Arthritis

CHICAGO — At the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Meeting, Steven M. Raikin, MD, discussed a study that looked at degenerative changes at the metatarsal head sesamoid articulation seen during surgery for hallux valgus correction. He said there was a high incidence of arthritis (87%) at the metatarsal head sesamoid articulation.

LAS VEGAS — Results presented at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Annual Meeting showed thumb carpometacarpal Mini TightRope (Arthrex) suture button suspensionplasty following trapeziectomy led to less subsidence and better functional outcomes compared with flexor carpi radialis and abductor pollicis longus suspensionplasties.

ORLANDO — There are less then 350 pediatric rheumatologists currently practicing in the United States, representing a substantial barrier to care for the 300,000 children with arthritis, 30,000 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 3,000 with juvenile dermatomyositis across the country, according to Cathy Patty-Resk, MSN, RN-BC, CPNP-BC, president-elect of the Rheumatology Nurses Society.

The FDA has approved upadacitinib, a 15-mg, once-daily oral JAK inhibitor, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis among patients who have had an inadequate response to methotrexate, according to an AbbVie press release.

In a landmark FDA approval, AbbVie’s upadacitinib has won the race to enter the drug market as the third JAK inhibitor approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, with the drug expected to be available in the United States within the month.

ORLANDO — Decreased sexual functioning is more common among female patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, which should prompt early screenings for these patient populations, according to study findings presented at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

ORLANDO — Physicians, nurses and patients must be vigilant when attempting to navigate the often contradictory, seemingly “confused system” of laws and labels associated with medical cannabis and cannabidiol – more widely known as CBD – according to a presenter at the 2019 Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Meeting.