https://medicalxpress.com/orthopedics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Orthopaedics 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 An anterior cruciate ligament injury is a serious knee injury that often affects young, physically active people. On April 30, Dzan Rizvanovic will defend his thesis "Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: rationale for graft choice and treatment of associated injuries" in which he has investigated how treatment choice affects outcomes after ACL reconstruction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-qa-choice-graft-surgeon-term.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:40:01 EDT news695384634 Researchers found that a diet high in ultra-processed foods is associated with higher amounts of fat stored inside thigh muscles, regardless of calorie or fat intake, physical activity or sociodemographic factors in a population at risk for knee osteoarthritis. Results of the study were published in Radiology. Higher amounts of intramuscular fat in the thigh could potentially increase the risk for knee osteoarthritis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-people-consume-ultra-foods-worse.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news695293502 In a future perhaps not too far away, artificial intelligence and its subfield of machine learning (ML) tools and models, could help orthopedic physicians predict when a patient might encounter a bone fracture and what type. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bone-imaging-machine-uncovers-hidden.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:20:03 EDT news695363581 Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, along with collaborators at UC San Francisco, have discovered that APOE4, the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, causes bone quality deficits specifically in female mice, through a mechanism that is invisible to standard imaging and can emerge as early as midlife. The findings, published in Advanced Science, reveal an unexpected biological link between Alzheimer's risk and skeletal health, and identify a new molecular pathway that could one day inform earlier diagnosis of cognitive decline or guide treatment for bone quality loss in women who carry the APOE4 gene. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-apoe4-alzheimer-gene-silently-undermines.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news695318042 Osteoarthritis affects around 600 million people globally. It causes pain, stiffness, and reduced joint function—most commonly in the knees, hands, and hips. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-steroid-joint-pain.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:40:03 EDT news695293982 A research team including scientists and engineers from University of Colorado Boulder, CU Anschutz and Colorado State University has developed a suite of new therapies that prompt aging or damaged joints to repair themselves within weeks, according to animal studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-simple-shot-reverse-osteoarthritis-weeks.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:30:07 EDT news694772759 The human body is often described as a marvel of "perfect design": elegant, efficient and finely tuned for its purpose. Yet, when we look closer, a rather different picture emerges. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-human-body-isnt-masterpiece-patchwork.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:30:01 EDT news694958813 Knee osteoarthritis is a complex disease that affects the whole joint, including bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. Osteoarthritis is a common cause of pain and movement difficulty, affecting 8.3% of people in Australia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-knee-osteoarthritis-evidence.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:20:03 EDT news695031122 Good news: Scientists may be closer to a new way to treat arthritis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-ways-regrow-joints-arthritis.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news694783635 While sports news headlines may focus on injuries affecting professional golfers, including Achilles tendon problems, back and ankle issues, most golf injuries are not sudden. They develop over time and are often preventable with proper warm-up, strength, and mechanics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-teeing-good-health-golf-injuries.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news694794901 A doctor orders an X-ray for a patient with a knee ache. The bones look fine, and the most likely prognosis is arthritis, which occurs when the soft tissue between joints breaks down. But X-rays are much better with hard tissues like bone, which absorb X-rays and turn white in an image, while soft tissue allows most of the X-rays to pass through. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ray-soft-tissue-contrast-agent.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:30:02 EDT news694779661 As we move into spring, it's common for people to increase their daily movement with activities like outdoor walks, yard work, pickleball and race training. Soreness is a normal result, but sometimes lingering pain can be a sign something else is going on. It's important to be able to identify what is a normal ache and what could need further medical attention. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-doctor-joint-pain.html Sun, 05 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news694084165 If you have a knee replacement, imagine pointing your phone at your knee and pulling up an app that tells you how much stress the artificial joint is experiencing. Knowing the activities that cause the biggest problems—which can lead to a second replacement surgery—would be invaluable. Research led by Binghamton University is closer to making this technology a reality. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-closer-smart-sensors-knee.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:40:03 EDT news694430642 A team of scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast and around the world has developed a promising way to reduce the risks from biodegradable medical implants. Scientists from UniSC's Center for Bioinnovation and advanced materials and manufacturing scientists from the School of Science, Technology and Engineering collaborated with Foshan's First People's Hospital in China and the University of Tokyo to develop a new coating for medical magnesium implants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-coating-safety-medical-implants.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:50:02 EDT news694337530 In the Interdisciplinary Science and Education Complex on Northeastern's Boston campus, models of human bones line shelves alongside machines that measure how much force it takes to break the real things. It's the lab of Sandra Shefelbine, a professor of bioengineering and mechanical and industrial engineering, who studies bone biomechanics. That includes how bone develops, adapts, and changes in various conditions, such as with "hip hinge" sports, like hockey, that require players to bend over in a forward position. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-quest-representation-medical.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:50:03 EDT news694258540 A research team from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed a titanium implant surface that can be activated by near-infrared (NIR). With just 15 minutes of NIR irradiation, this surface can eliminate 99.94% of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilms without the use of antibiotics, while simultaneously promoting bone-implant fusion. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-smart-titanium-implant-enables-rapid.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news694264081 For patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA), those with cutaneous psoriasis (PsC) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have an increased risk for complications, according to a study published online March 22 in the Journal of Arthroplasty. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-patients-psoriasis-elevated-complications-total.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:20:01 EDT news694183051 Kinesio taping, or "KT tape" as it's usually known—widely used to ease joint/muscle pain and boost range of movement—may not be all that effective, suggests a pooled data analysis of the existing evidence, published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-effectiveness-widely-kt-tape-jointmuscle.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:30:04 EDT news694157840 Postmenopausal women face a high risk of bone fractures. Due to declines in estrogen levels, which can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, even a low-impact fall can result in a serious hip, back, or wrist injury. An estimated one in three women over 50 will experience a fracture due to bone loss in their lifetime. A new study in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas from researchers at Tulane University has found that heart health may affect fracture risk after menopause, with women at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease more likely to experience hip and other major bone fractures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-heart-health-metric-fracture-postmenopausal.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:30:02 EDT news693827633 Since 2023, more e-bikes have been sold in Germany than conventional bicycles. But the number of crashes has been rising just as sharply. Doctors at the Technical University of Munich's TUM University Hospital analyzed patterns in e-bike crashes and found that older men face a particularly high risk of serious injury. The data also revealed clear patterns in the underlying risk factors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-bike-links-severe-brain-injuries.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:00:03 EDT news693740874 Nearly one in 10 people who are implanted with a surgical fix to their spine will develop a serious bacterial infection, despite prophylactic antibiotic treatment. In a recent study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have engineered a device they hope will help prevent this devastating complication. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-antibiotic-reservoir-surgical-infections.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:30:01 EDT news693764941 People living with osteoarthritis often have questions about their condition, but they do not always have easy access to clear and reliable answers. What causes osteoarthritis? Is exercise safe? What treatments are recommended? When should surgery be considered? And do things like weather changes or poor sleep affect joint pain? These questions often arise after a clinic visit, or before someone has spoken to a health professional at all. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-osteoarthritis-ai-chatbot-real.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:00:01 EDT news693745451 A new Concordia-led study has found that many Canadian surgery residents scored below the threshold of adequate pain knowledge on a validated, widely used measure. Researchers surveyed 110 general and orthopedic surgery residents from 27 residency programs across Canada. Residents are licensed physicians who practice under the supervision of an attending physician while completing their medical training. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-surgery-residents-fall-short-key.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:40:01 EDT news693574408 As we age, the amount and distribution of fat in our bodies changes. Most fat is subcutaneous—meaning it is stored just under the skin. Subcutaneous fat generally does not have detrimental health impacts. In fact, we need some amount of fat to be healthy. Visceral fat, however, is stored in the gut and has been linked to negative health impacts, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-testosterone-fat-older-women.html Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:30:01 EDT news693141636 Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations. The disease is characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage, which normally cushions the bones within joints. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-key-protein-cartilage-osteoarthritis-treatment.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:40:01 EDT news693221162 A research team from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has found that nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBPs), a medication widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis, may significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) in older adults with osteoporosis or fragility fractures. This drug repurposing approach offers a promising avenue for the prevention of ADRD, potentially alleviating the global burden of these conditions. The research findings are published in Alzheimer's & Dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-osteoporosis-drugs-dementia.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:40:01 EDT news692965220 Shoulder replacement is the third most common joint-replacement surgery in the U.S. and is likely to become more common as the population ages, according to Penn State researchers. Though most patients go home on the same day as their surgery, those with greater health risks or serious injuries are admitted to the hospital for shoulder replacement. Patients who experience complications like infection or sepsis sometimes need to be readmitted to the hospital for treatment at a later date. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-reveals-indicators-hospital-readmission-shoulder.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:00:04 EDT news692984041