Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders News

As many as 9% of Medicare beneficiaries with knee osteoarthritis use opioids chronically, while 21% are occasional users, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Health care costs remained high for Medicare beneficiaries with common chronic conditions for which brand-name medications without generic alternatives were recommended, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Few randomized clinical trials support using repository corticotropin injection for most FDA-approved indications, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, optic neuritis and nephrotic syndrome, according to researchers.

Physical activity, defined as recreational whole-body physiological energy expenditure, and time spent in physical activity are not associated with knee osteoarthritis outcomes, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Platelet-rich plasma injections failed to improve knee osteoarthritis symptoms or joint structure at 12 months, compared with a saline placebo, in patients with symptomatic, mild-to-moderate radiographic disease, according to data.

Patients with knee osteoarthritis who were overweight or obese and took part in telehealth exercise and diet programs reported less pain and improved function compared with similar patients who did not have telehealth sessions, data showed.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a significant decrease in autoimmunity laboratory testing, first rheumatology visits and diagnoses from 2019 to 2020, according to Italian data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

A median of just 16.2% of adults with arthritis attended a self-management class in 2019, while that same year 69.3% received counseling for physical activity from their provider, according to CDC researchers.

Hour-long, virtual exercise classes that cover Pilates, yoga and tai chi are safe and improved health outcomes in patients with musculoskeletal disease, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2021.

Early identification and timely intervention are key to treating children with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, a preventive strategy outlined in five important principles by a speaker at ACR Convergence 2021.