MRI Techniques Can Detect Early Osteoarthritis
Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center's Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Radiology found that advanced MRI techniques can be used to detect subtle changes in joint cartilage microstructure and provide physicians a diagnostic tool for finding key markers of early osteoarthritis (OA). By using these techniques during patient exams to identify OA earlier, clinicians can shift the management of the disease from eventual joint reconstruction to long-term preservation. The study was published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
MedShape Solutions Announces FDA 510 k Clearance Of Innovative Ankle Fusion Device
MedShape Solutions, Inc., the industry leader in innovative shape memory orthopedic devices, announced its new DynaNail™ Intramedullary Ankle Fusion Nail. Ankle fusion is performed to relieve pain in patients with severely degenerative ankle joints, to correct joint deformities or to revise failed total ankle replacements. The DynaNail's unique, patented design utilizes shape memory alloy technology to actively adapt to changes, such as local bone resorption, in the arthrodesis (fusion) site.
Gene Variant In Proteus Syndrome Identified
Orthopaedic surgeons from Children's National Medical Center are part of a team of researchers that has identified the genetic mutation causing Proteus syndrome, a rare disorder in which tissue and bone grow massively out of proportion. The discovery appears in the July 27, 2011, online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, led by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), may have larger implications in both the identification and treatment of Proteus syndrome, as well as for certain types of cancer.