The purpose of this research is to compare two outpatient pain management strategies in patients undergoing spinal surgeries such as microdiscectomies, foraminotomies, and spinal decompressions.
Currently the diagnosis of OA is based on radiographs and clinical findings, which is limited to detecting late-stage disease. There is a pressing, unmet clinical need for robust assessment of early changes in cartilage health. Towards this goal, extensive efforts are ongoing to develop quantitative MRI for cartilage matrix analysis. MR T1ρ and T2 relaxation times have shown to be promising imaging biomarkers for early cartilage degeneration and prediction of disease progression. However, many challenges remain to clinically applying these techniques, including lack of standardized acquisition and quantification methods, and long acquisition times. The study aims to develop novel,...
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about how fatigue affects the risk of falling in adults aged 55-70 years with and without knee osteoarthritis. The main questions this trial aims to answer are: - Does fatigue increase the risk of tripping while walking? and - Does fatigue increase the risk of falling in response to a trip while walking? Participants will - Complete questionnaires - Wear a device that measures physical activity for 5-7 days - Complete a 30 minute walk on a treadmill - Complete the following before and after the treadmill walk: - Computer test to measure mental fatigue - Maximal strength...
Background: - Researchers are interested in how the muscles affect the movement of the knee cap. These muscles may be related to different kinds of knee pain that are not caused by an injury or a disease. Imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to look at these muscles. To study these muscles and how they move, researchers will use MRI to look at healthy individuals and individuals with knee cap pain. Objectives: - To study how changes to the muscles around the knee can influence knee pain. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 to 55 years of age who have knee cap pain that cannot be explained by a...
Shoulder pain is extremely common after stroke and occurs in 30-70% of patients. The pain may begin as early as one week after stroke, although peak onset and severity occurs around four months, and persists into the chronic stage. Chronic post stroke shoulder pain (PSSP) interferes with motor recovery, decreases quality of life, and contributes to depression. PSSP is thought to be caused mainly by damage to the myofascial tissues around the shoulder joint. Interestingly, an MRI study in patients with PSSP showed that the degree of structural damage to the muscles did not correlate with the degree of pain. Thus, the pathophysiology of myofascial dysfunction and pain in PSSP has not...
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if preparing the target alignment of the operative side in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) based on the non-arthritic side will give the patient better overall alignment, function, and improved results compared to basing our implant alignment and positioning off the arthritic side, which is currently the traditional method. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Will a patient have improved postoperative TKA results if the implant alignment is based off the non-arthritic side compared to the standard arthritic side? - What are the similarities or differences between study arms with respect to final implant...
Background: - Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of bone and joint disorders that may cause back and joint pain and stiffness. In some cases, SpA can lead to abnormal bone growth affecting the joints and spine. Some patients have SpA without ever developing these growths, while others develop them after only a few years. Researchers are interested in studying people with SpA and their relatives to determine which people are more likely to develop more severe conditions. Objectives: - To identify symptoms and medical tests that can help determine whether a person with SpA is at risk for developing more severe forms of the...
Background: Inflammatory conditions can cause symptoms like fevers, arthritis, and rash. Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is one of these conditions. So is adult-onset Still s disease (AOSD). Their causes are unknown. Researchers want to learn more about these conditions. This includes genetic changes and environmental factors. Objective: To study sJIA and AOSD in children and adults over time. Eligibility: People with known or suspected sJIA, AOSD, or similar inflammatory condition Design: Participants will be screened with a phone call. Participants will have 1 visit. It may be outpatient or they may be admitted to the clinic. The visit may last...
Objective: To collect information and biospecimens (such as blood, muscle, and skin samples) that will be used to research causes and treatments of inflammatory muscle diseases. Eligibility: People aged 12 years and older with suspected or confirmed inflammatory muscle disease. Healthy volunteers aged 18 years and older are also needed. Design: Participants will have at least 1 clinic visit. Each visit will last 4 to 8 hours. Some may return for additional visits. All participants will undergo these procedures (unless they are unable to): - Physical exam, including blood and urine tests. - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the thigh. Participants...
Background: Some diseases cause chronic inflammation with intermittent flares in the body. These are called autoinflammatory diseases. They can cause fevers, rashes, ulcers, and other problems. Researchers want to learn more about the causes and effects of these diseases. They hope this will improve how the disease is managed in the future. Objectives: To understand the underlying immune dysregulation To identify the genetic cause To translate our findings into novel treatments that improve patients disease outcomes Eligibility: Patients with known NOMID/CAPS, DIRA, CANDLE, SAVI, NLRC4-MAS, Still's Disease, and with other yet undifferentiated autoinflammatory...