Orthopedics News

Military Wounds Raise Risk of Abnormal Bone Growth   Reported May 04, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Military personnel who suffer combat wounds from high-energy sources like bomb blasts are likely to develop heterotopic ossification, a condition in which bones form within the soft tissue. A study conducted by the National Naval Medical Center … [Read more...]

New Osteoporosis Drug not as Cost-Effective Reported June 13, 2006 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new osteoporosis drug may cost you. New research finds teriparatide (brand name Forteo) is not cost-effective compared to alendronate (brand name Fosamax), the most commonly prescribed osteoporosis medication. The study, from Stanford University School of Medicine in California, … [Read more...]

Prostate Cancer Therapy Boosts Risk of Fractures, Heart Disease   Reported April 28, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Prostate cancer patients who take drugs to decrease their testosterone levels may be increasing their risk of developing bone- and heart-related side effects, but those risks are still relatively low, according to a new study. … [Read more...]

Saving Younger Knees   Reported August 19, 2009 CLEVELAND (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Most people take about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. In the average lifetime, that's 115,000 miles. Most cars wear out by then -- so why shouldn't your knees? More than 400,000 people will need knee replacements this year, but before Gen X'ers go for the total … [Read more...]

SSRIs may be Bad for the BonesJune 26, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A common form of antidepressants may lead to weaker bones among older men and women. The link was seen in two new studies, and researchers believe the connection may lie in the medication's role in inhibiting the protein that transports serotonin. The protein is known to play a role in … [Read more...]

Back Surgery Doesn't Live up to Expectations Reported June 21, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Surgeons may be leading some back surgery patients down a primrose path, find researchers who compared surgeons' predictions of success with actual patient outcomes. Results show 99 percent of doctors believed surgery would provide at least moderate improvement for people with low … [Read more...]

Calcium Supplements Prevent Fractures ... But Only If You Take Them Reported April 26, 2006   (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Calcium supplements can prevent fractures and bone quality but only if they are actually taken. The results of a five-year study on women 70 years of age and older reveal merely prescribing calcium supplements will be ineffective for nearly half of women. … [Read more...]

Drug Heals Broken Bones   Reported April 17, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A drug approved for the treatment of osteoporosis is healing broken bones with stem cells. Since 2002, teriparatide (Forteo) has been used to treat osteoporosis, but scientists have discovered a new use for the drug in helping bones repair fractures -- particularly in … [Read more...]

Fixing Mystery Pain Reported December 07, 2009 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- They are young, active people plagued by hip pain -- yet nearly 60 percent of them are misdiagnosed when they go to the doctor. That's because they've torn a piece of cartilage hidden deep within the joint that's hard to see on scans. Pro athletes are shining a … [Read more...]

Growing Up With Magnets Reported May 18, 2009 TAMPA, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Almost 1,000 people find out they have bone cancer every year, and the majority of them are children. The disease makes growing up a painful experience, with dozens of surgeries. Now magnets are helping kids keep their limbs and grow up without pain. He swings, slides and kicks just like any … [Read more...]

Hip Protectors not Worth the Hype Reported July 25, 2007 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Nearly 340,000 hip fractures occur in the United States every year. Padded hip protectors have become a popular preventive measure, but new research reveals they just don't work. The padded devices are worn under clothing like … [Read more...]

Mixed Results in Bone Study Reported October 14, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers ended with mixed results in a study designed to see if daily supplements of vitamin K1 would protect women at risk for osteoporosis. While the treatment showed no effect on bone mineral density -- women taking the supplement lost about the same amount of bone as women taking a placebo … [Read more...]

Osteoporosis Drug Prevents Breast Cancer Reported June 11, 2008 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A drug approved for osteoporosis prevention and treatment may also prevent breast and other types of cancer. A study at the University of California at San Diego found post-menopausal women who took the drug raloxifene (Evista) were 55 percent less … [Read more...]

Prostate Drugs Not Linked to Hip Fracture Reported October 13, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Newer drugs used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), otherwise known as an enlarged prostate, don’t appear to raise the risk for a hip fracture. That’s the key finding from researchers who compared outcomes from about 7,000 men who had suffered a hip fracture with those … [Read more...]

Searching for a Cure for Clubfoot   Reported March 16, 2009 ST. LOUIS (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One in every 1,000 babies are born with clubfoot. The common deformity causes feet to turn in, sometimes making it impossible to walk. Researchers are unraveling the mystery behind the condition, and a genetic discovery is opening the door to new … [Read more...]

Stapling for Scoliosis   Reported March 20, 2009 NEW YORK (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve like an "s" or a "c." Five out of every 1,000 kids need treatment for it. Braces are the most common treatment, but results take years. Surgery is used for extreme cases. Now, there's a less invasive way … [Read more...]

To Splint or not to Splint: Docs Disagree Reported April 17, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Although splints and plaster casts both get the job done when it comes to minor wrist fractures in kids, there’s disagreement about which is the safer method. A review on several studies on the topic has doctors on opposite sides of the Atlantic on opposing sides … [Read more...]

Back Surgery: Closing the Gap Reported October 28, 2009 PITTSBURGH (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Every year, U.S. surgeons perform more than half a million back surgeries to relieve disc-related pain. As many as 30 percent of those patients have recurrent problems. Orthopedic specialists are testing a new procedure that might prevent patients from needing … [Read more...]

Cell Injections Mend Broken Bones?   Reported February 16, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers identified a new, faster method to help heal broken bones. It requires the injection of cells taken from the patient’s own bone marrow. The cells are injected into the fracture area and a clinical study proved it speeds up the healing process. … [Read more...]

Drug Reduces Bone Fracture Risk Reported March 17, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Treatment with the drug alendronate (Fosamax) can reduce the risk of vertebral bone fractures in women with low bone mass but not osteoporosis, according to a new study. Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, … [Read more...]

Fixing Sprains Fast   Reported February 18, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The fastest recovery from ankle sprain starts below the knee. New research shows immobilization in a below-knee cast or an Aircast brace allows severe ankle sprains to heal faster and with fewer secondary complications compared to tubular compression bandages (TCB) or a … [Read more...]

Guts Grow Bones Reported November 27, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A surprising new discovery in how bones grow may lead to a novel treatment of osteoporosis. Bone growth is controlled in the gut through serotonin, a chemical in the brain that also influences mood, appetite and sleep. Researchers have known that 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is produced by the duodenum, … [Read more...]

Hip Replacement Table Reported September 05, 2008 PHOENIX, Ariz. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Conditions like arthritis force close to 200,000 people to get a hip replacement every year. The surgery typically means significant pain and down time, but now there's a new option that uses a table to get people back on their feet faster. For Kris Irizarry, life with degenerative … [Read more...]

Knee Patients Take a Stand Reported June 26, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – For most people, standing up from a sitting position no problem. But for people with severe knee pain, it’s a major effort, and many learn to cope by changing the muscles they use to get the job done. Now a new study out of the University of Delaware finds people with severe … [Read more...]

Study: Monitoring Bone Density Unnecessary, Potentially Misleading Reported June 25, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Regular bone mineral density monitoring in postmenopausal women may be unnecessary and potentially misleading. Researchers looked at how the effects of the drug alendronate (a widely used osteoporosis drug) differ between individuals. They found after three years … [Read more...]

Osteoporosis Drug Safe for Kidney Disease Reported April 11, 2008 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study reveals the osteoporosis drug raloxifene (Evista) can safe and effectively increase bone mineral density in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) -- a group often excluded from osteoporosis drug studies. For women with CKD, it is … [Read more...]

Shallow Hip Pocket Predicts Osteoarthritis Reported March 7, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study reveals the condition acetabular dysplasia is a strong independent indicator for the development of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. Acetabular dysplasia is a developmental condition, often present at birth. It is marked by … [Read more...]

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Harm Muscles? Reported September 30, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Taking higher doses of the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may cause dangerous side effects. New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham finds high doses of statins may hinder how the skeletal muscles repair and regenerate themselves. Statins have been known to … [Read more...]

Healing Broken Bones -- No Metal Needed Reported May 20, 2009 DAYTON, Ohio (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- They help hold bones together after a bad break, but are metal pins and screws the best option? One research team is using their own experience to find a more natural way of healing. Khalid Lafdi measures his success in strides. Two years ago, the avid runner broke his ankle. … [Read more...]

Bone thinning after stomach op Reported February 04, 2008 A new study confirms there is a high rate of the bone-thinning disease - osteoporosis - in patients who have had their stomach removed because of cancer. Dr Jong-Inn Lee and colleagues from the Korea Cancer Centre Hospital in Seoul used standard X-ray techniques to assess … [Read more...]