Stem Cell Research For Osteoarthritis

Stem cells are getting a lot of press these days as the potential cure for just about everything. Their ability to differentiate into any cell type sees them as the focus of research into many medical conditions.

As osteoarthritis becomes a bigger issue - particularly knee osteoarthritis - there is money to be made on a massive scale and this type of expensive research is now being done.

Human trials are starting as are animal studies. Not all of the animal studies are on rats as this article shows.Vets are using Stem cells to treat zoo animals for knee arthritissuch as the endangered Snow Leopard. 

See this piece on Stem Cell Research For Knee Osteoarthritis

Non-surgical Management of Osteoarthritis

Total Joint replacement is very effective at treating advanced osteoarthritis but has its limitations and risks.

To delay the need for surgery other treatments can be used:

• Weight Loss
• Quadriceps strengthening
• Analgesia
• Unloader knee braces

These treatments generally have lower risks than surgery and you can always change your mind if they don't work out for you. It makes sense to give them a go before committing to surgical intervention.

ACL Injury and Osteoarthritis Risk

It has long been reported that rupturing the ACL leads to an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee.

A new study has looked at this issue a little closer and has reported that isolated ACL injuries have a lower risk than ACL injuries that occur with concurrent meniscal or chondral injury.

The "Unhappy Triad" of ACL, Medial Meniscus and MCL is a common combination and is likely to greatly increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis.

Medial compartment osteoarthritis will often end in joint replacement although non-surgical management including the use of medication and unloader knee braces can delay this.

Arthritis Drug Recall

Around 1 million Fentanyl Patches have been recalled the FDA announced. They were manufactured by Actavis Inc.

Fentanyl is a strong painkiller used to treat chronic conditions such as knee arthritis.

For more information see:     http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news-540466-98.html

Those worried about medication should consider non-pharmacological treatments such an unloader knee brace.

What type of arthritis do I have?

The term arthritis means inflammation of the joint. There are many different types of arthritis with the two most recognized being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is known as the "wear and tear" type of arthritis. It is common in the weight bearing joints of the body such as hips, knees and lumbar spine.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that affects multiple joints throughout the body. It is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself.
Osteoarthritis is by far the most common type and is becoming a much bigger social issue as the general population ages.

Joint Space Narrowing

When looking at a knee X-ray a doctor will often comment on joint space narrowing.

This is a sign of arthritis. Our joints are in contact with each other but every joint is covered by a smooth layer of articular cartilage. This cartilage covering does not show up on an x-ray. It appears as a gap. A healthy knee has an easily identifiable gap between the bones (that appear whites ni on x ray).

When the knee has osteoarthritis, the cartilage cover is worn and the gap is decreased or disappears altogether. An arthritic knee like this is not only a source of pain but also disability.

For the average person a knee x ray is hard to understand. It becomes even more difficult when there are signs of osteoarthritis. 

Understanding the signs of arthritis is a more difficult proposition.

If you are concerned,consult your doctor.

 

 

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Use Not Supported By Evidence

There are many different treatment types for osteoarthritis and supplements are one of these.

Despite being a multi million dollar industry, there is little evidence supporting the use of either glucosamine or chondroitin (or a combination of both).

Another study was recently published that found no benefit in the use of these supplements.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/09September/Pages/osteoarthritis-supplements-of-n...

There are many treatments that have good supporting evidence such as weight loss and exercise but they require more effort than taking a pill.

This is probably one of the reasons why the Unloader Knee Brace is becoming more popular. They are quick and easy to apply and don't require a lot of will power.

They are worth a try for anyone with an arthritic knee and can help achieve the other goals of less weight and more activity

Guided Home Exercise For Knee Osteoarthritis

More Osteoarthritis News...........

 

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1807-593220100008...

 

This study from Brazil looks at the use of a home exercises program that was guided by physical therapists and included a written exercise manual.

The program was found to be effective at controlling pain, increasing strength and decreasing and functional limitations.

Exercises for knee osteoarthritis have a good amount of evidence behind them. This study shows that with a bit of planning they can be extremely cost effective.

There are 3 simple treatments that combined can make a big difference:

Weight Loss

Exercise

Unloader Knee Braces

All of them are safe, non-surgical and effective.

Knee X-Rays - Need Help To Understand Them?

Another common area of confusion after visiting a surgeon is the knee x-ray.

When the doctor is pointing out the signs of arthritis most people just nod their head and say "oh yes, I can see it" when really they have no idea.

Here is a little help.

Two articles on knee x-rays, one on the normal knee for those with no arthritis (read this one first so you have something to compare)

And one one the signs of arthritis.

Both have simple descriptions and examples of the different views used to assess the arthritic knee

 

• The Normal Knee Xray
• Knee arthritis Xray

Next time you will be able to honestly say you can see the signs of osteoarthritis.

Types of Arthritis Pain

Pain intensity if obviously important if you suffer from osteoarthritis, but the type of pain you have may also have a large say in how it affects your life.

Pain is described differently be each person but common terms keep being used. "Burning", "Stabbing", Throbbing" are all common.

A recent article looked at the type of pain as well as how strong it was and found that the quality of the pain dictated the amount of sleep disruption and disability it caused, over and above the actual intensity of the reported pain.

See details here at Osteoarthritis News

Knee compartments - What exactly are they?

After a visit to a surgeon many people come out wondering what they were talking about. Medical jargon can make understanding a doctor even more difficult. An example of this is the term "compartments" of the knee. This article explains nicely what they are, how many there are and why they are relevant.

Compartments of the Knee

Unless you are an expert on knee osteoarthritis, it helps to read articles like this.

Knee Angle Increases Arthritis Risk

This article:

http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news-533188-98.html

details how the angle through the knee can affect the risk of osteoarthritis.

A valgus deformity (knock-kneed) did not increase the risk but a varus deformity (bowlegged) did.

By a factor of around 1.5 times normal.

It should be remembered that this angulation does not guarantee that you will end of with an arthritic knee, but it does make it more likely.

Those concerned about the angle through their knee and future (or current) osteoarthritis should consider investigating an unloading knee brace, a non-surgical treatment for knee arthritis.

Joint Replacement Weight Loss

A US study has found that patients having total joint replacement (hips and knees) lost a signficant amount of weight post-surgery.

Knee replacement patients lost more than hip replacement patients but both did well.

20% of patients lost 5% of body weight or more. Not bad going.

See article the here

From memory there have been studies showing the opposite. Will research -  maybe worth a post on The Arthritic Knee.