Juvenile Arthritis
Moderate exercise could guard against tendon disease
Tendon disease has been associated with exercise but a new study suggests that moderate exercise could actually keep tendons healthy.
Tendon disease is caused by damage to tendons at cellular level; published in Molecular Cell Research, this study found that moving around decreases a group of enzymes that degrade tendon tissue and increase tendon protein.
“The onset of tendon disease has always been associated with exercise; however this association has not been fully understood,” says lead researcher Dr Eleanor Jones. “We have shown that moderate exercise has a positive effect on tendons. Continue reading
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have premature ageing of immune cells in joints
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have immune cells in their joints that are similar to those of 90 year olds, says research published in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
A US team looked at immune cells (T-cells) in the blood and joint fluid from 98 children who had JIA aged 1 year to 17 years. The scientists compared the volunteers with 46 children who did not have JIA.
Approximately one-third of the T-cells of the children with JIA had shortened telomeres (the ends of the chromosomes) and these had lost or reduced the ability to multiply. Continue reading
Nanowire coating may speed bone healing
Prof Sheikh Akbar, Ohio State University
Broken bones and joint replacements may soon be able to heal quicker thanks to a “nanowire” coating for medical implants developed by a team in Ohio State University.
Bone cells seem to grow and reproduce nearly twice as quickly on a textured surface made from metal oxide wires, each tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair. The coating could help people who have knee and hip replacements, dental implants or broken bones that need screws and plates for repair. Continue reading
Ketoprofen versus ibuprofen and diclofenac
Ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) seems to be more effective than ibuprofen or diclofenac in easing pain and reducing inflammation in people with muscle and joint conditions.
Published in Clinical & Experimental Rheumatology, a large review of the literature by Italian scientists identified 13 randomised controlled trials involving 898 people who had rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, low back pain or shoulder pain. Continue reading
Rosehip powder may reduce arthritis pain and protect joints
Rosehip powder – Rosa L Canina – can reduce inflammation and pain in people with arthritis and help protect the joints of active people, according to two new studies.
Rosehip’s powerful anti-inflammatory action was thrust into the spotlight at The Centre of Sport & Exercise Science at Sheffield Hallam University, where scientists found that it helped decrease joint pain and joint resistance in the knee.
“More than two thirds of the men who took standardised Rosehip powder experienced an improvement in passive joint flexion and more than 90% recorded improvements in knee extension,” says Prof Marc Cohen who was involved in the study. Continue reading
