Transitions in the wintertime near-surface temperature inversion at Dome C, Antarctica.

In this work we study the dynamics of the surface-based temperature inversion over the Antarctic Plateau during the polar winter. Using 6 years of observations from the French-Italian Antarctic station Concordia at Dome C, we investigate sudden regime transitions in the strength of the near-surface temperature inversion. Here we define "near-surface" as being within the domain of the 45-m measuring tower.

When Is Osteonecrosis Not Osteonecrosis?: Adjudication of Reported Serious Adverse Joint Events in the Tanezumab Clinical Development Program.

Objective: Tanezumab, a monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor, has demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials of chronic pain in osteoarthritis (OA) and chronic low back pain. Unexpected adverse events (AEs) described as osteonecrosis (ON) occurred during tanezumab development, leading the US Food and Drug Administration to impose a partial clinical hold for all indications except cancer pain. A blinded Adjudication Committee (AC) including orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists, and an orthopedic pathologist reviewed and adjudicated joint-related AEs in the tanezumab clinical program.

A 2-year randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study of oral selective iNOS inhibitor, cindunistat (SD-6010), in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee.

Objective: To determine if inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) with cindunistat hydrochloride maleate slows progression of osteoarthritis (OA) METHODS: This 2-year, multinational, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled patients with symptomatic knee OA (Kellgren and Lawrence Grade (KLG) 2 or 3). Standard OA therapies were permitted throughout. Patients were randomly assigned to cindunistat (50 or 200 mg/day) or placebo.

In normal knees, joint space width (JSW) is correlated with the intermargin distance (IMD), a measure of medial tibial plateau alignment. Variations in IMD explain variability in JSW in serial radiographs.

Objective: To ascertain the importance of alignment of the medial tibial plateau (MTP), as determined by the distance between the anterior and posterior margins of the plateau (intermargin distance [IMD]), for measurements of joint space width (JSW) in radiographs of normal knees.

Methods: JSW and IMD were measured in paired baseline and 12-month knee films of 122 subjects from the osteoarthritis initiative (OAI). Relationships between JSW and IMD, and between the variation in JSW and variation in IMD, were evaluated.

Differences in the osteoarthritic synovial fluid composition and rheology between patients with or without flare: a pilot study.

Objectives: To study the influence of the inflammatory status (flare or not) on hyaluronic acid (HA) and protein composition and on the intrinsic viscosity of the synoviol fluid (SF) from patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: Patients with KOA were classified as having flare (F+) when they fulfilled the 4 following clinical criteria: 1) sudden aggravation of knee pain, 2) whose beginning was identifiable, 3) causing nocturnal awakenings 4) with clinical evidence of knee effusion. Patients were classified F- (no flare) if they do not fulfill any of the 3 first criteria.

Radiographic features of knee and hip osteoarthritis represent characteristics of an individual, in addition to severity of osteoarthritis.

Objective: To evaluate to what extent radiographic features of knees and hips that are normally related to osteoarthritis (OA) represent characteristics of an individual in addition to OA severity.

Methods: We studied a cohort of individuals (n = 1002) with very early signs of hip and knee OA, from the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) study. Baseline radiographs were evaluated by digital analyses, using Holy's and Knee Images Digital Analysis (KIDA) software, providing distinct quantitative measures of radiographic OA features.

Early effect of hyaluronic acid intra-articular injections on serum and urine biomarkers in patients with knee osteoarthritis: An open-label observational prospective study.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) intra articular injections (IA) on osteoarthritis (OA) biomarkers in patients with knee OA. Prospective open label study. Fifty-one patients with unilateral symptomatic K-OA received IA injections of 2mL of HA on days (D) 1, 7, 14 and were followed 3 months.

Osteoarthritis of the knee at 3.0 T: comparison of a quantitative and a semi-quantitative score for the assessment of the extent of cartilage lesion and bone marrow edema pattern in a 24-month longitudinal study.

Objective: To compare a semi-quantitative and a quantitative morphological score for assessment of early osteoarthritis (OA) evolution.

Materials And Methods: 3.0 T MRI of the knee was performed in 60 women, 30 with early OA (each 15 with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 and 3) and 30 age-matched controls at baseline and at 12 and 24 months.

A systematic review of the association between radiographic and clinical osteoarthritis of hip and knee.

Objective: There is ongoing debate on whether an association between radiographic and clinical osteoarthritis (OA) exists. We hypothesized that the inconsistency in the detection of an association might be caused by different definitions of OA, by different radiographic protocols, and by scoring methods for radiographic damage and symptoms. The goal of this study was to evaluate which methodological criteria are important to detect an association between radiographic and clinical OA of hip and knee.

Factors predicting patient satisfaction 2 years after total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis.

Objective: To identify factors predicting patient satisfaction 2 years after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis.

Methods: Prospective multicenter study of patients followed up for 2 years after TKA for osteoarthritis. We evaluated pain and function (Lequesne index and WOMAC) at baseline and after 2 years.

Using ordered values of subregional cartilage thickness change increases sensitivity in detecting risk factors for osteoarthritis progression.

Objective: To examine whether ordered values of (sub)regional femorotibial cartilage thickness change are superior to region-based approaches in detecting risk factors for cartilage loss in osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: 58 women with knee OA had 3 Tesla MR images acquired at baseline and 24 months. Changes in cartilage thickness (∆ThCtAB) were determined in eight medial femorotibial subregions.

Management recommendations for knee osteoarthritis: how usable are they?

Objectives: Despite the availability of practice guidelines for the management of knee osteoarthritis, inadequacies in practices of clinicians and patients have been found, leading to suboptimal outcomes. Literature has shown that simply disseminating management recommendations does not lead to adherence. Research suggests that barriers to use should be identified and addressed to improve adherence.

Alignment of the medial tibial plateau affects the rate of joint space narrowing in the osteoarthritic knee.

Objective: To determine, in serial fixed-flexion (FF) radiographs of subjects with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), the importance of, and basis for, the effect of alignment of the medial tibial plateau (MTP), as determined by the inter-margin distance (IMD), on joint space narrowing (JSN).

Methods: Baseline and 12-month X-rays of 590 knees with Kellgren and Lawrence grade (KLG) 2/3 OA from the public-release dataset of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) were assigned to subgroups based upon IMD at baseline (IMD(BL)) and the difference between IMD(BL) and IMD(12 mos). Relationships of JSN to IMD(BL) and to the difference between IMD(BL and) IMD(12 mos) were evaluated.

Safety and efficacy of rituximab in systemic lupus erythematosus: results from 136 patients from the French AutoImmunity and Rituximab registry.

Objective: A number of open-label studies have suggested the potential benefit of rituximab (RTX) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, in 2 recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of RTX, the primary end points were not met. We undertook this study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RTX in off-trial patients with SLE seen in regular clinical practice.

Radiographic assessment of the femorotibial joint of the CCLT rabbit experimental model of osteoarthritis.

Background: The purposes of the study were to determine the relevance and validity of in vivo non-invasive radiographic assessment of the CCLT (Cranial Cruciate Ligament Transection) rabbit model of osteoarthritis (OA) and to estimate the pertinence, reliability and reproducibility of a radiographic OA (ROA) grading scale and associated radiographic atlas.

Methods: In vivo non-invasive extended non weight-bearing radiography of the rabbit femorotibial joint was standardized. Two hundred and fifty radiographs from control and CCLT rabbits up to five months after surgery were reviewed by three readers.

Rheologic behavior of osteoarthritic synovial fluid after addition of hyaluronic acid: a pilot study.

Viscosupplementation is a symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) intended to restore rheologic homeostasis of the synovial fluid by injecting hyaluronic acid intraarticularly. Despite the long history of this therapy, little is known about its mechanisms of action and differences between commercial preparations. We investigated the rheologic behavior of OA synovial fluid with time, when stored at 4 degrees C, before and after the addition of two hyaluronic acid commercial preparations (linear and cross-linked).

Relation of regional articular cartilage morphometry and meniscal position by MRI to joint space width in knee radiographs.

Objective: To ascertain the contribution of articular cartilage morphometry and meniscal position on MRI to joint space width (JSW) measured in the Lyon schuss radiograph of the knee.

Design: 62 obese women with knee OA and 99 non-obese female controls (mean age 56.6 years) were imaged using 3T MRI and coronal water excitation spoiled gradient echo sequences.

Subregional femorotibial cartilage morphology in women--comparison between healthy controls and participants with different grades of radiographic knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To identify subregional differences in femorotibial cartilage morphology between healthy controls and women with different grades of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design: 158 women aged > or =40 years were studied. Weight-bearing extended anterior-posterior (AP) and Lyon schuss radiographs were obtained and the Kellgren Lawrence grade (KLG) determined.

Validation of the KOFUS (Knee Osteoarthritis Flare-Ups Score).

Objective: To develop a diagnostic score for knee osteoarthritis flare-ups and to evaluate its sensitivity and specificity.

Methods: We used two epidemiological databases built using the same methodology. One database was from a general-practice study and served to develop the score, whereas the other was from a rheumatology study and served to validate the score.

OARSI-OMERACT definition of relevant radiological progression in hip/knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Joint space width (JSW) evaluated in millimeters on plain X-rays is the currently optimal recognized technique to evaluate osteoarthritis (OA) structural progression. Data obtained can be presented at the group level (e.g.

Reproducibility and sensitivity to change of a new method of computer measurement of joint space width in hip osteoarthritis. Performance of three radiographic views obtained at a 3-year interval.

Background: Measurement of radiographic joint space width (JSW) and of joint space narrowing (JSN) is the currently recommended method for assessment of anatomical severity and structural progression of osteoarthritis (OA), respectively. A standard radiographic view of the pelvis is commonly used for measurement of hip OA but other views are available.

Objectives: To evaluate the inter-intra reader reproducibility and the sensitivity to change of a new automated method of measurement of the hip JSW and to assess which radiographic view [pelvis anteroposterior (AP) view, hip AP view, hip oblique view] provides the greatest accuracy for JSW and JSN measurements.

Change in regional cartilage morphology and joint space width in osteoarthritis participants versus healthy controls: a multicentre study using 3.0 Tesla MRI and Lyon-Schuss radiography.

Objective: Cartilage morphology displays sensitivity to change in osteoarthritis (OA) with quantitative MRI (qMRI). However, (sub)regional cartilage thickness change at 3.0 Tesla (T) has not been directly compared with radiographic progression of joint space narrowing in OA participants and non-arthritic controls.

Progressive increase in body mass index is not associated with a progressive increase in joint space narrowing in obese women with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Objective: Given that obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, a study was undertaken to determine whether progressively higher body mass index (BMI) among obese women is associated with progressive increases in joint space narrowing (JSN).

Methods: Medial compartment JSN over 12 months in Lyon Schuss radiographs of 60 obese women (BMI 30.0-50.

National survey on the non-pharmacological modalities prescribed by French general practitioners in the treatment of lower limb (knee and hip) osteoarthritis. Adherence to the EULAR recommendations and factors influencing adherence.

Background: Guidelines for the treatment of lower limb osteoarthritis (LLOA) include non-pharmacological (NPM) and pharmacological modalities (PM). In France, general practitioners (GPs) are the main prescribers of pharmacological treatment for LLOA but little is known about the non-pharmacological modalities they usually prescribe.

Objective: To determine how French GPs prescribe non-pharmacological modalities of LLOA treatment in daily practice.