Arthritis

KOLOA, Hawaii — At Orthopedics Today Hawaii, Jack M. Bert, MD, spoke about the concept of injectables for arthritis. Injectables, such as cortisone injections, have become important; however, he noted, these can cause damage to the joint surface. There are other injectables that will postpone the need for total knee replacement and include platelet-rich plasma and high-molecular-weight viscosupplements.

KOLOA, Hawaii — As interest in orthobiologics continues to grow, Matthew T. Provencher, MD, noted in a Facebook Live event hosted at Orthopedics Today Hawaii that orthopedists need to be cognizant of the exact definition of orthobiologics and where it fits within the specialty.

KOLOA, Hawaii — Although it may be tempting to consider stem cell treatment in patients with painful knee osteoarthritis after a key proof-of-concept study showed mesenchymal stem cell injections improved knee OA symptoms, a presenter at Orthopedics Today Hawaii cautioned orthopedic surgeons to not jump on the stem cell bandwagon and claim such results can be achieved in all patients.

Officials from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services have issued a public health advisory following multiple reports of serious adverse events in patients who were treated with unapproved stem cell products, particularly those marketed as containing exosomes.

In the dermatology setting, researchers found a substantial delay from symptom onset to a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis compared with rheumatology, according to LOOP, a multicenter study across 44 sites in the U.S.

ATLANTA — Children with Down syndrome are at an increased risk for arthritis at a rate that is two to three times higher than previously reported, according to data presented here. However, diagnosis is often delayed for myriad reasons.

ATLANTA — Among mothers with anti-Ro antibodies who had previously delivered a baby with congenital heart block, hydroxychloroquine was associated with a 50% in risk of that complication in subsequent pregnancies, according to a speaker at ACR/ARP 2019.

ATLANTA — Nearly one-third of primary care providers who treat patients with arthritis failed to follow Exercise Is Medicine guidance for physical activity, according to data presented at ACR/ARP 2019.

CHICAGO — Use of a new total ankle prosthesis improved the experience of patients with end-stage arthritis, according to results from a study presented at the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting.

Although cannabidiol — better known as CBD — may help patients with arthritis alleviate their pain, insomnia and anxiety, there have been no rigorous clinical studies to confirm these effects, and the product should never be used to replace DMARDs that prevent permanent joint damage, according to guidance from the Arthritis Foundation.