a multimodal approach to pain management (using a variety of methods to manage pain) rather than using opioids alone, reveals new research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting.

23 Oct 2017

Patients with documented penicillin allergy more likely to develop surgical site infections, study finds

A study by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators found that surgical patients believed to be allergic to penicillin were significantly more likely to develop surgical site infections than were patients with no documented allergy, a difference totally attributable to the alternative antibiotics used to prevent such infections.

9 Oct 2017

Antibiotics prescribed by dentists may contribute to serious C. diff infections

Antibiotics prescribed by dentists may contribute to the growing problem of Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a serious and potentially deadly infection that causes severe diarrhea, suggests research presented at IDWeek 2017. And many of those antibiotics are likely unnecessary, researchers note.

6 Oct 2017

Researchers test benefit of 'smart' shoe insole for patients with knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, in the simplest sense, is wear and tear of the cartilage (connecting tissue) of the joints, which results in bones rubbing together, causing pain and stiffness. While other factors, such as genetics, can affect the progression of osteoarthritis, the less strain a person puts on his or her joints, the less likely the cartilage is to deteriorate.

4 Oct 2017

Genetic testing can improve safety of common blood thinner, study shows

Warfarin is a blood thinner that is commonly prescribed to patients to prevent life-threatening blood clots. Despite its longtime use, warfarin remains tricky to dose because a person's genetic makeup influences how the drug is processed in the body.

27 Sep 2017

Treating cartilage grafts with bone marrow concentrate before joint replacement speeds recovery

Biologic joint restoration using donor tissue instead of traditional metal and plastic may be an option for active patients with joint defects. Although recovery from a biologic joint repair is typically longer than traditional replacement, successful biologic restoration allows patients to return to full activity. However, in some cases, the transplanted bone does not heal correctly.

25 Sep 2017

Why one California County went surgery shopping

Retiree Leslie Robinson-Stone and her husband enjoyed a weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to a luxury resort — all thanks to the county she worked for.

1 Sep 2017

Virginia Mason’s therapy car now licensed for commercial production, distribution to therapists anywhere

The therapy car invented at Virginia Mason to help orthopedic surgery patients practice the physical motions needed to get in and out of a real vehicle without falling is now licensed for commercial production and distribution to physical and occupational therapists anywhere in the world.

31 Aug 2017

Using liquid spring technology to create bionic knee braces

We imagine a world where mobility is never an impairment: a world where limitations to natural movement caused by injury, disorder or disability are restored and where boundaries to human performance can be broken.

23 Aug 2017

High-frequency alternating magnetic fields can help destroy bacterial biofilms

A short exposure to an alternating magnetic field might someday replace multiple surgeries and weeks of IV antibiotics as treatment for stubborn infections on artificial joints, new research suggests.

9 Aug 2017

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center named one of nation's best hospitals for 2017–18

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center once again has been recognized as one of the nation's best hospitals for 2017–18 by U.S. News & World Report.

8 Aug 2017

Simple blood test could help identify patients at greater risk of cardiac event after orthopedic surgery

A new study published today in the HSS Journal, the leading journal on musculoskeletal research, found the incidence of myocardial ischemia (defined by an elevated troponin level) after major orthopedic surgery in patients with cardiac risk factors is high, although the incidence of serious cardiac complications remains low.

31 Jul 2017

Study shows advantages of alternative pain relief option during knee replacement surgery

A new study led by researchers at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust and the University of Warwick has recommended an alternative method of pain relief for patients undergoing knee replacement surgery.

26 Jul 2017

Noninvasive treatment uses cooled radio energy to provide relief from arthritis pain

Pain medicine specialists at Rush have helped develop, and are among the first in the country to provide, a noninvasive treatment for knee arthritis that uses cooled radio energy to target and interrupt pain signals.

21 Jul 2017

Pain relief, functional outcomes after joint replacement similar in obese and normal-weight patients

There's good news from UMass Medical School for overweight people with painfully arthritic hips and knees: A new study finds that obese patients who underwent knee or hip replacement surgery reported virtually the same pain relief and improved function as normal-weight joint replacement patients six months after surgery.

19 Jul 2017

New guidelines for anti-rheumatic drug management in patients having joint replacement surgery

In the first such collaboration of its kind, an expert panel of rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons has developed guidelines for the perioperative management of anti-rheumatic medication in patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement.

16 Jun 2017