We describe a lumbar facet syndrome in which disabling symptoms are associated with normal or nearnormal plain radiographs. Local spinal fusion relieved symptoms in 12 patients; the excised facet joint surfaces showed some of the histological changes seen in chondromalacia patellae and in osteoarthritis of other large joints. The most frequent change was focal full-thickness cartilage necrosis ...

There is no doubt about the value of intraarticular hydrocortisone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Controversy has arisen however about its value in the treatment of osteo-arthrosis. Hollander, who introduced this useful form of therapy, has remained an advocate of its use in both conditions (Hollander, 1966). Because of the lack of distinction between the response in patients with rh...

In a previous study (Kellgren and Bier, 1956), three sets of x rays of the hands were used to assess interand intra-observer differences in interpreting changes of rheumatoid arthritis. Wide disagreement between observers was found, and it was concluded that, to ensure maximum uniformity in grading x rays in field surveys and therapeutic trials, all readings should be made by the same observer,...

PURPOSE the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of interposition arthroplasty of the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint with pyrolitic carbon implants for the treatment of TMC osteoarthritis. METHODS we evaluated two groups of patients surgically treated for TMC osteoarthritis: group 1 (34 patients - 36 TMC joints) treated with PyroDisk implantation and group 2 (25 patients - 25 T...

Advances in knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of pain among patients with knee osteoarthritis suggest that the central nervous system is involved as a source that maintains and amplifies the painful condition such that it is refractory to conventional orthopedic and rheumatological treatment. Initially, hyperalgesia is observed only at the affected site. However, when the pain becomes ref...

This study investigated how the posture of the thumb while performing common pinch movements and the levels of pinch force applied by the thumb affect the arthrokinematics of the trapeziometacarpal joint in vivo. Fifteen subjects performed the pinch tasks at the distal phalange (DP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, and metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint of the index finger with 0%, 50%, and 8...