Characteristics and Network Influence of Providers Involved in the Treatment of Patients With Chronic Back, Neck or Joint Pain in Arkansas.

Increasing emphasis on guidelines and prescription drug monitoring programs highlight the role of healthcare providers in pain treatment. Objectives of this study were to identify characteristics of key players and influence of opioid prescribers through construction of a referral network of patients with chronic pain. A retrospective cohort study was performed and patients with commercial or Medicaid coverage with chronic back, neck, or joint pain were identified using the Arkansas All-Payer Claims-Database. A social network comprised of providers connected by patient referrals based on 12-months of healthcare utilization following chronic pain was constructed. Network measures evaluated were indegree and eigen (referrals obtained), betweenness (involvement), and closeness centrality (reach). Outcomes included influence of providers, opioid prescribers, and brokerage status. Exposures included provider demographics, specialties and network characteristics. There were 51,941 chronic pain patients who visited 8,110 healthcare providers. Primary care providers showed higher betweenness and closeness whereas specialists had higher indegree. Opioid providers showed higher centrality compared to non-opioid providers, which decreased with increasing volume of opioid prescribing. Non-pharmacologic providers showed significant brokerage scores. Findings from this study such as primary care providers having better reach, non-central positions of high-volume prescribers and non-pharmacologic providers having higher brokerage can aid interventional physician detailing. PERSPECTIVE: Opioid providers held central positions in the network aiding provider-directed interventions. However, high-volume opioid providers were at the borders making them difficult targets for interventions. Primary care providers had the highest reach, specialists received the most referrals and non-pharmacological providers and specialists acted as brokers between non-opioid and opioid prescribers.

Patterns and Correlates of Self-Management Strategies for Osteoarthritis-Related Pain Among Older Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading source of pain and disability among older adults. Self-management (SM) strategies are recommended to manage OA symptoms. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, along with other factors, may influence SM utilization rate. This study sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of SM use for pain among non-Hispanic Black patients (NHB) and non-Hispanic White patients (NHW) older adults with or at risk for knee OA. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted on the Understanding Pain and Limitations in Osteoarthritic Disease multisite observational study, which included NHB (n = 104) and NHW (n = 98) community-dwelling older adults with or at risk for knee OA. Participants completed measures of sociodemographics, pain SM use, coping, and clinical and experimental pain. RESULTS: Clinical and experimental pain were significantly greater among NHBs compared to NHWs. There were no significant differences in use of total SM by ethnicity/race. Interestingly, multiple linear regression revealed that clinical and experimental pain indices, as well as coping, number of pain sites, age, and sex were differentially associated with total SM use between NHBs and NHWs. There were significant ethnicity/race by type of pain management interaction effects for pain measures. CONCLUSION: SM is common among older adults with or at risk for knee OA pain, and the prevalence of SM does not differ by ethnicity/race, but many guideline-recommended interventions for OA are underutilized. Importantly, different factors were associated with the use of SM, highlighting distinct biopsychosocial mechanisms contributing to SM use in NHBs and NHWs.

Utilisation of exercise as part of guideline-based care for hip pain in the Australian workers' compensation environment.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend early referral for exercise for hip pain. It is unclear if this occurs in the Australian workers' compensation environment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate referral for exercise in workers with a compensable hip claim. METHODS: Retrospective audit of closed compensation files for workers with hip pain was performed. Exercise commencement was indicated by billing codes for physiotherapy or exercise specific consultations. Time to exercise commencement was calculated. Associations were analysed between time to exercise commencement with claim duration and diagnostic category. RESULTS: Exercise management occurred for 33/44 cases. Median time to commence exercise for those cases that had exercise was 14 days post-injury, with 33% commencing beyond 4 weeks. Longer time to commence exercise was associated with a longer claim duration (Spearman's rho = 0.70). Workers with a diagnosis of hip joint pain had a longer time to exercise commencement (median 49.5 days) compared to those with a diagnosis of lateral hip pain (median 14 days) or non-specific hip pain (median 4.5 days). CONCLUSION: Findings indicate practice behaviours in the workers' compensation environment for the management of hip pain with exercise. Further investigation is warranted to see if improved adherence to guideline recommendations improves outcomes for people with compensable hip pain.

Sustained acoustic medicine as a non-surgical and non-opioid knee osteoarthritis treatment option: a health economic cost-effectiveness analysis for symptom management.

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) and presenting with symptoms are seeking conservative treatment options to reduce pain, improve function, and avoid surgery. Sustained acoustic medicine (SAM), a multi-hour treatment has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes for patients with knee OA. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the costs and effectiveness of multi-hour SAM treatment versus the standard of care (SOC) over a 6-month timeframe for OA symptom management. METHODS: A decision tree analysis was used to compare the costs and effectiveness of SAM treatment versus SOC in patients with OA. Probabilities of success for OA treatment and effectiveness were derived from the literature using systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Costs were derived from Medicare payment rates and manufacturer prices. Functional effectiveness was measured as the effect size of a therapy and treatment pathways compared to a SOC treatment pathway. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine which cost variables had the greatest effect on deciding which option was the least costly. An incremental cost-effectiveness plot comparing SAM treatment vs. SOC was also generated using 1000 iterations of the model. Lastly, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as the (cost of SAM minus cost of SOC) divided by (functional effectiveness of SAM minus functional effectiveness of SOC). RESULTS: Base case demonstrated that over 6 months, the cost and functional effectiveness of SAM was $8641 and 0.52 versus SOC at: $6281 and 0.39, respectively. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that in order for SAM to be the less expensive option, the cost per 15-min session of PT would need to be greater than $88, or SAM would need to be priced at less than or equal to $2276. Incremental cost-effectiveness demonstrated that most of the time (84%) SAM treatment resulted in improved functional effectiveness but at a higher cost than SOC. CONCLUSION: In patients with osteoarthritis, SAM treatment demonstrated improved pain and functional gains compared to SOC but at an increased cost. Based on the SAM treatment ICER score being ≤ $50,000, it appears that SAM is a cost-effective treatment for knee OA.

Using routine referral data for patients with knee and hip pain to improve access to specialist care.

BACKGROUND: Referral letters from primary care contain a large amount of information that could be used to improve the appropriateness of the referral pathway for individuals seeking specialist opinion for knee or hip pain. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the content of the referral letters to identify information that can independently predict an optimal care pathway. METHODS: Using a prospective longitudinal design, a convenience sample of patients with hip or knee pain were recruited from orthopaedic, specialist general practice and advanced physiotherapy practitioner clinics. Individuals completed a Knee or hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Score at initial consultation and after 6 months. Participant demographics, body mass index, medication and co-morbidity data were extracted from the referral letters. Free text of the referral letters was mapped automatically onto the Unified Medical Language System to identify relevant clinical variables. Treatment outcomes were extracted from the consultation letters. Each outcome was classified as being an optimal or sub-optimal pathway, where an optimal pathway was defined as the one that results in the right treatment at the right time. Logistic regression was used to identify variables that were independently associated with an optimal pathway. RESULTS: A total of 643 participants were recruited, 419 (66.7%) were classified as having an optimal pathway. Variables independently associated with having an optimal care pathway were lower body mass index (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.0 p = 0.004), named disease or syndromes (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8, p = 0.02) and taking pharmacologic substances (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.3, p = 0.02). Having a single diagnostic procedure was associated with a suboptimal pathway (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.9 p < 0.001). Neither Knee nor Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome scores were associated with an optimal pathway. Body mass index was found to be a good predictor of patient rated function (coefficient - 0.8, 95% CI -1.1, - 0.4 p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Over 30% of patients followed sub-optimal care pathway, which represents potential inefficiency and wasted healthcare resource. A core data set including body mass index should be considered as this was a predictor of optimal care and patient rated pain and function.

Potential Role of Cost and Quality of Life in Treatment Decisions for Arthritis-Related Knee Pain in African American and Latina Women.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to investigate whether Latina and African American women with arthritis-related knee pain and primary care providers who treat them believe their treatment decisions would benefit from having more information about the impact of treatment on their quality of life, medical care costs, and work productivity. METHODS: We conducted 4 focus groups of Latina and African American women over age 45 years who had knee pain. We also conducted 2 focus groups with primary care providers who treated Latina and African American women for knee pain. The participants were recruited from the community. They were asked their opinions about a decision tool that presented information on a range of treatment options and their impacts on quality of life, medical care costs, and work productivity. They were asked whether providing this information would help them make better treatment decisions. We analyzed the focus group transcripts using ATLAS.ti. RESULTS: We found that minority women and primary care providers endorsed the use of a decision-making tool that provided information of the impact of treatment on quality of life, medical care costs, and work productivity. Providers felt that patients would benefit from having the additional information but were concerned about its complexity and some patients' ability to comprehend the information. CONCLUSION: Latina and African American women could make more informed treatment decisions for their knee pain using a decision-making tool that provides them with significant information about how various treatment options may impact their quality of life, medical care costs, and workforce productivity.

Disparities in Access to Musculoskeletal Care: Narrowing the Gap: AOA Critical Issues Symposium.

The current health-care system in the United States has numerous barriers to quality, accessible, and affordable musculoskeletal care for multiple subgroups of our population. These hurdles include complex cultural, educational, and socioeconomic factors. Tertiary referral centers provide a disproportionately large amount of the care for the uninsured and underinsured members of our society. These gaps in access to care for certain subgroups lead to inappropriate emergency room usage, lengthy hospitalizations, increased administrative load, lost productivity, and avoidable complications and/or deaths, which all represent a needless burden on our health-care system. Through advocacy, policy changes, workforce diversification, and practice changes, orthopaedic surgeons have a responsibility to seek solutions to improve access to quality and affordable musculoskeletal care for the communities that they serve.

Effectiveness, safety, and economic evaluation of adjuvant moxibustion therapy for aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia of postmenopausal breast cancer stage I to III patients: Study protocol for a prospective, randomized, assessor-blind, usual-care controlled, parallel-group, pilot clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: This study is a prospective, assessor-blinded, parallel-group, randomized controlled pilot trial to explore the effectiveness of 12-week adjuvant moxibustion therapy for arthralgia in menopausal females at stage I to III breast cancer on aromatase inhibitor (AI) administration, compared with those receiving usual care. METHODS/DESIGN: Forty-six menopausal female patients with breast cancer who completed cancer therapy will be randomly allocated to either adjuvant moxibustion or usual care groups with a 1:1 allocation ratio. The intervention group will undergo 24 sessions of adjuvant moxibustion therapy with usual care for 12 weeks, whereas the control group will receive only usual care during the same period. The usual care consists of acetaminophen administration on demand and self-directed exercise education to manage AI-related joint pain. The primary outcome is the mean change of the worst pain level according to the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form between the initial visit and the endpoint. The mean changes in depression, fatigue, and quality of life will also be compared between groups. Safety and pharmacoeconomic evaluations will also be included. DISCUSSION: Continuous variables will be compared by an independent t test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test between the adjuvant moxibustion and usual care groups. Adverse events will be analyzed using the chi-square or Fisher exact test. The statistical analysis will be performed by a 2-tailed test at a significance level of .05.

Prevalence of self-reported knee symptoms and management strategies among elderly individuals from Frederiksberg municipality: protocol for a prospective and pragmatic Danish cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The Global Burden of Disease 2010 study ranked osteoarthritis (OA) as a leading cause of years lived with disability. With an ageing population, increasing body weight and sedentary lifestyle, a substantial increase especially in knee OA (KOA) is expected. Management strategies for KOA include non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical interventions. Meanwhile, over-the-counter pain medications have been discredited as they are associated with several risks with long-term usage. By consequence, the use of exercise and all sorts of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for joint pain has increased. The available self-management strategies are plenty, but there is no overview of their use at a population level and whether they are used along with doctors' prescriptions or replace these. The aim of this study is to estimate the population incidence of developing knee symptoms and analyse the association between (and impact of) the use of self-reported preventive measures and knee symptoms. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This prospective cohort study pragmatically recruits individuals from the municipality of Frederiksberg, Denmark. All citizens aged 60-69 years old will be contacted annually for 10 years and asked to participate in a web-based survey. The major outcomes are self-reported knee symptoms and their association with use of various management strategies, including use of non-pharmacological treatments and CAM. Secondary outcomes include the influence of treatments on use of healthcare system and surgical procedures. Descriptive and analytic statistics (eg, logistic regression) will be used to provide summaries about the sample and observations made and the associations between self-management and development of knee symptoms. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study can be implemented without permission from the Health Research Ethics Committee. Permission has been obtained from the Danish Data Protection Agency. Study findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03472300.

Cooled radiofrequency ablation of the genicular nerves for chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee: a cost-effectiveness analysis based on trial data.

BACKGROUND: For patients with painful knee osteoarthritis, long-term symptomatic relief may improve quality of life. Cooled radiofrequency ablation (CRFA) has demonstrated significant improvements in pain, physical function and health-related quality of life compared with conservative therapy with intra-articular steroid (IAS) injections. This study aimed to establish the cost-effectiveness of CRFA compared with IAS for managing moderate to severe osteoarthritis-related knee pain, from the US Medicare system perspective. METHODS: We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis utilizing efficacy data (Oxford Knee Scores) from a randomized, crossover trial on CRFA (NCT02343003), which compared CRFA with IAS out to 6 and 12 months, and with IAS patients who subsequently crossed over to receive CRFA after 6 months. Outcomes included health benefits (quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]), costs and cost-effectiveness (expressed as cost per QALY gained). QALYs were estimated by mapping Oxford Knee Scores to the EQ-5D generic utility measure using a validated algorithm. Secondary analyses explored differences in the settings of care and procedures used in-trial versus real-world clinical practice. RESULTS: CRFA resulted in an incremental QALY gain of 0.091 at an incremental cost of $1711, equating to a cost of US$18,773 per QALY gained over a 6-month time horizon versus IAS. Over a 12-month time horizon, the incremental QALY gain was 0.229 at the same incremental cost, equating to a cost of US$7462 per QALY gained versus IAS. Real-world cost assumptions resulted in modest increases in the cost per QALY gained to a maximum of US$21,166 and US$8296 at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that findings were robust to variations in efficacy and cost parameters. CONCLUSIONS: CRFA is a highly cost-effective treatment option for patients with osteoarthritis-related knee pain, compared with the US$100,000/QALY threshold typically used in the US.

Assessment of the effectiveness and safety of two radiofrequency techniques for the treatment of knee pain secondary to gonarthrosis. Prospective randomized double blind study. / Valoración de la efectividad y seguridad de dos técnicas de radiofrecuencia para el tratamiento de la gonalgia secundaria a gonartrosis. Estudio prospectivo randomizado doble ciego.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In patients with knee pain due to gonarthrosis, we have treatments that are not free of side effects. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of radiofrequency (pulsed and conventional) on the saphenous nerve at the subsartorial level and the genicular nerves of the knee, by ultrasonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. G1 (RDF1): subjects subjected to radiofrequency, G2 (PLCB): subjects subjected to placebo. A decrease ≥30% of the pain was considered clinically relevant, according to numerical rating scale and in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, global patient impression questionnaire (PGIC) and health status questionnaire (SF-12) in the evaluation at month, three months and six months after the completion of the technique. RESULTS: 28 patients (G1: 12, G2: 16), 72% women, age: 75.2±9.1 years, body mass index: 29.9±4.64. The analysis did not show a pain reduction, neither statistically significant, not clinically relevant, at one month, three, or six months with respect to the start of treatment, in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire and numerical rating scale (rest, movement). Regarding PGIC and the SF-12 questionnaire, there were no statistically significant differences between G1 and G2 either before or after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of two radiofrequency techniques, does not cause a reduction in the intensity of the knee pain, at month, three, or at six months after its completion. It is necessary to change the radiofrequency technique and include more variables to continue with the efficacy study.

Effects of Osteoarthritis Pain and Concurrent Insomnia and Depression on Health Care Use in a Primary Care Population of Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To examine independent and combined effects of pain with concurrent insomnia and depression symptoms on the use of health care services in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Patients were Group Health Cooperative (GHC) patients with a primary diagnosis of OA (n = 2,976). We used survey data on pain (Graded Chronic Pain Scale), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8), and health care use extracted from GHC electronic health records (office visits, length of stay, outpatient and inpatient costs, and hip or knee replacement) for 3 years after the survey. Negative binomial, logistic, and generalized linear models were used to assess predictors of health care use. RESULTS: Approximately 34% and 29% of patients displayed at least subclinical insomnia and at least subclinical depression symptoms, respectively, in addition to moderate-to-severe pain. Pain had the greatest independent effects on increasing all types of health care use, followed by depression (moderate effects) on increased office visits, length of stay, outpatient and inpatient costs, and insomnia (mild effects) on decreased length of stay. No synergistic effects of the 3 symptoms on use of health care services were observed. The combined effects of pain plus insomnia and pain plus depression were significant for all types of health care use and increased greatly with increasing severity of insomnia and depression, except for hip/knee replacement. CONCLUSION: Pain is the main driver for health care use in patients with OA. In addition to pain, insomnia plus depression jointly increased diverse types of health care use, and these combined effects increased greatly with increasing severity of insomnia and depression. These findings indicate the important role that concurrent symptomatic conditions may play in increasing use of health care services.

Cost-effectiveness of treatments for non-osteoarthritic knee pain conditions: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Knee pain is common in adolescents and adults and is associated with an increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this systematic review was to gather and appraise the cost-effectiveness of treatment approaches for non-osteoarthritic knee pain conditions. METHOD: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42016050683). The literature search was done in MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database. Study selection was carried out by two independent reviewers and data were extracted using a customized extraction form. Study quality was assessed using the Consensus on Health Economic Criteria list. RESULTS: Fifteen studies were included. The majority regarded the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, but we also identified studies evaluating other knee pain conditions such as meniscus injuries, cartilage defects, and patellofemoral pain syndrome. Study interventions were categorized as surgical or non-surgical interventions. The surgical interventions included ACL reconstruction, chondrocyte implantation, meniscus scaffold procedure, meniscal allograft transplantation, partial meniscectomy, microfracture, and different types of autografts and allografts. The non-surgical management consisted of physical therapy, rehabilitation, exercise, counselling, bracing, and advice. In general, for ACL injuries surgical management alone or in combination with rehabilitation appeared to be cost-effective. The quality of the economic evaluations was of moderate to high quality. CONCLUSION: There was insufficient evidence to give a firm overview of cost-effective interventions for non-osteoarthritic knee pain, but surgical treatment of acute ACL injury appeared cost-effective. There is very little data regarding the cost-effectiveness of non-surgical interventions for non-traumatic knee conditions.

Structured Education and Neuromuscular Exercise Program for Hip and/or Knee Osteoarthritis: A Health Technology Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is a chronic disorder and the most common form of arthritis. The joints most commonly affected are the hip and knee. The progression of osteoarthritis results in the breakdown of tissues and cartilage and the loss of joint function, causing symptoms such as pain, stiffness, reduced physical function, and limited movement. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, treatment options are available to manage symptoms and optimize quality of life. Clinical guidelines recommend education, exercise, and weight loss (when necessary) as the first line of treatment. METHODS: We conducted a health technology assessment, which included an evaluation of the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program for the management of hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. We also assessed the budget impact of publicly funding such a program, and we spoke with people with osteoarthritis to gain an understanding of their preferences and values. We performed a systematic review of the clinical and economic literature published between January 1, 2008, and October 4, 2017. We also performed a grey literature search of health technology assessment websites. We assessed the risk of bias of each study, and we assessed the quality of the body of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program for adults with knee osteoarthritis, we conducted a cost-utility analysis from the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. We also estimated the budget impact of publicly funding such a program in Ontario over the next 5 years. To contextualize the potential value of this type of program as a treatment option, we spoke with people with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. RESULTS: Ten studies met our inclusion criteria for the clinical evidence review. Compared with usual care, a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program showed statistically significant short-term improvements in pain (GRADE low) and physical function (GRADE moderate), as well as statistically significant long-term improvements in performing activities of daily living (GRADE moderate) and in quality of life (GRADE moderate). The short-term improvements in pain and physical function appeared to be sustained into the medium term. Compared with patient education, a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program showed statistically significant short-term improvements in pain (GRADE low) and physical function (GRADE low) and sustained long-term improvement in physical function.Our primary economic evaluation showed that, compared with usual care, a group-based structured education and neuromuscular exercise program consisting of two educational sessions and 24 exercise sessions for the management of knee osteoarthritis was associated with an incremental cost of $719 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $410-$1,118) and an incremental quality-adjusted survival of 0.03 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) (95% CI: -0.006 to 0.06), resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $23,967 per QALY gained. The budget impact of publicly funding a group-based structured education and neuromuscular exercise program consisting of two educational sessions and 24 exercise sessions would range from $21.4 million to $91.6 million per year over the next 5 years. The budget impact of publicly funding a program consisting of two educational sessions and 12 exercise sessions would range from $12.4 million to $53.2 million per year over the next 5 years.People with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis with whom we spoke reported on the negative impact of osteoarthritis on their physical functioning and quality of life. Those with experience of a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program reported favourably on the program, stating they felt that participation in the program had strengthened their muscles and reduced the negative impact of their symptoms. The cost of such programs was reported as a barrier to access. CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate-quality evidence that, compared with usual care, a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program improves physical function, quality of life, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. There is low-quality evidence that, compared with usual care, this type of program improves pain. Low-quality evidence suggests that, compared with patient education, a structured education and neuromuscular exercise program improves pain and physical function.A group-based structured education and neuromuscular exercise program may be cost-effective for the nonsurgical management of knee osteoarthritis. Publicly funding a group-based structured education and neuromuscular exercise program for hip and/or knee osteoarthritis in Ontario would lead to additional costs to the health system of $21.4 million to $91.6 million per year over the next 5 years. If the program could be delivered with a smaller number of 12 exercise sessions, the budget impact would be reduced to between $12.4 million and $53.2 million over the next 5 years.Structured education and neuromuscular exercise programs are perceived favourably by people with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. However, the cost of such programs may be a barrier to access.

Efficacy of intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma as a symptom- and disease-modifying treatment for knee osteoarthritis - the RESTORE trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) causes substantial pain, physical dysfunction and impaired quality of life. There is no cure for knee OA, and for some people, the disease may involve progressive symptomatic and structural deterioration over time. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a therapeutic agent that aims to address underlying biological processes responsible for OA pathogenesis. As such, it has the potential to improve both symptoms and joint structure. The aim of this clinical trial is to determine whether a series of injections of PRP into the knee joint will lead to a significantly greater reduction in knee pain, and less loss of medial tibial cartilage volume over 12 months when compared to a series of placebo saline injections in people with knee OA. METHODS: This will be a two-group, superiority, randomised, participant-, interventionist- and assessor-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Two hundred and eighty-eight participants aged over 50 years with painful knee OA and mild to moderate structural change on x-ray (Kellgren and Lawrence grade 2 and 3) will be randomly allocated to receive either three PRP injections or three normal saline injections into the knee joint at weekly intervals. The primary outcomes will be 12-month change in average overall knee pain severity (numeric rating scale) and medial tibial cartilage volume (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)). Secondary outcomes include additional measures of knee pain and other symptoms, function in daily living and sport and recreation, quality of life, participant-perceived global ratings of change, and other MRI structural outcomes including meniscal and cartilage morphology, synovitis, effusion, bone marrow lesions and cartilage defects. A range of additional measures will be recorded, and a separate health economic evaluation will be performed. DISCUSSION: The findings from this study will help determine whether PRP improves both clinical and structural knee OA outcomes over 12 months when compared to a series of placebo saline injections. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference: ACTRN12617000853347 . Prospectively registered 9th of June 2017.

India-Based Knee Osteoarthritis Evaluation (iKare): A Multi-Centre Cross-Sectional Study on the Management of Knee Pain and Early Osteoarthritis in India.

BACKGROUND: Access to early knee osteoarthritis treatment in low and middle income nations is often believed to be limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study in India to assess prior access to treatment among patients presenting with knee pain to specialist orthopaedic clinics. METHODS: The multi-centre, cross-sectional study included patients presenting with knee pain at 3 hospitals in India. Patients who met the inclusion criteria and provided informed consent completed a questionnaire designed to assess patient demographics, socioeconomic status, knee pain, treatment method, and patient's knowledge on osteoarthritis (OA). Their orthopaedic surgeons also completed a questionnaire on the severity of patient's OA and their recommended treatments. The impact of demographic characteristics on the prescription of treatment options was analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 714 patients met the eligibility criteria and participated in this study. The majority of patients had been experiencing pain for less than 1 year (64.8%) and had previously been prescribed medications (91.6%), supplements (68.6%), and nonpharmacological (81.9%) treatments to manage their knee OA. Current treatment recommendations included oral medications (83.3%), intra-articular injections (29.8%), and surgical intervention (12.7%). Prescription of oral medications was related to younger age, lack of deformities, and lower Kellgren-Lawrence grades (p < 0.01). Patients treated in private hospital settings were more likely to have been previously treated with medications (range, 84.3% to 92.6%; p < 0.01) and physical treatments (range, 61.8% to 84.8%; p < 0.01) than patients treated at government hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the perception, our findings suggest a similar proportion of early knee OA treatment between India and North America.

Assessment steps and treatment tips for ankle arthritis.

The tibiotalar joint's unique biomechanics and associated structures carry management implications that vary from those in knee or hip arthritis.

Methods of practice: Listening to the story.

This paper views the experience of "hip pain" through the lenses of multiple stakeholders: the patient experiencing such pain, orthopedic surgeons, and physiotherapists. Using an interpretative hermeneutic view, the method by which each encountered and dealt with living with, diagnosing, and managing hip pain is revealed. Stories of seven participants were obtained through personal interviews. These stories provided accounts and the perspectives of the various participants. A gap in the health service emerged, with the expectations of the patients not being met by the healthcare providers. The health professionals focused on the hip, while the patients were more concerned with how to continue living their lives in a manageable way. The surgeons sought to diagnose and judge as to whether the pain was worthy of surgery. No one was helping the patient to manage the "waiting for surgery" or the "not yet bad enough" decision. We argue that there is a place for physiotherapists to support patients within a human-to-human encounter by listening to the patient's story of how their hip has impacted their lives and demonstrating that they have understood and are empathetic to their needs.

Clinical manual assessment of the wrist.

Although hand therapists often evaluate patients with wrist pain, novice and experienced clinicians alike would benefit from a systematic assessment to efficiently identify the source of dysfunction and initiate an appropriate treatment plan. This article proposes a systematic approach for clinical evaluation of the wrist by describing the basic clinical examination (BCE) process and interpreting the findings in terms of common pathology. The BCE will enable the hand therapist to identify conditions that are contraindicated for conservative care and require further physician intervention, determine a working diagnosis for most musculoskeletal problems, and determine the appropriate extra tests to confirm the working diagnosis and/or rule out differential diagnoses. By combining findings from the patient's history, BCE, and special testing, hand therapists can efficiently determine the underlying pathology and provide appropriate treatment that can optimize clinical outcomes.