Safety and preliminary efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on chronic knee pain: A pilot trial.

Objective: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation () may be an innovative treatment for symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA) due to possible shared pathological mechanisms between diminished parasympathetic function, central pain mechanisms, and knee pain. Thus, we sought to test the safety and preliminary efficacy of tVNS in people with knee OA.

Design: A pilot trial in which participants received a 60-min tVNS was conducted.

Association of Therapies for Axial Spondyloarthritis on the Risk of Hip and Spine Fractures.

Objective: People with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) have increased fracture risk relative to the general population, possibly related to chronic inflammation. We assessed the impact of treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and non-biologic conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) on hip and spine fractures in axSpA, relative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study using 2006-2021 data from the Merative MarketScan® Database.

Study protocol for the PICASSO trial: A randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of intraarticular steroid injections and an occupational therapy intervention in painful inflammatory carpometacarpal-1 osteoarthritis.

Objective: Our primary objectives are to assess whether intraarticular corticosteroid injections are superior to saline injections with regards to thumb base pain after 4 weeks, and to compare the efficacy of steroid injections, saline injections, and an occupational therapy intervention on thumb base pain after 12 weeks in people with painful inflammatory osteoarthritis (OA) of the first carpometacarpal (CMC-1) joint.

Design: In this three-armed, double-blind, randomized multicenter trial, 354 participants with painful inflammatory CMC-1 OA from six Norwegian hospitals are recruited. Participants are randomized 1:1:1 to intraarticular steroid or saline injections in the CMC-1 joint or a multimodal occupational therapy intervention.

Clustering regional patterns of left ventricular longitudinal strain in systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary hypertension (SSc-PH) is a heterogeneous disease, often complicated by concomitant left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. However, the contribution of heterogeneity in LV dysfunction is unclear. The objective in this study was to identify regional clusters of LV longitudinal strain via echocardiography to determine how subgroups of LV dysfunction contribute to mortality in SSc-PH.

Use of Biologic or Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and Cancer Risk.

Importance: The Oral Rheumatoid Arthritis Trial Surveillance demonstrated an increased cancer risk among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) taking tofacitinib compared with those taking tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis). Although international cohort studies have compared cancer outcomes between TNFis, non-TNFi drugs, and Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKis), their generalizability to US patients with RA is limited.

Objective: To assess the comparative safety of TNFis, non-TNFi drugs, and JAKis among US patients with RA (ie, the cancer risk associated with the use of these drugs among these patients).

Disparities in Time to Diagnosis of Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) has a 7-year average diagnostic delay. Although the effects of sex or gender on time to diagnosis have been evaluated, the role of social determinants of health remains understudied. We assessed whether time from initial clinical documentation of r-axSpA symptoms to r-axSpA diagnosis (diagnostic delay) varies based on sex, race, ethnicity, and/or the presence of social needs.

Opioid Use and Healthcare Utilization in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Objective: Opioid use among individuals with spondyloarthritis is common; however, data on whether these individuals have higher utilization of the healthcare system are lacking. We examined the association between opioid use and healthcare utilization and costs among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: We included adults with PsA or AS enrolled in the FORWARD registry, with ≥ 1 completed disease activity or disability questionnaire between 2010 and 2019.

Patient and Operative Risk Factors for Osteoarthritis After Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Cohort Study of 41,976 Patients.

Background: The reported incidence of posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis (PTOA) after primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) varies considerably. Further, there are gaps in identifying which patients are at risk for PTOA after ACLR and whether there are modifiable factors.

Purpose: To (1) determine the incidence of PTOA in a primary ACLR cohort and (2) identify patient and perioperative factors associated with the development of PTOA after primary ACLR.

Frequent use of prescription NSAIDs among people with knee or hip osteoarthritis despite contraindications to or precautions with NSAIDs.

Objective: To describe the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), opioids, and physiotherapy (PT) among persons with newly diagnosed knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA) with and without NSAID contraindications or precautions.

Design: We used population-based register data to identify adults aged ≥35 as of January 1, 2014, residing in Skåne region (Sweden) between 2004 and 2013, without a previous knee or hip OA diagnosis. Among this cohort, we identified people with incident knee or hip OA diagnosis between 2014 and 2018 and the presence of contraindications to or precautions for oral NSAIDs at the time of OA diagnosis.

Opioid Administration Practice Patterns in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure Who Undergo Invasive Mechanical Ventilation.

Importance: The opioid crisis is impacting people across the country and deserves attention to be able to curb the rise in opioid-related deaths.

Objectives: To evaluate practice patterns in opioid infusion administration and dosing for patients with acute respiratory failure receiving invasive mechanical ventilation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

The association of TNF inhibitor use with incident cardiovascular events in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Background: Whether tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) use is cardioprotective among individuals with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA), who have heightened cardiovascular (CV) risk, is unclear. We tested the association of TNFi use with incident CV outcomes in r-axSpA.

Methods: We identified a r-axSpA cohort within a Veterans Affairs database between 2002 and 2019 using novel phenotyping methods and secondarily using ICD codes.

A novel measure to summarize blood transfusion practice during critical illness.

Background: Large-scale observational studies have summarized transfusion practice using traditional measures of central tendency (e.g., the mean hemoglobin concentration at the time of transfusion).

Centralized Interactive Phenomics Resource: an integrated online phenomics knowledgebase for health data users.

Objective: Development of clinical phenotypes from electronic health records (EHRs) can be resource intensive. Several phenotype libraries have been created to facilitate reuse of definitions. However, these platforms vary in target audience and utility.

Multimorbidity phenotypes in ankylosing spondylitis and their association with disease activity and functional impairment: Data from the prospective study of outcomes in ankylosing spondylitis cohort.

Objectives: To examine the association of multimorbidity phenotypes at baseline with disease activity and functional status over time in ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: Patient-reported AS morbidities (comorbidities, N = 28 and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations, EMMs, N = 3) within 3 years of enrollment with a prevalence ≥1 %, were included from the Prospective Study of Outcomes in Ankylosing Spondylitis (PSOAS) cohort. We defined multimorbidity as ≥2 morbidities (MM2+) and substantial multimorbidity as ≥5 morbidities (MM5+).

Deprescribing medications among patients with multiple prescribers: A socioecological model.

Deprescribing is the intentional dose reduction or discontinuation of a medication. The development of deprescribing interventions should take into consideration important organizational, interprofessional, and patient-specific barriers that can be further complicated by the presence of multiple prescribers involved in a patient's care. Patients who receive care from an increasing number of prescribers may experience disruptions in the timely transfer of relevant healthcare information, increasing the risk of exposure to drug-drug interactions and other medication-related problems.

Perceptions about smartphone-based interventions to promote physical activity in inactive adults with knee pain - A qualitative study.

Purpose: Smartphone-based interventions offer a promising approach to address inactivity in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). We explored perceptions towards smartphone-based interventions to improve physical activity, pain, and depressed mood in inactive people with knee pain.

Methods: This qualitative study included six focus groups at Boston University with inactive people with knee pain ( = 35).