New Bone-Marrow-Cell Therapy Aids Spine Repair
Injecting a patient’s own bone-marrow stem cells into the spine using multiple routes helps to restore some function and quality of life to victims of spinal cord injury with no objectionable side effects, a recent study revealed.
The findings, published in the journal Cell Transplantation, were the result of a joint investigation by researchers at DaVinci Biosciences of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Hospital Luis Vernaza in Ecuador.
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Stem Cell Cartilage Offers Hope to Osteoarthritis Sufferers
Cartilage grown from stem cells in a laboratory may one day repair damaged knees, according to research from UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering. Lead author, Kyriacos Athanasiou and his team used adult stem cells from bone marrow and skin as well as human embryonic stem cells to grow cartilage tissue in the lab. Now they are experimenting with various chemical and mechanical stimuli to improve its results.
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Weight Loss Can Help Reduce Chance of Knee Osteoarthritis
There's another good reason to lose even a moderate amount of weight: it could reduce your chance of developing knee osteoarthritis, according to data from a large ongoing study at the University of North Carolina. People who are overweight and lose just 5 percent of their weight are less likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee, compared to people who gain weight.
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High Dose Vitamin D Can Prevent Falls For Seniors Over 65
Elderly people taking a daily supplement of vitamin D at a dose of 700-1000 IU (international unit of measurement) reduce their risk of falling by 19%, according to a study published on bmj.com. Every year, one in three people over aged 65 experiences at least one fall, with around 6% resulting in a fracture. As the population begins to age, fall prevention is becoming a public health goal.
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Getting Sun During Pregnancy May Strengthen Baby's Bones
When women get more sun during the last months of their pregnancies, their babies are likely to have stronger, healthier bones, a benefit that may last their whole lives, a recent study found. The study, conducted in Britain and reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, examined bone scans on almost 7,000 10-year-olds.
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Expert Commentary: Paul Meli MD, FACS 2/1/2010
Injuries to the cartilage of the knee; the meniscus, are one of the most common injuries seen in the knee. A wide variety of activities can cause damage to the knee ranging from professional sporting activities such as football, soccer, or tennis to routine activities of daily living such as working around the house, bending and squatting when playing with children or routine gardening. With cartilage injuries of this nature, there is typically very minimal swelling and the pain is typically minimal. The patient has a feeling of the knee buckling, locking, or giving out that is intermittent.
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Green Tea May Help Strengthen Bones
Green tea, one of the most popular drinks around the world, may benefit bone health, according to new research from Hong Kong. Researchers suggest it has the potential to help prevent and treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases suffered by millions of people worldwide.
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Drug May Extend Life of Arthritic Knees and Hips
An osteoporosis drug that is the first ever known to prevent cartilage loss following injury to a joint may also regenerate some cartilage that has been lost to osteoarthritis, according to research presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Denver. Though this initial study was done on mice, study authors claim that the model closely resembles human osteoarthritis that develops following knee injuries.
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Inhibiting a Protein Prevents Bone Loss
A new drug inhibits a protein necessary for the formation and function of cells that break down bone, a recent study showed, a development that may have important repercussions for the treatment of diseases that involve bone loss, such as osteoporosis, periodontitis and arthritis.
The study, which was performed on mice by Soo-young Lee and colleagues at Ewha Women’s University in the Republic of Korea, was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Warm-up Routine Helps Youth Athletes Avoid Knee Injuries
A simple set of new warm-up exercises provides young athletes considerable protection against season-ending knee injuries, according to a recent sports-medicine study. The findings, presented by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
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