The osteoarthritis knee model: psychophysical characteristics and putative outcomes.

Unlabelled: The knee osteoarthritis (KOA) model is a convenient and coherent archetype that is frequently used in pharmaceutical trials of drugs with analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory properties; yet, little is known about its specific pathophysiology. The presumed chronic inflammatory etiology of osteoarthritis suggests that nociceptive processes and neurogenic inflammation predominate in this condition. However, most chronic pain conditions are associated with changes in peripheral and central processing.

Hypoesthesia in the distal residual limb of amputees.

Objective: To test the emerging hypothesis that there is polymodal fiber degeneration/loss in distal residual limbs (DRL) of amputees.

Design: Prospective qualitative and quantitative psychophysical testing.

Setting: A pain research center at an urban academic rehabilitation hospital.