News Updates
New approach to total knee replacement spares muscle, decreases pain
Source: The Daily Progress
Total knee arthroplasty, also known as total knee replacement, is one of the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, as of 2010, more than600,000 total knee replacements were being performed annually in the United States. The number of total knee replacements performed annually in the U.S. is expected to grow by 673 percent to 3.48 million procedures by 2030.
To start, a rigorous preoperative optimization process is now in place to help minimize the risk of complications after surgery. Patients also attend a joint education class to be advised of what to expect before, during and after the surgery. Studies have shown that these educational classes improve patient outcomes.
ACL injury risk reduced in young athletes by universal neuromuscular training
Source: Medical News Today
The ACL is a critical ligament that stabilizes the knee joint. An ACL injury, one of the most common sports injuries, often requires surgery and a lengthy period of rehabilitation before an athlete can return to sport and other activities. Recent research has found that screening tools, such as "hop" or isokinetic (computer/video) tests to identify neuromuscular deficits, as well as neuromuscular training programs, may reduce ACL injuries.
Positive results for meniscal allograft transplantation surgery for young athletes with knee pain
Source: Medical News Today
Patients undergoing meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) surgery require an additional operation approximately 32% of the time, but overall see a 95% success rate after an average five-year follow-up, according to new research released at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day.
Sport makes muscles and nerves fit
Source: Medical News Today
Endurance sport does not only change the condition and fitness of muscles but also simultaneously improves the neuronal connections to the muscle fibers based on a muscle-induced feedback. This link has been discovered by a research group at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. The group was also able to induce the same effect through raising the protein concentration of PGC1α in the muscle.
Baseball pitchers, volleyball spikers have something in common: Similar shoulder, elbow injuries
Source: Science Daily
Baseball and volleyball players share the similar arm injuries due to overuse of their shoulders and elbows. In both circumstances, the shoulder muscles generate and transmit an incredible amount of energy and serve as the transition point where built up energy is transferred from the rest of the body down the arm. After too many pitches or serves, these shoulder muscles get overworked and tend to cause the shoulder to tighten up.
Short term improvements only for shoulder revision repair surgery
Source: Medical News Today
Long-term outcomes of revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery is not as successful as in a first-time surgery, according to researchers from the Orthopaedic Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, who presented their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day.
Rotator Cuff Repair and Immobilization
Source: Methodist Orthopedics
Shoulder rotator cuff repair aims to suture torn rotator cuff tendons and provide them with the optimal environment to heal and minimize chance of retear. Overall retear rates have decreased over the years, but are still a major concern. Better suture techniques have been thoroughly investigated but there is less attention paid to the rehabilitation protocol. Currently the gold standard for rehabilitation after surgery is to wear an abduction brace and begin physical therapy for passive range of motion within the first few weeks. As surgical techniques have evolved from open surgery to arthroscopic surgery, there are questions as to whether this rehabilitation protocol is ideal. Animal studies have shown that longer periods of immobilization are beneficial to healing after rotator cuff repair.
Collagen for the knee: Gel-like implant invented
Source: Science Daily
Millions of people suffer cartilage damage to the knee every year. Cartilage injuries are not only painful; they can lead to osteoarthritis decades later. In the course of the disease, the protective shock absorbing cartilage that covers the bone within the joint slowly is removed until the bone is finally exposed, typically requiring an artificial joint replacement. A biotechnology company has developed a one-step minimally-invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of cartilage defects: a gel-like implant.
FDA approves Eliquis® (apixaban) to reduce the risk of blood clots following hip or knee replacement surgery
Source: Medical News Today
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Eliquis (apixaban) for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.