A study appearing in the August 2010 issue of Anesthesiology found that patients receiving a total hip or knee replacement in Taiwan had a higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) when general anesthesia was administered for the operation than when the same procedures were performed under epidural/spinal (regional) anesthesia. The study’s findings support the evolving concept of long-term consequences of anesthesia.

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Researchers at New York University have developed an innovative way to look at the development of osteoarthritis in the knee joint – one that relies on the examination of sodium ions in cartilage. Their work, which appears in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance, may provide a non-invasive method to diagnose osteoarthritis in its very early stages. The concentration of sodium ions, which are distributed in the body, is known to reveal the location of glycosaminogycans (GAGs) in cartilage tissues.

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Researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center determined patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who are treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) do not experience any more benefit than those receiving sham acupuncture (placebo). The team did find that the communication style of the acupuncturist could have a significant effect on pain reduction and satisfaction in patients. Full findings are now online and will publish in the September print issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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Zimmer Holdings, Inc. has announced the first implantation of the Zimmer® NCB (Non-Contact Bridging) Periprosthetic Plating System. Scheduled for full release in the Fall of 2010, the Zimmer NCB Periprosthetic Plating System is the first comprehensive solution available to address complex femoral fractures which can occur around a hip or knee implant. Hip and knee replacements have been shown to be extremely effective procedures but may be complicated by periprosthetic fractures.

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Unigene Laboratories, Inc. announced that Novartis and its license partner Nordic Bioscience have decided to continue the companies’ two-year, Phase III Study 2302 assessing safety of oral calcitonin in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Novartis has a worldwide license to produce recombinant calcitonin under Unigene’s patented SecraPep® E. coli manufacturing technology. An independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) reviewed and conducted a “futility” analysis of one-year data for all patients enrolled in Study 2302.

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The Stone Research Foundation released findings of the longest and largest study of its kind on biologic knee joint repair. The study is published in July’s issue of The British Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.  Study findings indicate that arthritic patients can forestall, or in some cases, avoid, total knee replacement with artificial joints by opting for meniscal allograft transplantations performed concurrently with articular cartilage repair.

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Dr. Seth Greenky replaced Susan Romanick’s right knee this morning in an operation at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. It was the first Syracuse surgery to be “tweeted.” Greenky’s brother and fellow surgeon, Dr. Brett Greenky provided play-by-play while hospital spokeswoman Kerri Ganci and nurse Kim Murray, director of surgery services gave 140-word updates on twitter.com/stjosephshealth.

To watch the video click here.