Patterns of compartment involvement in tibiofemoral osteoarthritis in men and women and in whites and African Americans.

Objective: We conducted a cross-sectional study to describe the prevalence of tibiofemoral joint space narrowing (JSN) in medial and lateral compartments and assess whether it differs by sex and ethnic groups, and, if it does, to what extent such a difference is accounted for by knee malalignment.

Methods: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study is an observational study of persons ages 50-79 years with either symptomatic knee osteoarthritis or high risk of disease. Knee radiographs were assessed for JSN in each tibiofemoral compartment.

An in vitro biomechanical comparison of single-rod, dual-rod, and dual-rod with transverse connector in anterior thoracolumbar instrumentation.

Background: After thoracolumbar corpectomy, standard anterolateral instrumentation may consist of dual rods with cross-connectors. However, when the vertebral bodies are small or involved with disease, only 1 rod may be possible.

Objective: To compare the biomechanics of an in vitro L1 corpectomy model using 1 rod, 2 rods, or 2 rods with 2 cross-connectors.

Reasons for functional decline despite reductions in knee pain: the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study.

Background: The majority of interventions for knee osteoarthritis aim to reduce knee pain with the assumption that improvements in function will automatically follow. However, this assumption is not universally true, and a paradoxical decline in function is not uncommon following reduction in knee pain.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine what factors beyond knee pain are important for functional decline among people with reductions in knee pain.

Aspirin as a promising agent for decreasing incidence of cerebral aneurysm rupture.

Background And Purpose: Chronic inflammation is postulated as an important phenomenon in intracranial aneurysm wall pathophysiology. This study was conducted to determine if aspirin use impacts the occurrence of intracranial aneurysm rupture.

Methods: Subjects enrolled in the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms (ISUIA) were selected from the prospective untreated cohort (n=1691) in a nested case-control study.

Lifetime sexual assault and cervical cytologic abnormalities among military women.

Background: Little is known about the reproductive health of military women. This study sought to determine women Veterans' competing risk factors, including life span sexual assault (LSA) exposures, associated with recent and lifetime cervical cytologic abnormalities.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of a retrospective cohort of 999 Midwestern Veterans (enrolled in the VA) included computer-assisted telephone interviews and chart reviews.

Presence of MRI-detected joint effusion and synovitis increases the risk of cartilage loss in knees without osteoarthritis at 30-month follow-up: the MOST study.

Objective: To evaluate if two different measures of synovial activation, baseline Hoffa synovitis and effusion synovitis, assessed by MRI, predict cartilage loss in the tibiofemoral joint at 30 months follow-up in subjects with neither cartilage damage nor tibiofemoral radiographic osteoarthritis of the knee.

Methods: Non-contrast-enhanced MRI was performed using proton density-weighted fat-suppressed sequences in the axial and sagittal planes and a short tau inversion recovery sequence in the coronal plane. Hoffa synovitis, effusion synovitis and cartilage status were assessed semiquantitatively according to the WORMS scoring system.

Evolving comprehensive VA women's health care: patient characteristics, needs, and preferences.

Background: Assessment of women veterans' health needs and preferences and their care environment have been identified as a priority research need by the national Veterans Affairs (VA) Women's Health research agenda. Our objective was to identify women veterans' health care preferences and perceptions associated with sole or dual VA health care use.

Methods: This cross-sectional study of 1,002 VA-enrolled Midwestern veterans was performed by computer-assisted telephone interviews.

Rape, sex partnership, and substance use consequences in women veterans.

The association of rape history and sexual partnership with alcohol and drug use consequences in women veterans is unknown. Midwestern women veterans (N = 1,004) completed a retrospective telephone interview assessing demographics, rape history, substance abuse and dependence, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One third met lifetime criteria for substance use disorder (SUD), half reported lifetime completed rape, a third childhood rape, one quarter in-military rape, 11% sex with women.

Consistency of knee pain and risk of knee replacement: the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study.

Objective: To examine whether the consistency or persistence of knee pain, in addition to its severity, predicts incident total knee replacement (TKR).

Methods: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) is a longitudinal study of persons aged 50 to 79 years with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis or at high risk of disease. Subjects were queried about the presence of knee pain on most days of the previous 30 days (i.

Obesity and knee osteoarthritis are not associated with impaired quadriceps specific strength in adults.

Objective: To assess whether adults, aged 50-59 years, who are obese or moderately to severely obese have impaired quadriceps strength and muscle quality in comparison with adults who are not obese, both groups with and without knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: Rural community acquired sample.

Fluctuation of knee pain and changes in bone marrow lesions, effusions, and synovitis on magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: Fluctuations in pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are common, but risk factors for pain fluctuation are poorly understood. To best identify the structural causes of fluctuations, multiple assessments of pain status and structural lesions are needed. This study was undertaken to determine whether pain resolution is accompanied by diminution of lesions in patients with knee OA.

Variation of patient characteristics, management, and outcome with timing of surgery for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Object: The past 30 years have seen a shift in the timing of surgery for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Earlier practices of delayed surgery that were intended to avoid less favorable surgical conditions have been replaced by a trend toward early surgery to minimize the risks associated with rebleeding and vasospasm. Yet, a consensus as to the optimal timing of surgery has not been reached.

The acute effectiveness and safety of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve to improve hypoxemia in acute lung injury.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the constant-flow, pressure-volume curve (PVC) to prescribe positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in acute lung injury (ALI) and risk of cardiopulmonary deterioration during the PVC process.

Design: A retrospective, cohort study.

Setting: A surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary, university hospital.

Central versus lower body obesity distribution and the association with lower limb physical function and disability.

Objective: To determine whether fat distribution in obese adults is significantly associated with decreased function and increased disability.

Design: Cross-sectional epidemiologic analysis.

Setting: Multicenter, community-based study.

Risk of ventriculostomy-related hemorrhage in patients with acutely ruptured aneurysms treated using stent-assisted coiling.

Object: Intracranial stenting has improved the ability to treat wide-neck aneurysms via endovascular techniques. However, stent placement necessitates the use of antiplatelet agents, and the latter may complicate the treatment of patients with acutely ruptured aneurysms who demonstrate hydrocephalus and require ventriculostomy. Antiplatelet agents in this setting could increase the incidence of ventriculostomy-related hemorrhagic complications, but there are insufficient data in the medical literature to quantify this potential risk.

A hip analysis protocol for pediatric bone densitometry: the Iowa Bone Development Study.

Pediatric proximal femur dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans present analytic challenges because of the lack of standard points of reference in the growing skeleton. The Iowa Bone Development Study (IBDS) developed a modified pediatric-specific proximal femur analysis protocol using Hologic software. Serial DXA measurements were obtained for 214 children at approximate ages 5, 8, 11, and 13 yr.

Biomechanical comparison of anterior, posterior, and circumferential fixation after one-level anterior cervical corpectomy in the human cadaveric spine.

Study Design: In vitro biomechanical study of cadaveric cervical spine.

Objective: To compare the rigidity of the cervical spine after anterior, posterior, and circumferential fixation after 1-level corpectomy, and evaluate the effects of the integrity of the facet capsules and posterior ligaments (PL).

Summary Of Background Data: Anterior cervical corpectomy is commonly used for decompression of the spinal canal in the treatment of different pathologic conditions.

Cyst-like lesions of the knee joint and their relation to incident knee pain and development of radiographic osteoarthritis: the MOST study.

Objective: To determine whether intra- and periarticular cyst-like lesions of the knee are associated with incident knee pain and incident radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study is a cohort of individuals who have or are at high risk for knee OA. Using a nested case-control study design, we investigated the associations of cyst-like lesions (Baker's, meniscal and proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) cysts, and prepatellar and anserine bursitides) with (1) incident pain at 15- or 30-month follow-up and (2) incident radiographic OA at 30-month follow-up.

Lack of international consensus on ethical aspects of acute stroke trials.

Acute stroke trials are becoming increasingly multinational. Working toward a shared ethical standard for acute stroke research necessitates evaluating the degree of consensus among international researchers. We surveyed all 275 coinvestigators and coordinators who participated in the AbESTT II study (evaluating abciximab vs placebo) about their experience with their local institutional review board (IRB) or equivalent, as well as, about their personal beliefs regarding the ethical aspects of acute stroke trials.

Consistency of knee pain: correlates and association with function.

Objective: The extent and factors associated with knee pain fluctuation are not well-known. We evaluated the prevalence, correlates, and association with function of consistency of knee pain.

Design: Participants of the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study, a cohort of individuals with or at high risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) had baseline knee X-rays, questionnaires, and a question about frequent knee pain (FKnP) (pain on most of the past 30 days) at two time points: a telephone screen and a later clinic visit.

Varus and valgus alignment and incident and progressive knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: Varus and valgus alignment increase medial and lateral tibiofemoral load. Alignment was associated with tibiofemoral osteoarthritis progression in previous studies; an effect on incident osteoarthritis risk is less certain. This study tested whether alignment influences the risk of incident and progressive radiographic tibiofemoral osteoarthritis.

Do worsening knee radiographs mean greater chances of severe functional limitation?

Objective: Development of functional limitation is thought to be unrelated to changes in severity of radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. We evaluated the relationship of change in radiographic OA to the incidence of severe functional limitation.

Methods: Participants of the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study, a cohort study of persons with or at high risk of knee OA, were evaluated at 0 and 30 months.

Meniscal pathology on MRI increases the risk for both incident and enlarging subchondral bone marrow lesions of the knee: the MOST Study.

Objectives: To investigate the association between meniscal pathology and incident or enlarging bone marrow lesions (BML) in knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: The authors studied subjects from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study aged 50-79 years either with knee osteoarthritis or at high risk of the disease. Baseline and 30-months magnetic resonance images of knees (n=1344) were scored for subchondral BML.

Clinically important improvement in function is common in people with or at high risk of knee OA: the MOST study.

Objective: To calculate the frequency of clinically important improvement in function over 30 months and identify risk factors in people who have or are at risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Subjects were from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST), a longitudinal study of persons with or at high risk of knee OA. We defined minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) with the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function using 3 different methods.