(Press-News.org) March 2012 JAAOS News Highlights
Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) Provides Lessons in Treatment and Care
The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) is the first comprehensive study to look at the effectiveness of different treatments for low back and leg pain. It was designed to provide data and outcomes to guide doctors and their patients in their treatment choices for three common spinal disorders: intervertebral disk herniation (IDH), degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS), and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The results from the trial, which began in 2000, are already having a strong impact on orthopaedic practice, and the appropriate role of surgical intervention, according to a review on SPORT appearing in the March issue of the JAAOS. Treatment of spinal disorders, both surgical and nonsurgical, comes at a high cost to insurance providers, hospitals and society. However, the assessment of patient-generated outcomes has produced cost-effectiveness data supporting surgical treatment for these conditions, as they provide significant value to the patient over the long term. Most patients, according to the trial results, knew where their condition was headed. Those who noted improvement, or who felt that their symptoms were tolerable, recognized the value of waiting further, while those who felt no significant relief knew they needed surgical care. All primary outcomes "significantly favored surgical treatment "for IDH, DS and LSS. However, both surgical and non-surgical treatment for IDH resulted in significant relief of low back and leg pain. Surgery was much more effective over non-surgical treatments in treating DS and LSS symptoms.
New Study Urges Orthopaedic Surgeons to Proactively Diagnose, Treat Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D critical to musculoskeletal health
A literature review in the March issue of the JAAOS looks at the role of vitamin D in bone and joint health development, maintenance and function, and at the importance of diagnosing and treating vitamin D deficiency (known as hypovitaminosis D or low vitamin D). Adequate levels of vitamin D are associated with higher bone mineral density, lower rates of osteoporosis-related fractures, and improved neuromuscular function. Vitamin D is obtained through diet and exposure to sunlight, however, a supplement often is necessary to maintain adequate levels. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, approximately 30 percent of Americans have less than adequate vitamin D levels (less than 20 ng/mL); the number increases to more than 70 percent when using a more stringent cutoff (less than 30 ng/mL). There is a growing debate on just how much vitamin D children and adults need to prevent vitamin D deficiency, but the known effects of deficiency on bone health is of particular interest to orthopaedic surgeons and their patients. The study authors recommend that orthopaedic surgeons, in partnership with primary care physicians, play an active role in diagnosing and treating patients with potential vitamin D deficiency. Correcting low vitamin D levels may improve the results of treatment for a variety of orthopaedic conditions.
Study Outlines Treatments, Complications for Stress Fractures of the Tibia, Foot and Ankle
In competitive athletes, stress fractures most often occur in the tibia (shinbone), foot and ankle, leading to considerable delay in return to play. A literature review article, "Stress Fractures About the Tibia, Foot, and Ankle," appearing in the March issue of the JAAOS, outlines the many factors that can affect these types of injuries, including a person's general health, blood supply, training regimen and foot anatomy. The location of a stress fracture injury can impact the course of treatment and how quickly the injury heals. High-risk fractures, such as those to the anterior tibia, navicular (midfoot), proximal fifth metatarsal (foot), and medial malleolus (ankle), may require surgery. Surgery also may be recommended for individuals needing to return to play quickly following a stress fracture injury. Cast immobilization, weight-bearing restrictions and medication for pain control generally work well with low-risk fractures. However, more research is needed on other non-surgical treatment methods, such as pulsed ultrasound and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), to confirm effectiveness.
March 2012 Full JAAOS Table of Contents
Orthopaedic Advances: Vitamin D in Orthopaedics
Management of Scapular Fractures
Induced Membrane Technique for Reconstruction of Bone Loss
Radionuclide Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Orthopaedic Disease
The Impact of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) Results on Orthopaedic Practice
Stress Fractures on the Foot and Ankle
Sprengel Deformity: Pathogenesis and Treatment
INFORMATION:
For more AAOS News, visit the News Bureau
Follow AAOS on Twitter
Follow AAOS on Facebook
For more information on bone and joint health, visit orthoinfo.org.
Leading UK-based loan finding service this morning happily announces the coming launch of its freshly developed website branding.
Payday Loans UK are excited by the news. Having worked with a top Midlands based design team in Forme Creative to design a fresh look for the website making applying for a loan even easier and the fees involved less complicated for consumers to understand while also giving the site a strong new identity.
"Our aim was to create a website that was friendly and as simple to use a possible," said Paydayloansuk.org.uk marketing manager ...
Athens, Ga. – African Americans in Georgia, especially in rural areas, have drastically poorer survival rates from cancer. These disparities are much larger when compared to national data, according to the findings from a study recently published in the journal Cancer by a team of researchers in the University of Georgia College of Public Health.
Sara Wagner, an assistant research scientist in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics in the College of Public Health, worked with a team to develop a detailed analysis of new cancer cases (incidence) and deaths (mortality) ...
New movies of Jupiter are the first to catch an invisible wave shaking up one of the giant planet's jet streams, an interaction that also takes place in Earth's atmosphere and influences the weather. The movies, made from images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft when it flew by Jupiter in 2000, are part of an in-depth study conducted by a team of scientists and amateur astronomers led by Amy Simon-Miller at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and published in the April 2012 issue of Icarus.
"This is the first time anyone has actually seen direct wave ...
Massachusetts bankruptcy lawyer Nina M. Parker of Parker & Associates was a speaker at the 4th Annual Northeast Consumer Winter Forum of the American Bankruptcy Institute, held at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Ms. Parker was a panel member during the presentation "New Amendments for Proofs of Claim under the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure."
The panel discussed important changes to Federal Bankruptcy Rules that became effective on December 1, 2011. These changes include amended procedures for filing Proofs of Claim in consumer bankruptcy ...
Tracking the genetic pathway of a disease offers a powerful, new approach to drug discovery, according to scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine who used the approach to uncover a potential treatment for prostate cancer, using a drug currently marketed for congestive heart failure. Their findings are published in the current online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"The science of genomics – the study of all of the genes in a person and how these genes interact with each other and the environment – has revealed ...
In today's world, it is almost impossible to imagine a life without the Internet. Many people are becoming increasing dependent on Facebook, Google or even email - with younger generations who would find themselves completely lost without them. Unfortunately, as with every technological advancement there is always someone who is willing to exploit it; which is only illustrated by an Internet rife with illegal music and movie downloads, not to mention unauthorized uses of trademarks.
Consequently, the owners of intellectual property - such as copyrights and trademarks ...
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Only one in four Americans favors Israel conducting a military strike against Iran's nuclear program, finds a new University of Maryland poll. Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) favor the United States and other major powers continuing to pursue negotiations with Iran, a position supported by majorities of Republicans (58 percent), Democrats (79 percent) and Independents (67 percent).
Consistent with this emphasis on a diplomatic approach, three in four Americans say that the United States should primarily act through the U.N. Security Council rather ...
Just 60 seconds of all-out physical exertion in a threatening situation can seriously damage the memories of those involved for many details of the incident, according to a new study of police officers.
Police officers, witnesses and victims of crime suffer loss of memory, recognition and awareness of their environment if they have had to use bursts of physical energy in a combative encounter, according to scientists.
Researchers, led by Dr Lorraine Hope of the University of Portsmouth, found that less than 60 seconds of all-out exertion, as might happen when an officer ...
We have all heard about the risks of texting behind the wheel, but walkers who are glued to their mobile devices may also pose a risk. According to a new study, talking on a cell phone or texting while walking can have a drastic impact on pedestrian safety.
Cell Phone Users Found To Be Imprecise Walkers
In the study from Stony Brook University, 33 men and women in their 20s, all of them familiar with cell phone use and texting, were shown a target on the floor approximately 25 feet away. They were then blindfolded, and instructed to walk to the target at a comfortable ...
These days graphene is the rock star of materials science, but it has an Achilles heel: It is exceptionally sensitive to its electrical environment.
This single-atom-thick honeycomb of carbon atoms is lighter than aluminum, stronger than steel and conducts heat and electricity better than copper. As a result, scientists around the world are trying to turn it into better computer displays, solar panels, touch screens, integrated circuits and biomedical sensors, among other possible applications. However, it has proven extremely difficult to reliably create graphene-based ...
