http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients may be able to participate in high-impact sports without increasing risk of early implant failure, according to a new study presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). In addition, the authors observed better clinical scores in the group of patients who participated in activities discouraged by the Knee Society (KS) than those of the control group. http://phys.org/news187607647.html Medicine & Health Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:40:01 EST news187607647 Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a study presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The surgery also significantly improves dynamic balance among elderly patients. http://phys.org/news187516096.html Medicine & Health Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:00:02 EST news187516096 While physicians strive to set realistic expectations for patients undergoing knee and hip joint replacements, a new study reveals that doctor and patient expectations are sometimes not aligned. The study, reported by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons held March 9-13 in New Orleans (poster P140), suggests that steps need to be taken to bridge the expectation gap. http://phys.org/news187438004.html Medicine & Health Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:20:02 EST news187438004 You'd think folks who've had knee replacement surgery -- finally able to walk and exercise without pain -- would lose weight instead of put on pounds, but surprisingly that's not the case, according to a University of Delaware study. http://phys.org/news183996460.html Medicine & Health Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:20:01 EST news183996460 (PhysOrg.com) -- Complaints about knee pain can be all too familiar when you suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. The condition often keeps sufferers from participating in many activities—sometimes even just standing. http://phys.org/news182707953.html Medicine & Health Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:30:01 EST news182707953 A soccer-specific exercise program that includes individual instruction of athletes appears to reduce the risk of knee injuries in young female players, according to a report in the January 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. http://phys.org/news182452428.html Medicine & Health Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:20:01 EST news182452428 Researchers participating in the Multidimensional Intervention for Early Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Knee Study) determined that physically inactive, middle-aged people with symptomatic osteoarthritis benefitted equally from strength training regimens, self-management programs, or a combination of the two. Details of this study are available in the January 2010 issue of Arthritis Care & Research. http://phys.org/news181908819.html Medicine & Health Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:40:05 EST news181908819 Total hip and total knee replacement surgeries are highly successful and very common procedures for people experiencing pain associated with degenerative joints. With a new hip or knee, and postoperative care prescribed by their doctors, most patients are able to regain a more active lifestyle with considerably less pain. http://phys.org/news181842287.html Medicine & Health Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:00:03 EST news181842287 Knee osteoarthritis (OA) accounts for more disability in the elderly than any other disease. Running, although it has proven cardiovascular and other health benefits, can increase stresses on the joints of the leg. In a study published in the December 2009 issue of PM&R: The journal of injury, function and rehabilitation, researchers compared the effects on knee, hip and ankle joint motions of running barefoot versus running in modern running shoes. They concluded that running shoes exerted more stress on these joints compared to running barefoot or walking in high-heeled shoes. http://phys.org/news181830502.html Medicine & Health Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:28:39 EST news181830502 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the Tsukuba University in Japan have come up with a motorized knee you can attach to your leg to make you run faster and use less muscle power. http://phys.org/news180681294.html Technology Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:20:01 EST news180681294 The risk of having a potentially fatal blood clot after surgery is higher and lasts for longer than had previously been thought, concludes new research published in the British Medical Journal today. http://phys.org/news179134159.html Medicine & Health Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:30:03 EST news179134159 Multiple-ligament knee injuries resulting from traumatic knee dislocations - such as high impact car accidents or certain sports are uncommon, and the optimal timing of surgical repair or reconstruction has not been definitively established. http://phys.org/news178903288.html Medicine & Health Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:23:21 EST news178903288 Middle-aged men and women who engage in high levels of physical activity may be unknowingly causing damage to their knees and increasing their risk for osteoarthritis, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). http://phys.org/news178780875.html Medicine & Health Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:21:57 EST news178780875 (PhysOrg.com) -- From professional athletes to weekend warriors, the condition known as “runner’s knee” is a painful and potentially debilitating injury suffered by millions of people - although until now, it has been unclear just what causes it. http://phys.org/news178220812.html Medicine & Health Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:30:03 EST news178220812 (PhysOrg.com) -- Injured athletes who have their own enriched plasma injected into their bodies are healing faster and spending less time on the bench or on the disabled list. http://phys.org/news177269745.html Medicine & Health Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:40:40 EST news177269745 (PhysOrg.com) -- In a development that could lead to more complete recovery from torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in humans, University of Michigan researchers have grown and repaired knee ligaments in rats from bone marrow stem cells harvested from the rats' own bones. http://phys.org/news176454526.html Medicine & Health Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:01 EST news176454526 The meniscus is a rubber-like, crescent moon-shaped cartilage cushion that sits between the leg and thigh bone. Each knee has two menisci: one on the inside of the knee joint and one on the outside. In recent years, more children have been diagnosed with tears to this area (meniscal tears); however, according to a literature review published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), prospects for a full recovery are high. http://phys.org/news176400523.html Medicine & Health Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:40:01 EST news176400523 Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine have determined that patients over 65 years of age with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who engage in regular Tai Chi exercise improve physical function and experience less pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy. Full findings of the study are published in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology. http://phys.org/news176014700.html Medicine & Health Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:30:01 EST news176014700 For patients with severe knee pain, supervised exercise therapy is more effective at reducing pain and improving function than usual care, finds a study published on BMJ.com today. http://phys.org/news175329728.html Medicine & Health Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:01 EST news175329728 (PhysOrg.com) -- Damaged knee joints might one day be repaired with cartilage grown from stem cells in a laboratory, based on research by Professor Kyriacos Athanasiou, chair of the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering and his colleagues. http://phys.org/news175278162.html Medicine & Health Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:40:01 EST news175278162 (AP) -- Three years ago, the maker of a surgical clip called the Hem-o-lok issued an urgent recall notice warning doctors to stop using the fasteners on living kidney donors. It said the clips could dislodge in their bodies, with "serious, even life-threatening consequences." http://phys.org/news173974663.html Medicine & Health Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:30:14 EST news173974663 Patients who have their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed are more likely to have subsequent knee surgery if they are women or are treated by a surgeon who does a low volume of ACL reconstructions, according to a study in the October 2009 TK issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The study, conducted by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery, also found that overall, 6.5% of patients undergoing ACL surgery had to undergo another knee operation within one year. http://phys.org/news173617941.html Medicine & Health Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:12:44 EST news173617941 (PhysOrg.com) -- Once we reach the age of 55 there's a 25 per cent chance that we will be suffering from bad knees. Of that 25 per cent, half will experience some sort of associated disability, such as difficulty carrying out everyday activities, and most of us will have reached for the painkillers. http://phys.org/news172502001.html Medicine & Health Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:14:50 EST news172502001 An existing osteoporosis drug is the first ever found to prevent cartilage loss from osteoarthritis following injury to a joint, and may also regenerate some cartilage that has been lost to osteoarthritis, according to an early study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Denver. While the study was in mice, the model closely mimics human osteoarthritis that develops following knee injuries, according to the study authors. http://phys.org/news171987169.html Medicine & Health Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:40:02 EST news171987169 (PhysOrg.com) -- With the beginning of school comes the beginning of school sports seasons. This fall, make sure children and teenagers are prepared to get back in the game with an awareness of the risks and the necessary training to exceed. And some sports may need a little extra vigilance. http://phys.org/news171895513.html Medicine & Health Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:01 EST news171895513 Obesity is one of the most important health problems in industrialized countries irrespective of socio-economic status, age, sex or ethnicity. The prevalence of childhood obesity in children has reached alarming levels, even in developing countries. It is estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide are overweight, with 22 millions being under the age of 5 years and 300 million people are obese. By 2010 it is estimated that 26 million children in E.U. countries will be overweight, including 6.4 million who will be obese. http://phys.org/news170942825.html Medicine & Health Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:20:01 EST news170942825 A new study by researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics found that thigh muscle strength does not predict the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) uncovered in x-rays, but does predict incidence of painful or stiff knee OA. Women with the strongest quadriceps muscles appeared to be protected against the development of knee OA symptoms. Details of this study appear in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology. http://phys.org/news170584634.html Medicine & Health Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:00:01 EST news170584634 Deep in Africa's Kalahari Desert lies the "Devil's claw," a plant that may hold the key to effective treatments for arthritis, tendonitis and other illnesses that affect millions each year. Unfortunately, years of drought have pushed the Devil's claw toward extinction, so scientists are scrambling to devise new ways to produce the valuable medicinal chemicals of the Devil's claw and other rare plants. http://phys.org/news169653842.html Chemistry Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:30:02 EST news169653842 The dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health and a team of scientists worldwide have found a better way to prevent deadly blood clots after joint replacement surgery - a major problem that results in thousands of unnecessary deaths each year. The research appears this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. http://phys.org/news169229937.html Medicine & Health Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:30:07 EST news169229937 Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disorder throughout the world and a leading cause of disability, is characterized by pain, impaired joint mobility, reduction of muscular strength and loss of joint function. Unlike most other common diseases, little is known about its origins, and factors predicting a severe disease course have not been identified. A new study, the first to establish a laboratory marker for the risk of severe OA, found that vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), was a strong predictor of hip and knee joint replacement due to severe OA. The study was published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. http://phys.org/news168153938.html Medicine & Health Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:26:22 EST news168153938