Current Rheumatology Reviews - Volume 9, Issue 3, 2013

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent condition and the leading cause of disability in the world. Bone marrow lesions (BMLs) are a relatively new phenomenon and their association with OA is not well understood. A systematic review was undertaken of published and unpublished or grey literature databases from their inception until 1st August 2012. Specific data in relation to BMLs was extracted from each study and eac Read More

Objectives: To identify whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: A mixed meta-analysis and narrative review of the literature was conducted. Three hundred and eighty five studies were identified by literature search, five of which were included for review. The included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCT) that compared CBT to conventional therap Read More

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic, disabling diseases, which typically causes pain, stiffness and functional impairment. Self-management programmes have been advocated in clinical guidelines aimed at reducing the effect of symptoms and illness from impacting on lifestyle and activities. This study assesses the evidence-base examining the clinical and cost-effectiveness of self-management program Read More

Activity pacing is commonly provided by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals. Pacing education encourages people to intersperse activity with rest periods in order to alter inefficient activity patterns. The purpose of this study was to examine the literature assessing the clinical outcomes of activity pacing with people diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA). The electronic databases AMED, CINAH Read More

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide. There has been limited consensus on the use of magnets for this condition. This study specifically assessed the evidence pertaining to the use of static magnets to manage symptoms in people with osteoarthritis. A systematic review of the published (AMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and the Cochrane Library) and unp Read More

Leprosy is special not only because of its historical and biblical context and the fear it generates but because it is confined to man. As a chronic infect contagious disease, leprosy is recognized by a slow progress, high infectivity, and low pathogenicity. The development depends on multifactorial aspects, as genetical and immunological features. The epidemiology in developing countries has shown that the detection Read More

The use of biologic drugs for treating inflammatory joint diseases was approved at the end of last century. Several cases of active lung and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) were reported at the beginning, and led to creating mandatory screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) before initiating the treatment with them. The purified protein derivative (PPD) test is the test of choice for diagnosing LTBI, but it has limited se Read More

Almost 200 species fungus are associated with human infections have been described. The musculoskeletal involvement can develop by direct extension of a lesion or by inoculation and hematogenous spread. The joint infection has an indolent course and diagnosis tends to be delayed because of the paucity of clinical signs and the rarity of the pathology. Despite the small number of fungal species involved, the incidenc Read More

Intestinal parasites infections caused by a variety of worms are very common in low-income people without access to sewage and treated water. Contamination occurs in various forms and the main one is the intake of contaminated food or water and through the skin by small wounds. The host response will be different according to the place of parasite replication: intra or extracellular. Usually the musculoskeletal symptom Read More

Medications, through their mechanisms of action, can help elucidate the pathogenesis of SLE. Unfortunately, most medications used to treat SLE have multiple mechanisms of action or are not highly specific. Nevertheless, some understanding of SLE's pathogenesis can be derived from the medications used to treat it. Agents inhibiting B and T cells globally such as leflunomide, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclophosphamide and Read More