Orthopedics

Good for your bottom and your bonesReported February 24, 2009 We've long been told that getting enough calcium helps guard against osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones more likely to fracture. But study findings published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggest that meeting your daily calcium requirements may also keep cancer at bay. According to the … [Read more...]

Best Fix for Osteoporosis Reported April 28, 2006   (SAN FRANCISCO (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- About 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis. The condition is characterized by low bone density, making people susceptible to fractures. But now doctors may be able to offer the most effective treatment yet. Judi Sheridan wants to keep her body strong. She has … [Read more...]

Medicine's Next Big Thing: Growing New Cartilage for Knees? Reported December 19, 2008 PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Bending down or getting up can be a painful chore for someone with knee problems. Doctors say many times the loud creaking in a person's bones can be blamed on a loss of cartilage, but researchers are close to … [Read more...]

Hip Fracture Risk in Women Increases With Age Reported November 13, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The risk of hip fracture among postmenopausal women is double that in premenopausal women, and is seven times higher in 70-year olds than in 50-year olds. Women who had an early menopause before age 45 had a slightly increased risk, but the effect of early … [Read more...]

Kids Low on Vitamin D   Reported August 04, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Seven out of 10 U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, according to a study of over 6,000 children by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The striking findings suggest vitamin D deficiency could place millions of children at risk for … [Read more...]

Managing Pain At Home   Reported August 05, 2009 NASHVILLE (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Total join replacements often mean months of recovery starting with several days in the hospital hooked up to powerful pain meds. Now, surgeons say there's no need for most people to spend so much time in the hospital or take narcotics. Doctors are putting the power … [Read more...]

One Incision Back Surgery Reported December 21, 2009 TAMPA, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Thirty-one-million Americans suffer from it at any given time. Back pain is the leading cause of disability for people under 45. Physical therapy and meds can help some, but for those whose pain persists, there's a new surgery that uses one incision to ease the … [Read more...]

Saving Limbs May Not Be Better Than Amputation   Reported August 11, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – A new analysis suggests patients and physicians should rethink the pros and cons of limb-sparing surgery versus amputation for bone and soft tissue sarcomas of the lower limb. Patients with tumors of the bone or soft tissue in their arms and legs require … [Read more...]

Spotting Sports Injuries Reported October 21, 2008 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Every year, 1.4 million teenagers are injured while playing on their high school sports teams. This is keeping experts are busy trying to figure out a way to pinpoint which athletes are more susceptible to injuries. New research shows it may be a simple as adding a few new steps to … [Read more...]

The Sting of Back Pain: Do You Really Need Back Surgery? Reported November 9, 2005  LEBANON, N.H. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- According to the North American Spine Society, 22 percent of Americans have difficulty driving because of back pain; 31 percent have difficulty just lying in bed; and 32 percent say they can't lift heavy objects because of chronic pain in their … [Read more...]

Canadian researchers warn that the incidence of osteoarthritis is increasing Reported August 15, 2008 British Columbia has seen an increase in the incidence of physician-reported osteoarthritis (OA) in men and women due to population aging, with an additional increase beyond the effect of aging in women. "The number of people with arthritis is expected to increase as the … [Read more...]

Drug Cuts Fracture Risk in Prostate Cancer Survivors   Reported August 13, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Twice-yearly treatment with denosumab, a new targeted therapy to stop bone loss, increased bone density and prevented spinal fractures in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, according to an international research study. … [Read more...]

Fix Your Spine, Lower Your Blood Pressure? Reported January 11, 2008 CHICAGO (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- About 72 million adults in the United States are living with high blood pressure. That's one in three people. Statistics show only 35 percent of them have it under control. Now, research shows a spinal adjustment may actually help control blood … [Read more...]

Growing New Knees Reported May 15, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It's that painful pop or snap more than 80,000 Americans hear every year. ACL tears often mean surgery to repair cartilage and months of rehab, but even that doesn't always ease the pain. The answer for knee injuries may be growing in the lab. Lisa Groom takes on the San Francisco hills with … [Read more...]

Hip Implants Stand Test of Time Reported May 07, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Hip implants without cement introduced back in the mid-1980s are holding up well. The latest report from researchers who have been following some the original patients shows 96 percent of 124 cementless metal components used in the procedures are still securely in place 20 years following the … [Read more...]

Knee Osteoarthritis Help Reported November 15, 2005  (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two new studies suggest there may be a role for glucosamine in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The first study comes from European researchers who randomly assigned 318 patients to receive treatment of glucosamine sulfate soluble powder, acetaminophen three times a day, or a placebo. … [Read more...]

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...]