https://medicalxpress.com/orthopedics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Orthopaedics As professional baseball sees another high-profile elbow injury with Toronto Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos having undergone ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) surgery, new research from the University of Waterloo suggests many pitchers may be able to reduce stress on their elbows without sacrificing velocity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-smarter-softer-baseball-pitchers-elbows.html Wed, 27 May 2026 13:20:01 EDT news699100141 Physiotherapist-led strength exercises improve hip pain in young people suffering hip joint impingements, new research shows. The La Trobe University study followed 154 participants over six months, comparing a targeted strengthening program with a standardized stretching program. Participants in the strength group were 2.3 times more likely to report perceived improvements in pain and had larger improvements in hip muscle strength compared to participants in the stretch group. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-strength-young-people-hip-pain.html Wed, 27 May 2026 09:20:04 EDT news699092222 A recent trial of community-based and nurse-led ultrasound screening for hip dysplasia in Japan has been met with great success, according to new research at the University of Tokyo. The trial achieved almost universal reach and 8.7% of infants were found to have suspected developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), including children with no clinical signs or known risk factors. The paper is published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-community-based-baby-hip-screening.html Sat, 23 May 2026 20:30:01 EDT news698413893 More than 200,000 hip and knee replacements are performed in the U.K. every year. They are usually performed only when conservative treatments such as physiotherapy, weight loss, and medications are no longer effective. The average length of hospital stay for knee or hip replacement surgery is currently 2.7 days. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-home-sooner-recovering-redesigning-hip.html Tue, 19 May 2026 22:20:02 EDT news698401115 Researchers have developed a novel mouse model that replicates severe geleophysic dysplasia, including short stature, heart valve alterations, and early lethality—characteristics of this rare disease. The findings from the study in The American Journal of Pathology provide a basis for the identification of molecular mechanisms underlying geleophysic dysplasia, which can then be targeted for therapeutic purposes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-mouse-recreates-severe-geleophysic-dysplasia.html Mon, 18 May 2026 18:00:06 EDT news698340179 Eyes, the high-resolution biological devices that help us visualize the outside world, are now being used as a portal to assess our internal health. Scientists have found that a closer evaluation of how one's retina is aging can provide crucial hints about bone health, especially in conditions such as osteoporosis, which makes bones weaker and more prone to fractures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-written-eye-retina-biological-age.html Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:09 EDT news698322087 Scientists' discovery of a molecular "switch" that activates an energy-burning pathway in mice has the potential to lead to new treatments for bone disease. The study, published in Nature, sheds new light on brown fat. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat cells burn calories, producing heat as a byproduct. For years, it was believed this process relied on a single pathway. More recently, researchers discovered a parallel pathway, but how it became activated had remained a mystery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-discovery-fat-advances-bone-disease.html Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:03 EDT news697733631 Researchers at Tampere University, Finland, have developed a groundbreaking 3D-printed ceramic implant material that closely mimics real human bone. The findings advance the development of personalized bone regeneration and may lead to more effective and accessible treatments for bone defects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-3d-ceramic-implants-mimic-human.html Fri, 15 May 2026 11:20:08 EDT news698061302 New research from orthopedic specialists at Marshall Health Network and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine demonstrates promising outcomes for patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using an advanced technique that combines biologic augmentation with internal stabilization. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-acl-surgery-approach-patients.html Thu, 14 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news697992908 Increasing bone density in patients with a rare genetic condition that causes bones to break easily does not prevent fractures, a large clinical trial has found. Patients with brittle bone disease who were given treatments to boost their bone density experienced a similar number of fractures as those who received standard care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-drug-trial-treatment-shift-brittle.html Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:05 EDT news697909321 A new Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) position statement provides evidence-based support for the use of genicular artery embolization (GAE) as a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who have failed conservative therapy and are not candidates for or wish to delay total knee arthroplasty. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-position-statement-highlights-role-genicular.html Tue, 12 May 2026 22:20:04 EDT news697819922 A new editorial appearing in Osteoporosis International, titled "Beyond the fracture: coordinated action for bone health equity in Africa," sets out a roadmap to address osteoporosis and fragility fractures across the continent. The paper is authored by members of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Board of Governance from the African region. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-action-africa-bone-health-gap.html Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:02 EDT news697729029 An estimated 595 million people globally are living with osteoarthritis. This makes it one of the leading causes of pain and disability. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-osteoarthritis-muscles-electricity-condition.html Mon, 11 May 2026 16:20:01 EDT news697724102 Frozen shoulder can make simple tasks—such as lifting your arm, sleeping on your side, getting out of bed, putting on a bra, driving or playing with your kids—painful and challenging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-frozen-shoulder-surgery.html Mon, 11 May 2026 12:00:08 EDT news697715221 If you've ever watched a game of Australian rules football, rugby league or basketball, you've probably seen it happen: a player lands awkwardly, grabs their knee, and doesn't get back up. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-australia-world-highest-acl-reconstruction.html Sun, 10 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news697454954 Total hip arthroplasty leads to the best outcomes in the treatment of moderate-to-severe hip osteoarthritis, according to a new study published in The Bone & Joint Journal by the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital. During a one-year follow-up, surgery combined with conservative treatment was found to relieve pain and improve functional capacity and quality of life more effectively than conservative treatment alone, which was based on an exercise program. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hip-moderate-severe-arthritis-yearlong.html Mon, 04 May 2026 08:40:02 EDT news697100581 Partial meniscectomy does not improve patient symptoms or function, reveals a 10-year follow-up of the FIDELITY, a placebo-surgery controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-world-common-knee-surgeries.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:00:06 EDT news696700201 Bone marrow is the spongy tissue located within the hollow center of bones, serving as the primary site for the continuous production of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. Despite its physiological importance, the developmental mechanism by which this soft tissue is formed within the rigid confines of hard bone has remained largely unknown. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bones-marrow-newly-cells-reappear.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news696614941 Myofibrillar myopathy type 6 (MFM6) is a rare genetic muscle disorder that leads to severe muscle weakness and a drastically shortened life expectancy due to a disruption in muscle protein regulation. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have developed a mouse model for the disease and were thus able to show that a disruption in cellular recycling—known technically as autophagy—is the primary trigger for the disease. Their findings have been published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-impaired-cell-recycling-muscle-weakness.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:00:03 EDT news696254881 Smart implants that not only stabilize a fracture but also monitor the healing process from day one—and deliver targeted support when required—are currently being developed at Saarland University by a team of engineers, medical researchers and computer scientists. The engineering team led by Professor Paul Motzki is contributing shape-memory micro-actuators with integrated sensing capabilities, while Professor Bergita Ganse and her research group provide the medical expertise in fracture healing. If a fracture is not healing as it should, these novel implants can respond mechanically at the fracture gap by adapting their stiffness or by applying controlled micro-movements to mechanically stimulate tissue and promote bone regeneration. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-smart-implants-robotic-micro-actuators.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:40:03 EDT news695992511 The University of Tasmania's Menzies Institute for Medical Research has found that the commonly prescribed medication, Diacerein, does not improve knee osteoarthritis symptoms, following a national study. Diacerein, a medication derived from plants such as rhubarb and aloe vera, has long been recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used to treat osteoarthritis in Europe and Asia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-common-drug-ease-knee-osteoarthritis.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:20:01 EDT news696004081 Sox9, a master regulator of cartilage formation, switches its target genes dynamically during embryonic limb development instead of following a fixed program, as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. They analyzed mouse embryonic forelimb cells across different developmental stages using single-cell-level gene expression analysis and a state-of-the-art technique to detect Sox9's DNA binding sites. The findings lay the foundation for future research on skeletal diseases and regenerative medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-key-regulatory-protein-cartilage-formation.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:30:03 EDT news696008461 The first sign that retired accountant Kathey Parcels had torn her left rotator cuff was pain, sudden and acute pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rotator-cuff-aging-pain-isnt.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:40:03 EDT news695900159 Adding an extra antibiotic powder doesn't further reduce a person's risk of infection during surgery to repair complex bone fractures, a new study says. People had about the same rate of post-surgery infections whether doctors sprinkled one or two antibiotic powders into their surgical wound, researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-extra-antibiotic-doesnt-infection-surgery.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:40:01 EDT news695894678 Around 40% of adults worldwide are affected by osteopenia: a loss of bone mineral density. This condition is extremely common, particularly in postmenopausal women and elderly adults. It's estimated that more than 500,000 fractures occur annually in the UK due to low bone density. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-osteopenia-loss-bone-mineral-density.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:30:01 EDT news695564792 Researchers at Flinders University have developed a new class of biodegradable magnesium-based alloys with improved strength and corrosion resistance, marking an important step forward for next-generation medical implants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-biodegradable-magnesium-alloys-gain-strength.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news695645402 Broken wrists are among the most common injuries in children, accounting for about half of children's fractures. Severely displaced distal radial fractures, where the bones move out of place, are often routinely treated with surgery. However—unlike adults—children have a remarkable ability to straighten broken bones, in a process called remodeling. Researchers questioned whether a plaster cast would achieve the same long-term result without exposing children to the risks of an operation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-large-trial-bone-superpower-children.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:00:01 EDT news695554804 For individuals at risk for knee osteoarthritis, high ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption is associated with higher muscle fat content, according to a study published online April 14 in Radiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ultraprocessed-food-linked-thigh-muscle.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:20:03 EDT news695488982 It's an athlete's worst fear. Hearing a loud "pop" and feeling severe pain are usually the first signs you've torn your anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-acl-knee-injury.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news695472661 Most tools used to assess the risk of fractures and osteoporosis rely on bone density alone, but these may miss a large number of women who still go on to break bones. A technology developed at Ohio University outperformed the current standard bone density test in detecting fracture risk for older women, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fracture-women-bone-density.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news695468118