Basilar thumb arthritis is a common problem that affects 7% of men and 15% of women. It is regarded as one of the more painful procedures commonly performed by hand surgeons. Opioid overuse and diversion are significant problems in the country that contribute to opioid addiction as well as deaths from opioid overdose. Prior studies have examined the effect of different nerve block compositions on perioperative and postoperative analgesia, but none have looked at perioperative loading analgesia. We will attempt to address this problem by exploring alternative analgesia regimens to decrease opioid prescribing after 1st carpometacarpal...
The goals of treating knee osteoarthritis (OA) is to improve or maintain quality of life, mobility and function, pain relief, and improve inflammation. The different treatment options for knee OA have been extensively studied and implemented, but the optimum treatment is still undecided. There is a belief that anti-inflammatory sleeve technology may be beneficial in treating knee OA. The purpose of this study is to determine if the Reparelâ„¢ knee sleeve results in superior mobility, functionality, and pain outcomes as compared to a placebo knee sleeve in managing knee OA.
This project is designed to identify the biomechanical mechanisms of Tai Chi (TC) exercise and test a novel optimized TC intervention by modifying newly identified mechanisms for those with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to assess the changes in mechanical load with the intervention. It combines unique real time torque biofeedback approach, and uses external knee adduction moment (EKAM) as modulation target tailored to TC intervention in this population. The potential benefit from this project is to provide biomechanical insights of TC and this novel TC approach may produce meaningful changes of mechanical load in these patients who...
This will be prospective study of patients with knee effusion associated with degenerative osteoarthritis or symptomatic primary total knee arthroplasty that undergo therapeutic joint arthrocentesis. The diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis will be based on knee radiographs (including AP, Rosenburg view, lateral and Merchant views) read and interpreted by one of our clinical providers (PA, Fellow or Surgeon). Patients with at least Grade II Kellgren and Lawrence changes or higher will be included in the osteoarthritis group. Patients in the arthroplasty group must have had a primary total knee arthroplasty without infection (as ...
This study is a pilot, proof of concept study to determine the effects of administering an oral short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) supplement to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients with inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX). The study will include up to 35 participants to obtain a sample size of at least 25 participants taking the oral supplement. The researchers hypothesize that oral SCFA will change the participants' gut microbiome and regulatory immune responses. Clinical data to assess for adverse events, stool, urine samples and peripheral blood will be collected at baseline, 1 month, and with an optional 2 month time-point. Fecal ...
The hypersensitivity of fibromyalgia is associated with abnormal pain modulation within the CNS, but not with peripheral or central sensitization. Many brain areas that contribute to modulation of pain are known, but their testing is complex and expensive. Quantitative sensory testing is easier to perform and repeatable. Therefore, it will be used to evaluate the effects of Breathing Attention Training (BAT) on the hypersensitivity of FM participants. BAT is a form of mindfulness meditation shown to decrease FM symptoms and possibly pain sensitivity. We hypothesize that pain modulation of chronic pain patients is improved by BAT.
The purpose of this proposed study is to investigate both the acute and chronic response of frontal plane knee moment after gait retraining and to assess the effects on the biomechanics of the contralateral side. Fifty-one patients diagnosed with tibiofemoral joint osteoarthritis (TFJ OA) will be recruited to participate in the proposed study. Participants will complete baseline trials to assess gait kinematic and kinetic parameters. Following baseline, each participant will perform six conditions of the foot progression gait or three conditions of the trunk lean gait modifications to determine which strategy is most effective in...
This study investigates how well individuals with knee osteoarthritis can learn to alter their calf muscle activation using haptic biofeedback while walking and evaluates how these changes affect knee loading. Prior research has utilized musculoskeletal simulations to determine that reducing the activation of one of the calf muscles, the gastrocnemius, can have a large impact on reducing knee loading. However, this has not been tested in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. In this study, participants will be trained to alter the activation of their gastrocnemius muscle, by receiving haptic feedback after each step. The feedback...
The goal of this clinical trial is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to the ear on pain and autonomic function in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) whether tVNS is feasible to be used in people with knee OA; 2) whether tVNS demonstrates the trend in improving knee pain; and 3) whether tVNS has physiological effects on autonomic function (e.g., parasympathetic function) and pain perception in the central nervous system such as brain (i.e., central pain mechanisms). Participants will be asked to complete a battery of self-reported...
The overall goal of this pilot randomized trial is to obtain necessary prerequisite data to conduct a randomized controlled intervention to test the effect of vitamin K supplementation on knee osteoarthritis progression and related functional decline. To address critical parameters required to design this larger RCT, we will conduct a double-blind, 2-armed, parallel-group intervention study, with a placebo run-in, in which 50 adults with mild to moderate knee OA and low baseline vitamin K status will be randomly assigned to 1 mg phylloquinone/day or matching placebo, and treated for 6 months. Specifically, we will: (1) compare the...