Hand/Wrist News

A 6-week course of low-dose prednisolone was associated with significant improvement in hand osteoarthritis symptoms compared with placebo, according to results of a trial presented at the EULAR Annual Congress.

Better functional outcomes were seen 12 months for patients with acceptably reduced extra-articular distal radial fractures treated with open reduction and volar plate fixation than with nonoperative care, according to recently published results.

TORONTO — A multimodal, non-pharmacologic intervention involving four strategies was associated with improved pain and functioning in a cohort of patients with hand OA, according to findings presented here.

TORONTO — Measuring joint space width as a surrogate for cartilage thickness provided researchers with some evidence that hand osteoarthritis impacts all joints in the hand systemically, and not just the joints that have radiographic evidence of the disease, according to findings presented here.

TORONTO — A 6-week intervention comprised of five conservative intervention strategies was associated with improved functionality among patients with thumb osteoarthritis, according to findings presented here.

Rothman Orthopaedic Institute announced three of its physicians have been appointed to leadership positions in state medical societies.

Wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet may be an efficient immediate intervention for patients with distal radius fractures, providing less postoperative pain and shorter hospitalization compared with general anesthesia, according to published results.

LAS VEGAS — Results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting showed hallux rigidus treated with a synthetic cartilage implant had a greater direct aggregate cost than treatment with a metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis.

Results showed replantation may improve patient-reported outcomes among those with thumb, distal single-finger, or three or more-finger amputation compared with revision amputation.

Keeping patients safe during and after orthopedic outpatient surgery of all types — arthroscopy, joint replacement, hand, spine and other procedures —will be of ongoing concern as the frequency with which these procedures are performed increases and anesthesia and surgical protocols evolve. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons stated in a position statement that with the continued advancement of medical technology comes more opportunities for outpatient surgery to be utilized. However, lingering concerns about the safety of outpatient orthopedic surgery remain.