Although some observational studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation is beneficial for knee osteoarthritis (OA), a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study called VIDEO found no benefit for vitamin D supplementation on pain reduction or change on tibial cartilage volume in patients with symptomatic knee OA and low endogenous vitamin D levels.

Healthcare in the United States has experienced a tremendous amount of reform and innovation, especially in the past 10 years, with an emphasis on improving value. Value in healthcare is driven by increasing quality of care while reducing cost. The evolution of quality measurement has been proactive and voluntary within national organizations, such as the National Quality Forum.¹ Reform has been less voluntary through government mandates, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Painful and expensive to manage, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the most common disorders found in veterans and active duty personnel. According to a recent report from researchers behind a cohort designed to shed more light on this patient population, >50% of all veterans receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have been diagnosed with MSDs, and that the number is increasing annually.

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London, United Kingdom—Routine ultrasound is not justified for the follow-up of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with an aggressive treat-to-target strategy, according to results from the ARCTIC trial.

According to a recently published analysis of 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, approximately 1 in 4 adults is currently living with physician-diagnosed arthritis in the United States. A primary cause for disability that affects approximately 52.5 million US adults, arthritis is expected to affect 78.4 million adults in 2040.

Providing treatment options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis is paramount to treating the disease. Although existing therapies have been effective, treatment response is still a concern in this patient population.

Although treatment options are available in elderly patients with shoulder arthritis, they are limited in young patients. In a recent review, Jonathan D. Barlow, MD, Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, and Joseph Abboud, MD, Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Institute, Philadelphia, PA, discussed ongoing diagnostic and treatment challenges, including surgical options in young patients with glenohumeral arthritis.

Baricitinib, an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor taken once daily, improved signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who were refractory to other treatments, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, or other biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to investigators in a placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial reported on recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.