Introduction Among nineteen types of collagen identified in a wide range of vertebrate tissues, type II collagen is one of the most common collagens and forms the principle fibrillar component of cartilage. Alterations of type II collagen are responsible for many joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis. Previous biomechanical studies suggested that mechanical properties of cartilage at the gross...

BACKGROUND Long-term results regarding tear progression, arthropathy, and clinical scores of unrepaired rotator cuff tears are largely unknown. This study investigated whether the condition of the glenohumeral joint and rotator cuff had deteriorated at a minimum of 20 years after an acromioplasty without cuff repair and assessed the clinical results. METHODS A retrospective analysis was condu...

Patients with severe von Willebrand disease (VWD) may develop arthropathy after joint bleeds. Information on its prevalence and severity is limited. We aimed to assess the occurrence and severity of arthropathy in VWD and its impact on daily life. VWD patients with and without verified joint bleeds were matched for age, sex and Factor VIII level or von Willebrand Factor activity in a nested cas...

Anxiety, a very common psychological syndrome in the aging population, is a potential moderating factor in the context of disabling osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder affecting the older population. This narrative review examines the extent to which anxiety may preside among adults with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, regardless of site, and its linkage to the disabling process. Draw...

Erosive osteoarthritis of the hands of unusually early onset and severity was seen in two patients treated for chronic renal failure by long term haemodialysis and renal homograft respectively. The significance of this observation is discussed in the light of previous studies of erosive arthropathy in patients with chronic renal failure. Factors associated with chronic renal failure may predisp...

OBJECTIVES To examine demographic and clinical features leading to the diagnosis of hereditary haemochromatosis and assess factors that might enhance earlier diagnosis, with particular attention to arthritic symptoms. METHOD Diagnostic features were captured directly from patients with haemochromatosis attending a specialist rheumatology clinic (group 1) and from analysis of a specifically de...

Rheumatologists have long considered OA and PsA as two completely distinct arthropathies. This review highlights how some forms of generalized OA and PsA may afflict the same entheseal-associated anatomical territories. While degeneration or inflammation may be clearly discernible at the two extremes, there may be a group of patients where differentiation is impossible. Misdiagnosis of a primar...

Despite being a complex degenerative joint disease, studies on osteoarthritis (OA) suggest that its progression can be reduced by the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The present study thus aims to examine the effects of MSC, HA and the combination of HA-MSC in treating OA in rat model. The histological observations using O'Driscoll score indicate that it is the use ...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease with a high prevalence in the elderly.1 OA affects more often the hip and knee, compromising important aspects in activities of daily living such as walking, transposition of obstacles, home care and work activities.2 Several questionnaires have emerged to evaluate the functional capacity of patients with OA, which stand out by their simplicity and...

BACKGROUND Unilateral below-knee amputees often develop comorbidities that include knee joint disorders (e.g., intact leg knee osteoarthritis), with the mechanisms leading to these comorbidities being poorly understood. Mechanical knee loading of non-amputees has been associated with joint disorders and shown to be influenced by walking speed. However, the relationships between amputee knee loa...