Update On Osteoarthritis An Issue Of Rheumatic Disease Clinics

Guest edited by David Hunter, this issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics provides an update on the latest diagnosis, treatment and long-term management strategies for osteoarthritis. Topics to be covered include pathogenesis, joint mechanics, imaging of osteoarthritis, muscle and disease genesis, disease modification, and surgical strategies for treatment.

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability among older adults affecting upward of 1 in 8 adults. This issue will cover epidemiology, imaging, disease management and modification, and many more topics.

This issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics, guest edited by Drs. James Katz and Brian Walitt with the NIH, will cover several key aspects of diagnosing and treating Rheumatic Diseases in Older Adults. The Consulting Editor for the series is Dr. Michael Weisman. The topics discussed in the issue will include: Pharmacotherapy Pearls for the Geriatrician, Pathogenesis and Management of Sarcopenia, A Review of Osteoporosis in the Older Adult, Regional Rheumatic Disorders and Rehabilitation in Older Adults, Rheumatologic Manifestations of Malignancy, Sjögren Syndrome and Other Causes of Sicca in Older Adults, Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases, Update on Crystal-Induced Arthritides, Immune dysregulation in aging with a focus on B cells and their potential clinical consequence, and Spinal Stenosis, among others.

Guest edited by Drs. Jonathan Kay and Sergio Schwartzman, this issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics will cover Controversies in Rheumatology. This issue is one of four selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Michael Weisman of Cedars-Sinai. Articles explore several questions, including, but not limited to: Is triple therapy or methotrexate plus a biologic the initial treatment of choice for RA patients; Is hypo or hyper-uricemia a risk requiring treatment for cardiac morbidity and mortality; Are there benefits and risks to biosimilars from a patient perspective; Should platelet-rich plasma be used to treat osteoarthritis; Is there a role for stem cell therapy to treat cartilage defects in osteoarthritis; Should any rheumatology patient, today, be treated with bone marrow ablation and stem cell transplantation; Is there effective prevention, prophylaxis, or treatment for CPPD arthritis; Is fibromyalgia a psychiatric disease or a pain syndrome; Should cyclophosphamide still be used to treat ANCA-associated vasculitis; Does methotrexate have a place in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis; Should hydroxychloroquine dosing be limited because of potential ocular toxicity; and Should generalized immunosuppression or targeted organ treatment be the best principle for overall management of SLE.

Guest edited by Drs. Daniel J. Wallace and R. Swamy Venuturupalli, this issue of Rheumatic Disease Clinics will cover several key areas of interest related to Best Practices and Challenges to the Practice of Rheumatology. This issue is one of four selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Michael Weisman of Cedars-Sinai. Articles in this issue include, but are not limited to: The Economics of Rheumatology Practice in the United States, Manpower trends in rheumatology, Challenges to practicing rheumatology in an academic center, Challenges in practicing rheumatology in a government setting, Challenges to practicing rheumatology in a small private practice setting, Challenges to working in a large multispecialty organization, Challenges to practicing pediatric rheumatology, Clinical trials in rheumatology, Challenges in having an infusion center, Implementing treatment to target in the clinic, Future directions: implementing new technologies in clinical practice, Possible Challenges in Optimizing Medical Education for Rheumatologists, and the challenges of approaching and managing gout.

Guest edited by Dr. Brian Mandell, this issue of Medical Clinics of North America will cover several key areas of interest related to Rheumatology. This issue is one of six selected each year by our series Consulting Editor, Dr. Jack Ende. Articles in this issue include but are not limited to: Vaccinations in Patients with Rheumatic Disease: Consider Disease and Therapy, Rheumatic Complications of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Managing the Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Rheumatic Disease, Statin associated myalgias and muscle injury – recognizing and managing both while still lowering the low-density lipoprotein, Perioperative Management of Rheumatic Disease and Therapies, Fibromyalgia: Recognition and Management in the Primary Care Office, Management and Cure of Gouty Arthritis, Update on the Treatment of Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Suspecting and Diagnosing the Patient with Spondyloarthritis and What to Expect from Therapy, Pregnancy and Management in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Obstetrical Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis: Early Diagnosis and Treatment, Management of Knee Osteoarthritis: What Internists Need to Know, Antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing for the diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and more.

The amount of new information, about the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) that has appeared in recent years is striking. Given the growing body of clinical trial data on a diverse range of OA therapies and the burgeoning interest in OA in general, one might imagine that we treat the disease more effectively today than we did in the past. But do we? Undoubtedly, we can do better. Although it is true that we can treat some patients with OA more safely than we did in the past, many OA patients continue to have significant joint pain and functional limitations despite the use of glucosamine, coxibs, intra-articular hyaluronan, and other treatments.

With consultation of Dr. Bonita Stanton, Consulting Editor, Drs. Li and Higgins have secured experts in the field to provide clinical reviews on the latest updates in diagnosing and treating children with rheumatologic disease. The issue contains articles on the following topics: Approach to the Child with Joint Pain; What goes wrong that Leads to Rheumatic Disease; Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis; Spondyloarthropathies; Systemic Arthritis; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Sjogren’s and Mixed CTD in Children and Adolescents; Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies in Children; Juvenile Scleroderma; Chronic Non-Infectious Osteomyelitis and Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis; Non-Inflammatory Musculoskeletal Pain in Children or Pediatric Pain Syndromes; Complications of Immunosuppressive and Biologic Response Modifier Therapy; General Health Concerns and Fitness for the Child with Rheumatic Disease; Transition of Rheumatic Disease Care: Pediatric to Adult Care; and Advocacy for Children with Rheumatic Diseases. Readers will be able to utilize the information in the issue to improve outcomes in patients with rheumatologic disease.