New research dispels the fear that denosumab will increase the risk of infection in vulnerable populations with rheumatoid arthritis when it is prescribed in combination with TNF inhibitors or other biologics. Investigators found the treatment did not increase infection risk beyond what is expected for the patients’ disease, comorbidities and medications…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—”Booster sessions” with a physiotherapist help older adults with osteoarthritis keep doing their exercises, a new systematic review and meta-analysis suggests. “There is strong evidence for the benefits of exercise for people with osteoarthritis or chronic low back pain. However, multiple studies have shown adherence to exercise declines over time, and the…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Early or late mobilization after rotator cuff surgery appears to yield similar outcomes, according to a new meta-analysis. Dr. Bruno Fles Mazuquin from the University of Central Lancashire in the U.K., and colleagues conducted an overview of systematic reviews comparing the effectiveness of early and conservative rehabilitation after rotator cuff repair. The…
CPT: 20611-LT, J7325 X 1 ICD-9: 715.16—Osteoarthritis, localized, primary, lower leg ICD-10: M17.12—Unilateral primary osteoarthritis, left knee Note: When billing for 20611—Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection, major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder, hip, knee, subacromial bursa), with permanent recording and reporting, there must be a permanent photograph of the needle placement in the patient’s medical chart….
The makers of FX006, a steroid injection for treating pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis, have submitted a new drug application to the FDA…
Health coaching by telephone is increasingly being used to assist in chronic disease self-management. A recent study examined the benefits of simultaneous health coaching via telephone as an addition to a physiotherapist-prescribed home-based physical activity program for patients with knee OA. Although participants receiving additional coaching had a short-term improvement in adherence, changes in pain and function did not differ between the study’s groups at six months…
In a study of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), researchers found that the cytokine IL-17A may play a role in the pain associated with the disease. Specifically, decreased serum levels of vitamin D3 may contribute to OA pain via the regulation of immune responses…
Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed by rheumatologists, and the effects of daily and cumulative doses of these drugs on bone mineral density (BMD) are important elements of a draft clinical guideline document presented on Nov. 13 at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Leaders of the ACR guideline project discussed their recommendations at the…
A study of knee and hip articular cartilage found that thick fibers were bundles of thin fibrils—like a multi-thread rope in which each thread corresponds to a prototypic sub-fibril. The organization of the fibers also differed between the cartilages of distinct tissues, which may explain how a breakdown in the fiber pattern contributes to pathology…
Patients with Parkinson’s disease may be at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). New research examined why patients with Parkinson’s have a higher incidence of CTS than that of the general population. The study found that those patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation to monitor them for neuropathy may develop CTS…