How Tendons Shape Developing Bones
Bones, muscles and tendons work together to provide the perfect balance between stability and movement in the skeleton. Now, Weizmann Institute scientists show that this partnership begins in the embryo, when the bones are still taking shape. The study, published in a recent issue of Developmental Cell, describes a previously unrecognized interaction between tendons and bones that drives the development of a strong skeletal system. 'Our skeleton, with its bones, joints and muscle connections serves us so well in our daily lives that we hardly pay attention to this extraordinary system, ' says Dr. Elazar Zelzer of the Weizmann Institute's Molecular Genetics Department.
Methodist Research Program First Of Its Kind For Orthopedics
A new research program at The Methodist Hospital in Houston is the nation's first dedicated solely to advancing nanotechnology in orthopedics and spine surgery. Dr. Bradley Weiner, chief of spinal surgery at Methodist, is the director of the Spine Advanced Technology Laboratory (SATL). Methodist Drs. Harvey Smith and Christopher Loo are co-directors. "Nanotechology has the ability to affect things at a molecular level, " Weiner said. "The use of nanotechnologies to treat disease or repair damaged tissues---such as bone, cartilage, muscle or nerve---might allow physicians to intervene more efficiently and safely than currently possible." Researchers in the lab---working on-site and with collaborators within the Texas Medical Center and beyond---will be looking at various ways nanotechnology can improve the treatment of musculoskeletal disease.
World Congress On Osteoporosis 2010 -- IOF WCO -- ECCEO10
Register now for the most important osteoporosis conference of 2010. The IOF WCO-ECCEO10 is expected to attract some 5000 researchers and clinicians from all continents, including Key Opinion Leaders in the field. Stimulating plenary lectures on varied 'hot' topics will be enhanced by focused Meet-the-Expert Sessions and numerous special sessions and satellite symposia will give in-depth coverage of specific clinical topics. Online registration at http://www.iofwco-ecceo10.org/registration/ Submit your abstract by February 4th! Abstracts will be published in the field's leading journal, Osteoporosis International., with opportunity for poster presentation.
Trial Of New Osteoporosis Drug To Be Launched By University Of Pittsburgh Researchers
Endocrinologists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC are launching a human trial of a new drug that their research indicates holds great promise for building bones weakened by osteoporosis. For the study, 105 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either teriparitide ( Forteo ® ), a drug that already is FDA-approved for osteoporosis treatment, or an experimental agent called parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), explained principal investigator Mara J. Horwitz, M.D., an assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Pitt School of Medicine, and a practicing metabolic bone specialist at UPMC.
HIV-Infected Postmenopausal Women At High Risk For Bone Fractures
According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), postmenopausal HIV-infected women have a high prevalence of low bone mineral density and high bone turnover placing them at high risk for future bone fractures. "As HIV-infected individuals live longer with potent antiretroviral therapy (ART), metabolic complications such as low bone density and osteoporosis are increasingly recognized, " said Michael Yin, MD of Columbia University Medical Center in New York and lead author of the study. "Although numbers of HIV-infected postmenopausal women are increasing and postmenopausal women are at highest risk for osteoporotic fractures, few studies have evaluated skeletal status in this group.
New Research Suggests Fat Mass Helps Build Bone Mass In Girls
According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), fat mass is important in increasing bone size and thickness, but this effect appears to be stronger in girls than boys. Lean mass is one of the strongest determinants of bone mass throughout life. Until now, it has been unclear whether fat mass and lean mass differ in how they influence bone development in boys and girls. Findings from previous studies have been inconsistent regarding whether fat mass has a positive or negative impact on bone development. This new study shows that fat mass is a strong stimulus for the accrual of cortical bone mass (hard outer layer of bone) in girls.
One In Four Patients Have Lost Bone Around Their Implants
Bone loss around dental implants is far more common than previously realised, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Around a quarter of patients loose some degree of supporting bone around their implants. The study analysed X-rays of over 600 patients. The more implants a patient had in the jaw, the more common it was to find loss of supporting bone. Just over a quarter 28 per cent of patients had lost some degree of supporting bone around their implants. "Contrary to what we had previously assumed, the bone loss in these patients was not linear, but instead accelerated with time, " says consultant dental surgeon Christer Fransson, who wrote the thesis.
Two New Studies Show Gallium-Containing Compounds Significantly Increase Bone Strength In Standard Models Of Osteoporosis
Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GETA) today announced publication of two scientific studies that test the active ingredient in Genta's program to develop orally available gallium-containing compounds and the Company's marketed product, Ganite® (gallium nitrate for injection). In these studies, a compound containing the active ingredient was tested in a widely accepted animal model of established osteoporosis. The new data show that extended treatment with the active ingredient significantly increased bone volume and calcium content in animals with induced osteoporosis. In addition, the increase in new bone formation was associated with a significant restoration of bone strength back to normal levels.
Newer Treatment For Achilles Tendon Disorder Does Not Appear To Be Effective
An apparently increasingly used treatment method for a type of Achilles tendon disorder that includes injection of platelet-rich plasma into the tendon does not appear to result in greater improvement in pain or activity compared to placebo, according to results of a preliminary study published in the January 13 issue of JAMA. "Overuse injury of the Achilles tendon is a frequent problem that often affects sport participants but also inactive middle-aged individuals. An estimated 30 percent to 50 percent of all sports-related injuries are tendon disorders, " the authors write. Approximately 25 percent to 45 percent of patients eventually require surgery following ineffective conservative treatment.
Ultrasound-Guided Cortisone Injections May Help Treat Severe Hip Pain
Ultrasound-guided cortisone injections may be an effective treatment method for gluteus medius tendinopathy, a common, painful condition caused by an injury to the tendons in the buttocks that typically affects middle-aged to elderly women and young active individuals, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. Gluteus medius tendinopathy can cause severe hip pain. "The underlying causes remain unclear but probably are multi-factorial and involve mechanical and degenerative processes, " said Etienne Cardinal, MD, lead author of the study. Medical treatment usually includes physiotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and local injections of corticosteroids.