A uniform reference system for rheumatology journals.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Doherty.
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Muscle has an integral role in the structure and function of joints. Evidence for muscle weakness in osteoarthritis of the knee exists and is not fully explained by the effects of aging. Weakness is associated with pain and disability. The temporal relationship requires further study, but preliminary evidence for a causative role is emerging. Muscle weakness can be assessed in various ways. Voluntary measures of strength are affected by degree of effort. In osteoarthritic patients, as in other patient groups, effort may be influenced by pain and psychologic outlook. Techniques to estimate muscle activation are available but have yet to be fully explored in osteoarthritis. Quadriceps exercises increases strength and may have beneficial effects on pain and function. The long-term benefits of exercise for therapy and possible prevention of osteoarthritis are not yet known. This is an exciting area of research, and it is anticipated that more findings will emerge in the near future.
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OBJECTIVE: To determine if a single time point estimation of chondroitin sulphate (CS) or keratan sulphate (KS) epitopes, hyaluronan (HA), or total glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in knee synovial fluid at time of hospital referral can predict subsequent radiographic progression of knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: Two groups of hospital referred patients with knee osteoarthritis were compared: (1) a "progressive" group (n = 45), showing further reduction in radiographic joint space of at least one grade (0-3) in at least one compartment; and (2) a "non-progressive" group (n = 25) in whom radiographs showed no change during the mean follow up period of 2.3 years (median 2, range 1 to 5 years). Knee synovial fluid obtained at the first visit was examined by ELISA for: CS epitopes, using monoclonal antibodies 3B3 and 7D4; KS epitope, using monoclonal antibody 5D4; and HA, using biotinylated HA binding region of cartilage proteoglycan. Total sulphated GAG were measured by dye binding with 1:9 dimethylmethylene blue. RESULTS: In patients with bilateral synovial fluid data right and left knee values were closely correlated for all variables. There were no significant differences between CS and KS epitopes, HA, total sulphated GAG, or ratios of individual CS or KS epitopes to total GAG, between progressive and non-progressive groups. CONCLUSIONS: Single time point estimation of CS, KS, HA, or total GAG in synovial fluid does not distinguish radiographically progressive and non-progressive knee osteoarthritis patients followed for two years.
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OBJECTIVES: To determine concentrations of chondroitin sulphate (CS) and keratan sulphate (KS) epitopes, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and hyaluronan (HA) in knee synovial fluid (SF) from normal subjects and patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to test whether these variables may be used as markers of the OA process. METHODS: OA was subdivided into large joint OA (LJOA), nodal generalised OA (NGOA), and OA with calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition (CPA). Clinical assessment of inflammation (0-6) was undertaken on OA and RA knees. Knee SF was examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for: CS epitopes, using monoclonal antibodies 3-B-3 and 7-D-4; KS epitope using monoclonal antibody 5-D-4; and HA, using biotinylated HA binding region of cartilage proteoglycan. Total sulphated GAGs were measured by dye binding with 1:9 dimethylmethylene blue. RESULTS: Increased SF 3-B-3 concentrations and 3-B-3/GAG ratio were found in OA, compared with RA or normal knees, with higher 3-B-3 and 3-B-3/GAG in LJOA and NGOA than in CPA. SF 7-D-4 and 7-D-4/GAG were reduced in RA, compared with normal and OA; SF 5-D-4 was reduced in OA compared with normal. GAG and HA concentrations were decreased in both OA and RA. No correlations with radiographic scores were observed, but SF 7-D-4 was lower in 'inflamed' compared with 'non-inflamed' RA and OA knees. In patients with bilateral samples there were strong correlations between right and left knees for all SF variables. CONCLUSIONS: Changed concentrations of SF CS and KS can be detected in OA with a profile that differs from that seen in RA. Clinical subgrouping and local joint inflammation may influence these measures, supporting different pathogenesis within OA subgroups and requirement for careful patient characterisation in SF studies.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare lung volumes in a large cross sectional sample of Greek swimmers, land based athletes, and sedentary controls by means of allometric scaling. METHODS: Four hundred and fifty nine asymptomatic Greek children and young adults (age 10-21 years), including 159 swimmers, 130 land based athletes, and 170 sedentary controls, performed forced expiratory manoeuvres into a portable spirometer. Measurements included forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0), and peak expiratory flow. Body mass and stature were also measured using standardised anthropometric techniques. RESULTS: Logarithmic transformations showed that in FEV1.0 was highly related to in stature in males and females (r = 0.93 and 0.86 respectively, P < 0.001) and were used to determine the exponent in an allometric equation which also included age and age. Resulting power functions, FEV1.0/stature, were 0.64 (0.18) litres/m2.69 and 0.33 (0.24) litres/m2.32 for males and females respectively (mean (SE)). The male and female swimming groups had larger FEV1.0 than both land based athletes and sedentary controls (one way analysis of variance, P < 0.001). In addition, male national standard swimmers (n = 38) had superior FEV1.0 in comparison with male non-national standard swimmers (n = 24; t test, P < 0.05). However, when years of swimming training was controlled for by analysis of covariance, the difference in FEV1.0 between the two groups was no longer evident. CONCLUSIONS: Swimmers have superior FEV1.0 independent of stature and age in comparison with both land based athletes and sedentary controls. In addition, male national standard swimmers have superior FEV1.0 independent of stature and age in comparison with male non-national standard swimmers. When years of training is controlled for, the difference in FEV1.0 between the two groups is no longer evident. This suggests that the years of swimming training and/or the earlier age at which training begins may have a significant influence on subsequent FEV1.0 and swimming performance. However, because of the cross sectional nature of this study, the results do not exclude genetic endowment as a major determinant of the superior lung volume observed in swimmers.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate longterm pain and disability subsequent to a tibial shaft fracture treated conservatively. DESIGN AND SETTING: Subjects who had sustained a tibial shaft fracture more than 27 years ago were compared with those who had not. SUBJECTS: 572 fracture patients (identified from the records of the plaster room) aged over 16 at the time of injury were contracted and were compared with 2285 randomly selected subjects matched for age, sex, and general practice. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self reported knee pain; self reported GP's diagnosis of osteoarthritis; ability to climb stairs, walk 100 yards, to bend, kneel, or stoop; and SF-36 physical functioning score. RESULTS: Subjects were reviewed between 27 and 41 years after tibial shaft fracture (mean 35 years). Fracture patients were more likely to suffer chronic knee pain (odds ratio 1.23; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 1.51) and report being given a diagnosis of osteoarthritis by their GP (odds ratio 1.46; 95% CI 1.08, 1.97). The ability to climb stairs, walk 100 yards, and bend, kneel, or stoop was less in the fracture group than the other subjects. The SF-36 physical function score was significantly lower in the fracture group. CONCLUSIONS: More than 27 years after a tibial shaft fracture, subjects have more knee pain than the rest of the population. They also have greater difficulty performing everyday physical activities. The excess morbidity may be due to injury factors or treatment factors, and further research is needed to investigate this important association further.
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