Musculoskeletal News and Research

RSS

Study finds clear association between obesity and pain in 1M Americans

A clear association between obesity and pain - with higher rates of pain identified in the heaviest individuals - was found in a study of more than one million Americans published January 19 in the online edition of Obesity.

27 Jan 2012

Study shows lack of physical activity in 42% of adults with RA

A new study, funded by a grant from the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), found that two in five adults (42%) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were inactive.

27 Jan 2012

EMR data mining reveals that women report more-intense pain than men

Women report more-intense pain than men in virtually every disease category, according to Stanford University School of Medicine investigators who mined a huge collection of electronic medical records to establish the broad gender difference to a high level of statistical significance.

24 Jan 2012

Novel method can rapidly scan and capture 3D maps of muscle structure

Simon Fraser University associate professor James Wakeling is adding to the arsenal of increasingly sophisticated medical imaging tools with a new signal-processing method for viewing muscle activation details that have never been seen before.

23 Jan 2012

Study evaluates whether PWB predicts negative affectivity in fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a stress-related functional somatic syndrome consisting of musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, and additional symptoms such as fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Factors such as ill-being, often assessed as negative affectivity, may follow, increasing the risk of unhealthy and dysfunctional lifestyles.

21 Jan 2012

Cryo-electron microscopy can visualize structures within viruses

Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a new way to see structures within viruses that were not clearly seen before.

13 Jan 2012

Older women with significant height loss at increased risk for broken bones and death

Older women who have lost more than two inches in height face an increased risk of breaking bones and dying, according to a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

11 Jan 2012

FDA issues PMA response letter to BioMimetic's Augment Bone Graft

BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it received a comprehensive post-panel response letter from the FDA related to the Company's Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application for Augment Bone Graft for use as an alternative to autograft in hindfoot and ankle fusion procedures.

4 Jan 2012

Surprising finding about implants used in hip replacement surgery

A new study, bringing together an interdisciplinary team of physicians and engineers from the United States and Germany, made a surprising finding about implants used in hip replacement surgery: Graphite carbon is a key element in the lubricating layer that forms on metal-on-metal hip implants. The lubricant has more in common with the lubrication of a combustion engine than that of a natural joint.

23 Dec 2011

Zimmer board approves quarterly cash dividend and new share repurchase program

Zimmer Holdings, Inc., a global leader in musculoskeletal care, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the payment of a quarterly cash dividend to stockholders for the first quarter of 2012.

19 Dec 2011

FUJIFILM to acquire SonoSite

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, a diversified technology company that operates in healthcare, highly functional materials, and document solutions, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with SonoSite, Inc., a pioneer and leader in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound technology, pursuant to which Fujifilm will acquire SonoSite for approximately $995 million.

15 Dec 2011

Most practitioners advise people with LBP to take short break from work despite guidelines

Guidelines for clinical management of patients with low back pain (LBP) encourage health care practitioners to advise staying active and returning to work. Despite this, most practitioners believe work factors can cause or exacerbate LBP, and a recommendation for a "short break from work" to allow healing is common.

15 Dec 2011

Breakthroughs in hematopoietic cell transplantation to be presented at 53rd ASH meeting

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the transplantation of blood-forming stem cells from the bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood, is the primary option for treatment for many patients who suffer from various hematologic disorders, including blood cancers, sickle cell disease, bone marrow deficiencies, bleeding disorders, and autoimmune disorders. Research investigating breakthroughs in hematopoietic cell transplantation will be presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

12 Dec 2011

Girls suffer more frequently from chronic pain than boys

Children who suffer from persistent or recurring chronic pain may miss school, withdraw from social activities, and are at risk of developing internalizing symptoms such as anxiety, in response to their pain. In the first comprehensive review of chronic pain in children and adolescents in 20 years, a group of researchers found that more children now are suffering from chronic pain and that girls suffer more frequently from chronic pain than boys.

9 Dec 2011

HRF inhibitors may provide new therapeutic avenue for treatment of asthma and allergies

La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology scientists have identified the histamine releasing factor (HRF) molecule as a promising target for developing new treatments for a number of allergic reactions including asthma.

3 Dec 2011

Northwestern researchers receive NIAMSD grant to study scleroderma

Northwestern Medicine researchers have received two five-year grants totaling $953,000 from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to study scleroderma, an autoimmune disease for which there currently is no cure.

2 Dec 2011

Chronic pain affects marital communication and ability to cope

Chronic pain suffered by one spouse can affect marital communication and influence the partner's ability to cope with a chronic pain condition, according research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society.

1 Dec 2011

Functional MRI can detect pathological foetal brain defects earlier in the womb

A team of researchers at the MedUni's Clinical Department of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology has demonstrated for the first time ever that there are foetal brain developments that can be measured using functional magnetic resonance tomography in the womb.

24 Nov 2011

Post-surgery death risk high among thinner people: Study

A new study has found that thinner people are at a higher risk of dying within 30 days of an operation than heavier people. The cause behind this trend is not clear.

22 Nov 2011

Cognitive-behavioral therapy safe and effective for juvenile fibromyalgia

A recent trial shows cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) reduces functional disability and depressive symptoms in adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia. The psychological intervention was found to be safe and effective, and proved to be superior to disease management education.

22 Nov 2011