AAOS Introduces OA Knee AUC

Mary Ann Porucznik

When a patient has end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, joint replacement is the ultimate treatment. But before a patient reaches that point, clinicians have numerous other treatment options—and many can be very helpful in reducing pain, improving function, and delaying or occasionally even precluding the need for arthroplasty. Determining which of these other treatments would be appropriate—and when—isn’t always clear.

Must Osteoarthritis Always Follow a Meniscal Injury?

Catherine Rategan

Knee pain is responsible for about a third of all doctor visits for muscle and bone pain. According to one source, more than half of all athletes endure knee pain every year, as do sports enthusiasts and members of the aging U.S. population. One of the major reasons for knee pain is an injury to the meniscus, which is almost always followed by the development of osteoarthritis (OA).

Rotator Cuff Muscle Atrophy and Fatty Infiltration

Brian T. Feeley, MD; C. Benjamin Ma, MD

Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are among the most common upper extremity injuries seen by orthopaedic surgeons and primary care physicians, and the incidence of rotator cuff surgery continues to rise. As a result, the management of RCTs is a topic of concern, leading to the release of clinical practice guidelines (CPG), appropriate use criteria (AUC), and even a study on the social and economic value of rotator cuff repair. As the rotator cuff ages, it becomes susceptible to degenerative tears.

AJRR Surpasses Enrollment Goal

Growing registry receives data on approximately 2,000 procedures each week Caryn D. Etkin, PhD, MPH, and Susan E. Hobson, MPH Since it officially began operations in August 2011, the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) has made significant strides toward building the first comprehensive national hip and knee orthopaedic implant registry in the United States.

AAOS to Manage Fundraising Activities

For many years, the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) has served as the fund raiser for AAOS orthopaedic education programs. Recently, however, the OREF Board of Trustees decided to refocus the organization’s emphasis on raising funds for research rather than education (See “OREF, OMeGA Reach Agreement on Fellowship Funding,” AAOS Now, July 2013). At its meeting on Sept.

Is The Jury Still Out on PRP?

Jennie McKee

In 2009, The New York Times reported that professional football player Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers underwent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for a sprained medial collateral ligament. The Times noted that approximately 2 weeks after undergoing this treatment, Mr. Ward—who also underwent rehabilitation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy—went on to help his team win Super Bowl XLIII, making two catches in the National Football League championship game. Mr.

ORS Puts Focus on Atypical Fractures

Amber Blake

For people with osteoporosis, the use of bisphosphonates has been helpful in reducing the risk of bone fractures. However, recent studies suggest that the long-term use of bisphosphonates might actually play a contributing role in atypical fractures of the femur or long bone of the thigh. These concerns have led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recommend updates to bisphosphonate labeling.