A case of rheumatoid arthritis with multiple lung rheumatoid nodules successfully treated with tofacitinib.

Sporadic cases of rheumatoid nodules (RNs) in the lung during treatment with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors have been reported, but no treatment has been established. Here, we report a case of symptomatic lung RNs refractory to abatacept (ABT) and intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY) that improved with tofacitinib (TOF) treatment. A 75-year-old Japanese woman with a 10-year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) presented with a cough and haemoptysis during treatment with etanercept (ETN).

Distinct decrease in peripheral lymphocytes in EBER-positive cases of MTX-LPD.

Objectives: To determine the clinical characteristics of methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD).

Methods: In this study, 12 RA patients who developed MTX-LPD were assessed. The peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) count at the onset of MTX-LPD was compared to that 6 months before the onset, in Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER)-positive and -negative subgroups.

Mortality in patients with hip fracture aged over 90 years: a report from a progressively aging island.

Introduction: In our aging society, hip fractures are common in elderly patients, especially those aged above 90 years. Improving mortality rates after this injury is an important part of medical management for the elderly. This study assessed mortality rates after hip fracture in patients aged ≥90 years and examined factors that contribute to mortality.

Postoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis following spinal decompression surgery: is it necessary?

Background: Antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) can reduce the risk of surgical-site infection (SSI) following many types of surgery, particularly spinal surgery. After publication of the Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1999, a large number of studies confirmed the effectiveness of AMP. However, because the concept of AMP is not clear in Japan, the duration of postoperative AMP tends to be long.

Dumbbell-type spinal solitary fibrous tumor with paraplegia.

Solitary fibrous tumors are rare tumors that most commonly arise in the pleura. This article describes a case of a large dumbbell-shaped solitary fibrous tumor of the thoracic spine that was causing partial paraplegia. The patient was a 75-year-old woman who presented with swelling of the upper back and weakness of the lower extremities.

[The effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on upper gastrointestinal disorders in orthopaedic patients].

We investigated the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on upper gastrointestinal(GI) disorders in orthopaedic patients. Among a total of 1,923 patients (946 men and 977 women, mean age: 53 years) who received NSAIDs, 486 patients (25%) experienced some adverse reactions including mild GI symptoms, 364 patients (19%) had gastric mucosal lesion, and 37 patients (2%) had gastric ulcer. The number of patients with upper GI disorders was significantly higher in patients aged 50 years or older, than those under 50 years.

Thioredoxin gene expression in rat knee articular cartilage after full-thickness injury.

To study the expression of the antioxidative protein thioredoxin (TRX) in intact and injured articular cartilage, we examined the presence of trx mRNA in rat knee joints by in situ hybridization. Our results showed that in the intact knee, most cells, including articular cartilage chondrocytes, expressed trx mRNA. We examined joints at 1, 7, 14, and 28 days after the infliction of full-thickness cartilage injuries on distal femoral condyles.

Involvement of ATP, increase of intracellular calcium and the early expression of c-fos in the repair of rat fetal articular cartilage.

To compare the potential of adult and fetal animals to repair articular cartilage, we investigated the early process after creating superficial defects in the femoral knee cartilage in rat models. In fetuses at 19 days of gestation, both chondrocytes and the extracellular matrix responded notably by 48 h after artificial injury. Staining patterns with safranin O revealed that, by 1 h after injury, some components of the extracellular matrix around the wound were modified, and the change spread from the limited region to the entire knee cartilage within 24 h.

Arthroscopic drilling with debridement of remaining cartilage for osteochondral lesions of the talar dome in unstable ankles.

Background: Arthroscopic examination has shown that the regenerative cartilage that appears after arthroscopic drilling for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talar dome does not always cover the cartilage defect sufficiently.

Hypothesis: The remaining degenerative cartilage at the lesions may obstruct the healing of the articular cartilage.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.