Annals of the rheumatic diseases
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Multicenter Study
Sports activities 5 years after total knee or hip arthroplasty: the Ulm Osteoarthritis Study.
To analyse sports activities of patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) over lifetime, preoperatively, and 5 years after arthroplasty. ⋯ Differences in pain 5 years after joint replacement may explain some of the difference of sports activities between patients with hip and knee OA. Reasons for reduction of sports activities may include the increasing age of the patients, their worries about an "artificial joint", and the advice of their surgeon to be cautious.
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Multicenter Study
Productivity costs among patients with rheumatoid arthritis: the influence of methods and sources to value loss of productivity.
To assess productivity costs incurred by rheumatoid arthritis, comprising paid as well as household productivity costs, from a societal perspective, using different methods. ⋯ Costs from loss of household productivity in rheumatoid arthritis were seven times higher than costs from loss of paid productivity, assessed by the FC method. The high paid productivity costs when using the HC method reflect the high work disability rate in rheumatoid arthritis. As the method of measuring and source of valuing productivity loss has an important influence on the costs, a consensus to standardise these issues is desirable.
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To evaluate the frequency of patellofemoral osteoarthritis and its relevance to symptoms and function in a meniscectomy population. ⋯ Mixed patellofemoral and tibiofemoral osteoarthritis is common in a meniscectomy population. Patellofemoral osteoarthritis is a contributing cause of knee symptoms and reduced knee related quality of life and is relevant to the management of knee complaints of this group of patients.
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Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of Wegener's granulomatosis. This paper reviews published clinical trials of the anti-TNFalpha agents etanercept and infliximab with regard to their efficacy and safety in the treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis. ⋯ However, the potential role for infliximab or the as yet untested adalimumab cannot be discounted. The development of novel approaches focusing on blockade of specific molecules including TNFalpha in the treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis is awaited.