Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders News

Contrary to a hypothesis by a group of researchers, data show patients who wore stable, supportive shoes while walking experienced greater improvements in their knee osteoarthritis pain compared with those who wore flat, flexible shoes.

Prednisone in doses of 20 to 39 mg for more than 1 month, or 40 mg daily for just 1 month, remains the most important corticosteroid predictor of osteonecrosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to data.

Clinical trials for drugs intended to treat the underlying disease process of osteoarthritis will require larger sample sizes and longer durations than previously seen, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

A stepped exercise program for patients with knee osteoarthritis called STEP-KOA improved patients’ pain, a randomized clinical trial in Annals of Internal Medicine showed.

Emerging research suggests a link between chronic stress and the development of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, according to a review published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Hospitals that were enrolled in Medicare’s Bundled Payments for Care Improvement program saved about 2% for each major hip or knee replacement they performed compared with hospitals that were not enrolled in the program, data showed.

Adding the antidepressant duloxetine to usual care for knee osteoarthritis with moderate pain, regardless of any depression screening or symptoms, is cost effective, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Patients treated with 9 mg of fasinumab every 4 or 8 weeks, instead of 6 mg, experienced improvements in chronic lower back pain and function, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

There is no increased risk for COVID-19 infection or all-cause mortality among patients with osteoarthritis in primary care who receive NSAIDs, compared with other analgesics, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

There were approximately 1.3 billion cases of musculoskeletal disorders worldwide in 2017, leading to 121,300 deaths and 138.7 million disability adjusted life years, according to findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.