https://medicalxpress.com/orthopedics-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Orthopaedics Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability worldwide. Current intra-articular standards of care, such as analgesics, corticosteroids and viscosupplements, provide only transient symptomatic relief and do not reliably modify disease progression. A major translational barrier is the rapid clearance of small-molecule drugs and biologics from synovial fluid, as well as the difficulty of delivering hydrophobic compounds at therapeutic concentrations without systemic exposure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-hydrogel-prolongs-joint-retention-osteoarthritis.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 07:30:01 EDT news705814313 A new study published in Diabetes Care finds that bone loss alone does not explain the increased fracture risk observed in some older adults with type 2 diabetes. The article, "Type 2 Diabetes and Longitudinal Changes in Cortical and Trabecular Bone Density, Microarchitecture, and Strength: The Framingham Study," sought to better understand why people with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of fractures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bone-deterioration-higher-fracture-older.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:01 EDT news705664321 A randomized controlled trial compared first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) arthrodesis, a joint fusion surgery for painful hallux rigidus (arthritis of the big toe joint), with watchful waiting in reducing walking pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-joint-fusion-surgery-pain-patients.html Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:00:09 EDT news705566958 Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) affects more than 1 in 10 people older than 40, impairing patients' mobility and quality of life. With limited treatment options, stem cell injections have been promoted as a treatment, but clinical trial evidence of efficacy is often lacking, despite claims from clinics selling untested options. Even where well-designed clinical trials have been performed, there is no clear consensus about the benefits of stem cell injections for KOA, likely because of the many variables at play. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-variable-outcomes-stem-cell-knee.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:40:01 EDT news705301681 Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, painful joint disease and a leading cause of disability. Despite its prevalence, therapies for osteoarthritis are limited and focus on symptom management. Now, researchers are combining genetic studies of Utah families with AI-based molecular biology tools to find new medications that may ultimately help treat OA at its source. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-osteoarthritis-medicines-ai-genetics.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:00:05 EDT news705159841 Neck and back pain could be caused by changes in gene activity that trigger the breakdown of the spine's natural shock absorbers, new research suggests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-insights-pain.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:00:04 EDT news705217322 In January this year, a team of Johns Hopkins Medicine investigators, led by pathologist Aaron W. James, MD, Ph.D., discovered that sensory neurons in skeletal tissue are constantly sensing their environment and quickly respond to injuries. In new research published in Science Translational Medicine, they describe how this response profoundly affects growth plates, the soft cartilage at the end of bones in children that support normal growth and development, and how they respond to targeted treatment in mice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-sensory-nerves-growth-plate-injuries.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:20 EDT news705068461 Researchers at the Department of Women's and Children's Health have used a novel technique to map which genes are active in different regions of the skeleton's growth plates. The findings offer new clues about how the body controls bone elongation—and why certain genetic mutations lead to skeletal disorders. The study is published in the journal Bone Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-spatial-growth-plate-tissue-bones.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:06 EDT news705148621 Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are among the most severe injuries a competitive athlete can face. The ACL is crucial for maintaining both stability and function in the knee joint. Each year, between 100,000 and 200,000 athletes of all levels in the United States suffer an ACL tear, frequently sidelining them for up to a year of intense rehabilitation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-athlete-injury.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:20:04 EDT news705065341 New research by UCLA Health has found GLP-1 medications may reduce the risk of serious fractures for adults with type 2 diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-glp-drugs-linked-fracture-adults.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:30:03 EDT news705081722 Neck and low back pain affect millions worldwide and are a leading cause of disability. Degeneration of the disks that cushion the spine is a leading cause. Current treatments can relieve symptoms but do little to slow the underlying disease. Now, researchers from Thomas Jefferson University have shown that targeting harmful, aging cells early may preserve disk health and delay degeneration. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-aging-cells-intervertebral-disk-degeneration.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:00:03 EDT news705048287 When it comes to maintaining healthy bones, how intensely we exercise may matter more than how much we exercise, according to researchers at Semmelweis University. Their study, published in Sports Medicine – Open, found that bone formation was stimulated most effectively by activities involving explosive movements, rapid changes of direction and turning. The findings could help improve exercise programs designed to maintain bone health and prevent osteoporosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-weight-strong-bones-football-handball.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:40:05 EDT news705048213 Researchers have demonstrated that AI tools could play an important part in developing simpler, lower-cost technologies for monitoring foot health, particularly in settings where access to specialized equipment may be limited. The research is published in Sensors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-ai-foot-health-technology.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news705043622 Teeth and bones are among the hardest structures in the human body, but certain inherited conditions can rob them of that strength. One of them is hypophosphatasia (HPP), a rare, lifelong genetic bone disorder that disrupts the development of bones and teeth, leaving them unusually soft and fragile. A recent study set out to determine how common HPP is across Central and Eastern Europe and how it presents in patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-rare-bone-disease-untreated-patients.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:20:03 EDT news704969011 A protein best known for protecting the ends of chromosomes also helps muscle stem cells preserve their identity and repair damaged tissue, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings offer new clues for treating muscular dystrophy and provide new insights into the mechanisms of cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-chromosome-protein-muscle-rarity-cancers.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:02 EDT news704641562 When an adult sees a doctor and complains about persistent hip pain, the assumption is often wear-and-tear-related osteoarthritis. However, hip pain not caused by arthritis can come from conditions that are both more complex and more serious. A Yale review published in EFORT Open Reviews describes three different but overlapping causes of nonarthritic hip pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-arthritis-hip-pain-joint.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:20:06 EDT news704622355 Seoul National University (SNU) College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Nathaniel S. Hwang, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has developed a bioceramic fracture fixation material that promotes bone regeneration by precisely controlling the timing of magnesium ion (Mg²⁺) release to suppress inflammatory immune responses during osteoporotic fracture healing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-bioceramic-coated-implant-osteoporotic-fracture.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:00:02 EDT news704554681 People with chronic shoulder pain naturally avoid movements involving that part of the body, fearing they will injure themselves again or experience more discomfort. However, if this behavior continues beyond the necessary healing period for a fracture, the pain can become chronic and the joint can become increasingly impaired. Consequently, patients have a poorer prognosis for regaining shoulder function, muscle strength and mobility. This cycle can delay recovery and worsen functional impairment, even after the bone has healed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-aid-recovery-patients-fractures-shoulder.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:20:04 EDT news704550647 Crohn disease (CD) is associated with an increased risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total joint arthroplasty, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthroplasty Today. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-crohn-disease-linked-periprosthetic-joint.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:00:09 EDT news704378468 Exercise finds improvements in pain and function may fall short of what patients would notice in daily life, but more studies are needed to make firm conclusions, a new publication in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hip-arthritis-pain-function-gains.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:00:04 EDT news703915093 Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), or "brittle bone disorder," is a connective tissue disorder that affects collagen, a protein that makes up much of the body's structure. There are more than 10 different types of OI, and while severity varies from type to type, they all cause some form of increased skeletal fragility, deformity and muscle weakness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-muscle-protein-bone-health.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:00:04 EDT news703949701 A new position statement from the International Osteoporosis Foundation's (IOF) Committee of Scientific Advisors Fracture Working Group urges orthopedic surgeons and bone health specialists to work together to assess and treat osteoporosis before and after joint replacement and spinal fusion surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-systematic-bone-health-optimization-joint.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:40:01 EDT news703776521 Many fractures are early-warning signs of osteoporosis. Yet in everyday clinical care, they often go unrecognized and undocumented as warning signs, according to a new nationwide Austrian study by the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Osteology (LBI Osteology). Men are affected more often. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-bone-fractures-unlinked-osteoporosis.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news703758983 Joint replacements are among the most common surgeries worldwide, and preventing blood clots is critical to recovery. A Dalhousie-led study published this month—one of the most robust of its kind to date—found that a straightforward treatment following surgery may be just as effective as a more complex one, challenging common assumptions in post-surgical care. The results could simplify care and reduce costs across health systems. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-aspirin-costlier-blood-thinners-hip.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:00:02 EDT news703773541 Do your hands hurt when you use your phone? All that texting and scrolling might be stressing out your fingers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-thumb-pain-texting-scrolling.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:40:04 EDT news703419063 For women who underwent spinal surgery during adolescence, approaching pregnancy often brings unique questions about labor and delivery. A common concern is whether a spinal fusion affects the ability to have a vaginal birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scoliosis-history-birthing.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:20:01 EDT news703410703 General anesthesia, once the default choice in spine surgeries, is increasingly giving way to local and spinal anesthesia as the preferred option for eligible patients. Since 2024, surgeons at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) have successfully performed more than 200 spine surgeries with patients remaining awake. While it might sound daunting, this new approach may be a safer option, especially for elderly patients and those with multiple or complex health conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-conscious-choice-local-spinal-anesthesia.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:20:05 EDT news703159648 In a global breakthrough published in Nature Genetics, researchers have successfully mapped the cells and genes that regulate bone formation and loss at an unprecedented scale and discovered the critical role that blood vessel cells play in bone health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-genetic-bone-diseases.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:01 EDT news702889621 Fractures of the femoral neck are not simply due to insufficient bone density. Also significant is their nanostructure—the orientation of the collagen fibers that make up bones, according to research conducted by scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI using a new X-ray technique. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-disordered-collagen-hip-fractures-bone.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 19:20:01 EDT news702809156 When former All Black Sonny Bill Williams spoke from hospital before his recent neck surgery, his message was not simply about pain. It was a warning to young athletes and their parents about the physical price that can come with a professional sporting career. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-elite-athletes-health-impacts.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:20:06 EDT news702810721