Marker accurately predicts patients needing hip and knee replacement ops

A marker has been found indicating the risk of a patient requiring hip or knee replacements due to severe osteoarthritis (OA).

German research published in Arthritis and Rheumatism has found that vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) is a strong predictor of this.

The study examined 912 Italians in 1990 and performed follow-ups every five years until 2005, with analysis of blood samples.

According to the authors this is more accurate than basing judgements on age and weight and could be of use in identifying which patients are most likely to require hip or knee operations.

"Further clarification of the mechanism underlying the association between VCAM-1 level and OA may well contribute to a better understanding of disease etiology," they state.

Federico Moscogiuri, head of policy and campaigns at Arthritis Care, recently claimed that reducing joint inflammation and duration of episodes can cut the risk of patients requiring hip replacement surgery.

<< Back

News provided by Adfero in collaboration with Biomet. Please note that all copy is (c) Adfero Ltd and does not reflect the views or opinions of Biomet unless explicitly stated.