Bone and Spine News

July 4, 2024

Top Headlines

Drugs That Kill 'Zombie' Cells May Benefit Some Older Women, but Not All

July 2, 2024 — Drugs that selectively kill senescent cells may benefit otherwise healthy older women but are not a 'one-size-fits-all' remedy, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Specifically, these drugs may only benefit people with a high number of senescent ...

New Device Inspired by Python Teeth Doubles Strength of Rotator Cuff Repairs

June 28, 2024 — Researchers have developed a python-tooth-inspired device as a supplement to current rotator cuff suture repair, and found that it nearly doubled repair strength. Their biomimetic approach following ...

Circadian Rhythm Drives the Release of Important Immune Cells

June 17, 2024 — A study reveals that the migration of innate lymphoid cells is ruled by circadian rhythms and are one of the many biological functions dictated by the Earth's 24-hour day/night ...

How Old Is Your Bone Marrow?

June 21, 2024 — Our bone marrow the fatty, jelly-like substance inside our bones is an unseen powerhouse quietly producing 500 billion new blood cells every day. That process is driven by hematopoietic stem cells that generate all of the various types of blood ...

Latest Headlines

updated 4:51pm EDT

Walking Brings Huge Benefits for Low Back Pain

June 20, 2024 — Adults with a history of low back pain went nearly twice as long without a recurrence of their back pain if they walked regularly, a world-first study has ...

Tabulae Paralytica: Mapping the Biology of Spinal Cord Injury in Unprecedented Detail

June 19, 2024 — Scientists have achieved a significant research milestone in the field of spinal cord injuries -- mapping out the cellular and molecular dynamics of ...

Promising Drug Target for Treating Osteoporosis

June 18, 2024 — Osteoporosis or the weakening of bones makes the aging population vulnerable to fractures and a decreased quality of life. The parathyroid hormone (PTH)-derived peptide -- teriparatide has ...

Mouse Study Identifies Unique Approach for Preventing Life-Threatening Complications After Spinal Cord Injury

June 12, 2024 — A new study identifies a druggable cellular target that, if controlled properly, could prevent or lessen autonomic dysfunction and improve quality of ...

Preoperative Antibiotic Treatment in Pediatric Elbow Fracture Surgery Is Not Necessary, Study Suggests

June 5, 2024 — Antibiotic treatment prior to surgical repair of a pediatric elbow fracture does not reduce the risk for post-operative ...

Ancient Medicine Blends With Modern-Day Research in New Tissue Regeneration Method

May 31, 2024 — For centuries, civilizations have used naturally occurring, inorganic materials for their perceived healing properties. Egyptians thought green ...

New Study Reveals Key Protein That Could Help Prevent Excessive Bone Loss in Osteoporosis

May 30, 2024 — Osteoporosis is characterized by the weakening of bones, making them fragile and prone to breakage. Excessive activity of 'osteoclasts' or ...

New Immunotherapy Could Treat Cancer in the Bone

May 29, 2024 — A new type of immunotherapy has shown promising preclinical results against a bone cancer called osteosarcoma, as part of a study in ...

Researchers Introduce Programmable Materials to Help Heal Broken Bones

May 21, 2024 — Natural materials like bone, bird feathers and wood have an intelligent approach to physical stress distribution, despite their irregular architectures. However, the relationship between stress ...

New Therapeutic Avenues in Bone Repair

May 21, 2024 — Researchers have shown that a naturally occurring peptide (small protein) holds promise as a new therapeutic for osteoporosis and other disorders that feature bone loss, with distinct advantages over ...

Earlier Headlines

Gene Therapy Relieves Back Pain, Repairs Damaged Disc in Mice

May 16, 2024 — Disc-related back pain may one day meet its therapeutic match: gene therapy delivered by naturally derived nanocarriers that, a new study shows, repairs damaged discs in the spine and lowers pain ...

Blood Pressure Drugs More Than Double Bone-Fracture Risk in Nursing Home Patients

May 15, 2024 — New research finds a link between common medications and life-threatening ...

'Wraparound' Implants Represent New Approach to Treating Spinal Cord Injuries

May 8, 2024 — A tiny, flexible electronic device that wraps around the spinal cord could represent a new approach to the treatment of spinal injuries, which can cause profound disability and paralysis. A team of ...

Could Getting Enough Sleep Help Prevent Osteoporosis?

May 7, 2024 — In people's early- to mid-20s, they reach what is called peak bone mineral density, which is higher for men than it is for women, according to researchers. This peak is one of the main ...

Shoulder Surgeons Should Rethink a Common Practice, Study Suggests

Apr. 25, 2024 — Many surgeons remove the bursa when repairing rotator cuff injuries, but a new animal study suggests that the small tissue helps with ...

After Spinal Cord Injury, Neurons Wreak Havoc on Metabolism

Apr. 24, 2024 — Conditions such as diabetes, heart attack and vascular diseases commonly diagnosed in people with spinal cord injuries can be traced to abnormal post-injury neuronal activity that causes abdominal ...

New Treatment Method Using Plasma Irradiation Promotes Faster Bone Healing

Apr. 16, 2024 — Aiming to shorten fracture recovery times, a research group is focusing on plasma irradiation as a treatment method to speed up bone ...

Brainless Memory Makes the Spinal Cord Smarter Than Previously Thought

Apr. 11, 2024 — Researchers have discovered the neural circuitry in the spinal cord that allows brain-independent motor learning. The study found two critical groups of spinal cord neurons, one necessary for new ...

Cellular Architecture of Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis Now Mapped out

Mar. 20, 2024 — Using advanced methodology, scientists have been able to reveal at the cellular level how lesions in multiple sclerosis ...

Doctors Can Now Watch Spinal Cord Activity During Surgery

Mar. 7, 2024 — Scientists can make high resolution images of the human spinal cord during surgery. The advancement could help bring real relief to millions suffering chronic back ...

Researchers Create Method to Detect Cases of Anemia in Archaeological Remains

Mar. 1, 2024 — Anthropologists working with a hematologist colleague have developed a way to detect anemia in archaeological remains through microscopic patterns in the structures of ...

New Diagnostic Tool for Femoral Osteoporosis Improves the Efficacy and Viability of Current Methods

Feb. 21, 2024 — The new diagnostic methodology, which will enable anticipating and preventing a greater number of cases of femur fracture, is the result of research conducted under a public-private ...

Compounds in Female Ginseng Could Lead to New Osteoporosis Treatments

Feb. 21, 2024 — With ever-increasing life expectancy comes the challenge of treating age-related disorders such as osteoporosis. Although there are effective drugs for treating this metabolic bone disease, they can ...

Wound-Homing Molecule Accelerates Tissue Repair

Feb. 15, 2024 — Medical researchers have found a peptide which, when administered intravenously, homes in on the new blood vessels that are forming in damaged tissue. The peptide has been used as a delivery vehicle ...

Type 2 Diabetes Alters the Behavior of Discs in the Vertebral Column

Feb. 13, 2024 — Type 2 diabetes alters the behavior of discs in the vertebral column, making them stiffer, and also causes the discs to change shape earlier than normal. As a result, the disc's ability to ...

Molecule Can Quickly, and Briefly, Boost White Blood Cell Counts

Jan. 31, 2024 — Treatment with a molecule known as A485 can quickly and temporarily increase levels of white blood cells, a critical part of the body's immune system, an effect that is difficult to deliver with ...

Walking Fitness Can Predict Fracture Risk in Older Adults

Jan. 23, 2024 — The ability to walk one kilometer comfortably can help predict fracture risk, according to researchers. The findings suggest that simply asking a patient about walking limitation could allow ...

RSV Shown to Infect Nerve Cells, Cause Inflammation and Damage

Jan. 9, 2024 — RSV, a common infection in children and the elderly thought to only infect the respiratory tract, can also infect nerve cells and cause nerve damage, according to a new study. The findings could have ...

YAP and TAZ: Protein Partners Identified as Potential Key for Fetal Bone Development

Jan. 4, 2024 — A pair of proteins could contribute to the development of healthy, strong bones by directing early cell movement and blood vessel ...

Spinal Cord Stimulation a Potential New Way to Treat Depression

Dec. 21, 2023 — A pilot clinical trial found electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is feasible, well-tolerated and shows therapeutic potential to treat ...