Clinical trials have begun to determine if disodium zoledronate tetrahydrate is safe and effective for treating pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The FDA has approved the use of ixekizumab for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. And a study has shown that patients with SLE treated with belimumab may be able to decrease steroid use…
Patients with osteoarthritis often consider total knee replacement surgery to resolve pain and increase mobility. However, a recent study found that self-reported knee instability and pain are prevalent in patients both before and after primary unilateral total knee replacement surgery. One-third of the study’s participants still had knee instability after surgery, experiencing knee buckling and shifting associated with pain and limited activity. Using physical performance measurements, researchers linked self-reported knee instability following surgery to pain and poor lower-extremity muscle strength…
In recent Phase 3 clinical trials, Zirletta proved effective in managing pain for patients with knee osteoarthritis, and subcutaneous golimumab helped patients with psoriatic arthritis achieve long-term functional improvement…
(Reuters)—Indiana-based medical device manufacturer Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. on Friday was cleared of liability in the first of more than 900 U.S. lawsuits to go to trial over claims that its NexGen Flex knee replacements were prone to painful, motion-impairing loosening. Following a three-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of…
Although osteoarthritis (OA) was formerly considered a non-inflammatory joint disease, it’s now well-appreciated that inflammatory mediators, such as PGE2 and IL-1β, are produced by osteoarthritic joint tissues and can be used to identify patients with symptomatic knee OA. A peripheral blood leukocyte inflammatory transcriptome identifies a subset of symptomatic knee OA patients at higher risk for radiographic progression and may reflect persistent low-grade joint inflammation…
(Reuters Health)—Total knee replacement can usually relieve pain and improve function, but a nonsurgical regimen can also be effective in some people without posing the complication risks of surgery, according to a new study. The study found that while 85% of patients who underwent surgery showed clinically-significant improvement after one year, so did 67% assigned…
Take the challenge. CPT: 20611-LT, J7325 X 1 ICD-9: 715.16—Osteoarthritis, localized, primary, lower leg ICD-10: M17.12—Unilateral pri- mary 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…
Coding for a Knee Injection A 68-year-old female patient with primary osteoarthritis of the left knee returns to the office for her scheduled hyaluronan injection. The patient reports that her knee is a little tender, but on a scale of 1–10, it is a 4. She is stiff in the morning for 10–20 minutes. The…
New research explores the correlation between insomnia and pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). After conducting a multimodal sleep study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore uncovered a combined effect between catastrophizing and disturbed sleep, resulting in increased pain sensitivity, specifically central sensitization, for knee OA…
(Reuters Health)—A program of weight-bearing exercise reduces pain and improves joint function, at least for two to six months, for people with osteoarthritis, according to a review of previous trials. “We had a systematic review for Cochrane from 2008 and 2009, but there were much less articles,” said Dr. Martin Van der Esch, who coauthored…