ROME, Italy—The explosion of imaging technology has made it more important than ever to establish a standardized way in which imaging can and should be used in clinical practice, an expert said in a session at EULAR 2015, the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). Marie-Antonietta d’Agostino, MD, PhD, professor of rheumatology…
Level 3 Visit with Primary Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis A 36-year-old patient presents with unilateral primary osteoarthritis of the left hip. She reports her groin pain as 7 on a scale of 1–10. When she tries to straighten her left leg, she experiences increased groin pain. She is currently taking over-the-counter medication to relieve the pain,…
One parent wishes that she could have consulted a crystal ball at the beginning of her daughter’s illness to have “some kind of idea of what we were in for. There are so many stages of letting go of the idea of what your little kid is in for in life, what they are going…
Ankle arthritis is a debilitating condition that leaves many patients in severe pain and greatly limits their activities. Until recently, the standard treatment for bone-on-bone ankle pain has been ankle fusion, or arthrodesis, in which surgeons literally fuse the bones of the ankle joint together. However, in the past few years, total ankle replacement surgery,…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A Dutch study confirms that reduced serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are associated with increased fracture risk in elderly women, but not men. In an Aug. 31 online paper in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Dr. N.C. van Varsseveld, of VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, and colleagues noted that…
To increase access to community-based physical activity for arthritis patients, the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance has awarded funding to three programs designed to implement evidence-based physical activity programs and osteoarthritis education in their communities…
An Australian study found an association between child physical performance measures and adult knee structures. The data, collected from three points in participants’ lives, revealed a link between childhood activity and adult tibial cartilage volume and bone area.
(Reuters Health)—Mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, may partly explain why people with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Researchers linked anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, job stress and low social support to increasing risk of hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, for people with rheumatoid arthritis…
What struck me first as I walked by the exam room where Lynn P. sat was the swelling in her fingers and wrists. The bloated hands rested unnaturally on her thighs, palms up, fingers slightly flexed. Her strawberry-blond curls were offset by a high-neck, loose-fitting, burgundy sweater. Her pale skin matched her trim slacks. She had…
Editor’s note: In this recurring feature, we first present a series of images (this page) for your review, and then a brief discussion of the findings and diagnosis (p. 63). Before you turn to the discussion, examine these images carefully and draw your own conclusions. History For the discussion, click here. A 55-year-old man on…