Diagnosing osteoarthritis often occurs in the late stages when cartilage degradation is severe, making it difficult to distinguish it from other types of arthritis and to determine the best treatment plan. In work published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, investigators have developed and tested a new diagnostic test that uses two markers found in the synovial fluid of patients' joints.
The ACL is in the middle of the knee joint and is an intra-articular ligament. This is important to understand because, in general, extra-articular ligaments (MCL) can heal sometimes on their own without surgery, while intra-articular ligaments (ACL) cannot.
For people with an injured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee, surgical ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is an effective treatment for restoring joint stability. However, many treated patients still develop additional long-term knee problems, such as knee osteoarthritis.
A knee examination is usually the first step in determining the cause of knee pain. During this exam, your healthcare provider may do knee tests designed to evaluate knee function and range of motion.
A rotator cuff tear is marked by damage to one (or more) of the four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Warning signs of a torn rotator cuff are typically felt in the shoulder area. Both partial rotator cuff tears and complete, full-thickness rotator cuff tears (FTRCTs) can make arm movements difficult and cause sharp pain or a dull ache in the shoulder that worsens at night.
