WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a session during the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, aptly called Quality Measures and Quality of Care I, a panel of experts presented information on a number of programs underway in rheumatology using quality measures to both assess and improve patient outcomes. Leading off were two presentations on programs using quality measures to improve…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Successful management of pain remains a challenge for rheumatologists. Five research abstracts presented at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in a session titled Pain—Basic and Clinical Aspects offered new insights on pain sensitization, and the risks and effects of various pain therapies. Knee Pain After Surgery Can we predict which patients will have longer-term…
Antisynthetase syndrome (AS) is strongly associated with the presence of antibodies to aminoacyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) synthetases (ARSs) that are implicated in the pathogenesis of myositis and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Antibodies against eight antisynthetases have been identified and are detected in 16–26% of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).1 Serum assays for five of these…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Inpatient rehabilitation did not lead to better mobility following total knee replacement compared with a home-based program in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in Australia. The findings do not support inpatient rehabilitation for adults undergoing uncomplicated total knee arthroplasty, conclude the authors in JAMA on March 14.1 “Normally, one study is…
A recent study in nurses and healthcare professionals examined the efficacy of a novel ergonomic aid for managing low back pain. After a three-month trial, researchers found that the aid, Spinal Underwear, reduced low back pain, suggesting that musculoskeletal symptoms may be influenced by posture and somatization…
(Reuters Health)—A web-based program of exercise and coping skills training improves both function and pain in arthritic knees, a new study suggests. This kind of online therapy can greatly improve access to effective, nonsurgical and non-drug relief for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers say. “Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic knee pain…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—What do treating hand osteoarthritis (OA) in the primary care setting, high financial strain and risk of depression in patients with lupus, prolonged sitting and cardiovascular disease, and sex-specific treatment after total hip arthroplasty have in common? They were all topics presented during a session titled ARHP I: Exemplary Abstracts at the 2016 ACR/ARHP…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Patients with juvenile rheumatic diseases are thriving in an era of highly effective therapies, successful self-management strategies, better understanding of genetic links to autoimmunity risk and improved efforts to listen to and engage with these young patients. That bright picture for young people with arthritis was presented by pediatrics at the ACR/ARHP Concurrent Abstract…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—“Rheumatic manifestations are [often] the initial presentation of a systemic disease, but they can [also] occur during the course of the disorder,” said Joseph Markenson, MD, speaking in the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting talk, Rheumatic Manifestations of Endocrine Disease, during the ACR Review Course. Dr. Markenson is professor of clinical medicine and a rheumatologist at Weill…
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…