Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee with bracing: a scoping review

Knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability around the world. Knee bracing provides a conservative management option for symptom relief. A variety of different bracing types, manufacturers and products are currently available on the market. The goal of this study is to examine the current state of the literature regarding the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with unloader bracing, specifically examining the representation of specific brace types, manufacturers and models within the literature. A scoping review technique was used because of its ability to evaluate research activity within an area of study and identify gaps within the literature. A thorough search of the MEDLINE database was conducted for articles where a knee brace model was identified, and we identified characteristics of the studies to evaluate important information about the body of literature related to knee bracing for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Fifty eligible studies were identified. The majority of studies have been published in the United States, and a large increase in the number of publications in this field was seen between 2010-2014. The most prominent study type was prospective comparative studies (44%), however there is a lack of randomized controlled trials (6%) within the literature. The most prominent hinge type within the literature is the dual hinge push brace, followed by the single hinge pull. While a large increase in the number of studies evaluating the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with bracing has occurred in the past 5 years, there is a lack of high quality studies evaluating the efficacy of the technique, as well as a lack of studies comparing bracing types and models.

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Global neurosurgery: a scoping review detailing the current state of international neurosurgical outreach

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2020.2.jns192517 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Anthony T. Fuller ◽

Ariana Barkley ◽

Robin Du ◽

Cyrus Elahi ◽

Ali R. Tafreshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Medical Personnel ◽

The United States ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Gray Literature ◽

Current State ◽

Study Selection ◽

Research And Education

OBJECTIVEGlobal neurosurgery is a rapidly emerging field that aims to address the worldwide shortages in neurosurgical care. Many published outreach efforts and initiatives exist to address the global disparity in neurosurgical care; however, there is no centralized report detailing these efforts. This scoping review aims to characterize the field of global neurosurgery by identifying partnerships between high-income countries (HICs) and low- and/or middle-income countries (LMICs) that seek to increase neurosurgical capacity.METHODSA scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A search was conducted in five electronic databases and the gray literature, defined as literature not published through traditional commercial or academic means, to identify studies describing global neurosurgery partnerships. Study selection and data extraction were performed by four independent reviewers, and any disagreements were settled by the team and ultimately the team lead.RESULTSThe original database search produced 2221 articles, which was reduced to 183 final articles after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. These final articles, along with 9 additional gray literature references, captured 169 unique global neurosurgery collaborations between HICs and LMICs. Of this total, 103 (61%) collaborations involved surgical intervention, while local training of medical personnel, research, and education were done in 48%, 38%, and 30% of efforts, respectively. Many of the collaborations (100 [59%]) are ongoing, and 93 (55%) of them resulted in an increase in capacity within the LMIC involved. The largest proportion of efforts began between 2005–2009 (28%) and 2010–2014 (17%). The most frequently involved HICs were the United States, Canada, and France, whereas the most frequently involved LMICs were Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.CONCLUSIONSThis review provides a detailed overview of current global neurosurgery efforts, elucidates gaps in the existing literature, and identifies the LMICs that may benefit from further efforts to improve accessibility to essential neurosurgical care worldwide.

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Curriculum Initiatives to Enhance Research Skills Acquisition by Medical Students: A Scoping Review of the Literature

10.21203/rs.3.rs-144591/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Crea Carberry ◽

Geoff McCombe ◽

Helen Tobin ◽

Diarmuid Stokes ◽

Jason Last ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Student Performance ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Research Output ◽

The United States ◽

Skills Acquisition ◽

Research Activity ◽

Research Skills ◽

Medical Degree ◽

Intercalated Degree

Abstract Background: Although it is accepted that providing medical students with opportunities to engage in research activity is beneficial, little data has been collated on how medical degree curricula may address this issue. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a scoping review examining curriculum initiatives that seek to enhance research experience for medical students.Methods: This review looks to specifically look at ’doing research’ as defined by the MEDINE 2 consensus rather than ‘using research’ for the bachelor component of the Bologna Cycle. The five-stage framework developed by Arksey & O’Malley was utilised.Results: Ultimately, 120 articles were included in this scoping review; 26 related to intercalated degree options and 94 to non-intercalated degree options. Research initiatives from the United States were most featured (53/120 articles). For non-intercalated research options, mandatory and elective research projects predominated. The included studies were heterogeneous in their methodology. The main outcomes reported were student research output, description of the curriculum initiative(s) and self-reported research skills acquisition. For the intercalated degree options, the three main findings were descriptions of more ‘novel’ intercalated degree options than the traditional BSc, student perspectives on intercalating and the effect of intercalating on medical student performance and careers. Conclusion: There are a number of options available to faculty involved in planning medical degree programmes but further research is needed to determine whether research activity should be optional or mandatory. For now, flexibility is probably appropriate depending on a medical school’s resources, curriculum, educational culture and population needs.

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The Relationship between Parks and Protected Areas and Gateway Communities in the United States and Canada: A Scoping Review

Journal of Park and Recreation Administration ◽

10.18666/jpra-2020-10390 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

N. Qwynne Lackey ◽

Kelly Bricker

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Public Participation ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Community Dynamics ◽

National Development ◽

The United States ◽

Community Context ◽

The Body ◽

Management Actions ◽

Gateway Communities

Individuals engaged in protected area (PPA) management are increasingly interested in the relationships between PPAs and nearby communities. Research suggests that these communities, or gateway communities, share a variety of socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural ties with PPAs. However, these relationships can vary substantially based on contextual factors, including geographic location and national development. Additionally, the absence of a comprehensive literature synthesis on this topic hinders the ability to make meaningful recommendations for policy, practice, and future research. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review was to: (a) review the existing primary, peer-reviewed research on the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural relationships between gateway communities and PPAs in the United States and Canada; (b) identify thematic patterns within the reported research; and (c) discuss the resulting implications for scholars and practitioners. This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR protocol and yielded 37 peerreviewed research articles that examined at least one relationship between PPAs and gateway communities in the United States and Canada. The majority of studies (n = 21, 57%) were performed in and around national parks, and approximately half employed qualitative methods (n = 18, 49%). Thematic analysis of research topics resulted in 14 themes in five categories, including public participation and collaboration, resident perceptions, community dynamics, policy impacts, and the impacts of PPA establishment. Relationships examined were organized into socioeconomic, environmental, and sociocultural categories. While a few articles examined relationships that fit neatly into one category, most examined relationships in more than one category (n = 30, 81%). Collectively, these studies highlight a range of relationships between PPAs and gateway communities. This synthesis illustrates that even within the same geographic region, relationships may differ. Therefore, the same policies and management actions may not yield the same results in every PPA-gateway community context. This review also reveals patterns, such as the positive effect of public participation and collaborative management on PPA-gateway community relationships and barriers associated with traditional and science-based public engagement strategies. Additionally, this review highlights the potential for theory-based and interdisciplinary research to expand the body of knowledge on this critical topic.

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Intraarticular Hyaluronic Acid Preparations for Knee Osteoarthritis: Are Some Better Than Others?

Cartilage ◽

10.1177/19476035211017320 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 194760352110173

Author(s):

David Webner ◽

Yili Huang ◽

Charles D. Hummer

Keyword(s):

Hyaluronic Acid ◽

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Sodium Hyaluronate ◽

The United States ◽

Osteoarthritis Of The Knee ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Safety And Efficacy ◽

Ovid Medline ◽

Better Than

Objective This literature review summarizes evidence on the safety and efficacy of intraarticular hyaluronic acid (IAHA) preparations approved in the United States for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Design A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and SCOPUS databases. Only studies in which clinical outcomes of individual IAHA preparations alone could be assessed when compared to placebo, no treatment, other standard knee osteoarthritis treatments, and IAHA head-to-head studies were selected. Results One hundred nine articles meeting our inclusion criteria were identified, including 59 randomized and 50 observational studies. Hylan G-F 20 has been the most extensively studied preparation, with consistent results confirming efficacy in placebo-controlled studies. Efficacy is also consistently reported for Supartz, Monovisc, and Euflexxa, but not for Hyalgan, Orthovisc, and Durolane. In the head-to-head trials, high-molecular-weight (MW) Hylan G-F 20 was consistently superior to low MW sodium hyaluronate preparations (Hyalgan, Supartz) up to 20 weeks, whereas one study reported that Durolane was noninferior to Supartz. Head-to-head trials comparing high versus medium MW preparations all used Hylan G-F 20 as the high MW preparation. Of the IAHA preparations with strong evidence of efficacy in placebo-controlled studies, Euflexxa was found to be noninferior to Hylan G-F 20. There are no direct comparisons to Monovisc. One additional IAHA preparation (ie, Synovial), which has not been assessed in placebo-controlled studies, was also noninferior to Hylan G-F 20. Conclusion IAHA efficacy varies widely across preparations. High-quality studies are required to assess and compare the safety and efficacy of IAHA preparations.

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A Bibliometric Analysis of the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Literature

10.21203/rs.3.rs-443411/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jeremy Y. Ng

Keyword(s):

Open Access ◽

Bibliometric Analysis ◽

Software Tool ◽

The United States ◽

Research Literature ◽

The Body ◽

Flowering Plant ◽

Impact Factors ◽

Future Research ◽

Number Of Publications

Abstract Background: Cannabis refers to a flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae, which has been used medically, recreationally, and industrially. The history of cannabis has been both long and complex, however, the last few decades have seen a large increase in the volume of literature on this topic. The objective of the present bibliometric analysis is to capture the characteristics of peer-reviewed publications on the topic of cannabis and cannabinoid research.Methods: Searches were run on April 02, 2021, and results were exported on the same day to prevent discrepancies between daily database updates. Only “article” and “review” publication types were included; no further search limits were applied. The following bibliometric data were collected: number of publications (in total and per year), authors and journals; open access status; journals publishing the highest volume of literature and their impact factors; language, countries, institutional affiliations, and funding sponsors of publications; most productive authors; and most highly-cited publications. Trends associated with this subset of publications were identified and presented. Bibliometric networks were constructed and visualized using the software tool VOSviewer.Results: A total of 29 802 publications (10 214 open access), published by 65 109 authors were published in 5474 journals from 1829 to 2021. The greatest number of publications were published over the last 20 years. The journal that published the largest number of publications was Drug and Alcohol Dependence (n=705). The most productive countries included the United States (n= 12 420), the United Kingdom (n=2236), and Canada (n=2062); many of the most common intuitional affiliations and funding sponsors also originated from these three countries.Conclusions: The number of publications collectively published on the topic of cannabis follows an upward trend. Over the past 20 years, the volume of cannabis research has grown steeply, which can be largely attributed to the existence of a large amount of funding dedicated to research this topic. Future research should continue to investigate changes in the publication characteristics of emerging cannabis research, especially as it is expected that the body of publications on this topic is expected to rapidly grow.

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The Use of Artificially Intelligent Self-Diagnosing Digital Platforms by the General Public: Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13445 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Stephanie Aboueid ◽

Rebecca H Liu ◽

Binyam Negussie Desta ◽

Ashok Chaurasia ◽

Shanil Ebrahim

Keyword(s):

User Experience ◽

Scoping Review ◽

General Public ◽

Access To Health Care ◽

Medical Condition ◽

The United States ◽

The Body ◽

Privacy And Security ◽

Digital Platforms ◽

Computing Machinery

BACKGROUND Self-diagnosis is the process of diagnosing or identifying a medical condition in oneself. Artificially intelligent digital platforms for self-diagnosis are becoming widely available and are used by the general public; however, little is known about the body of knowledge surrounding this technology. OBJECTIVE The objectives of this scoping review were to (1) systematically map the extent and nature of the literature and topic areas pertaining to digital platforms that use computerized algorithms to provide users with a list of potential diagnoses and (2) identify key knowledge gaps. METHODS The following databases were searched: PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Google Scholar, Open Grey, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. The search strategy was developed and refined with the assistance of a librarian and consisted of 3 main concepts: (1) self-diagnosis; (2) digital platforms; and (3) public or patients. The search generated 2536 articles from which 217 were duplicates. Following the Tricco et al 2018 checklist, 2 researchers screened the titles and abstracts (n=2316) and full texts (n=104), independently. A total of 19 articles were included for review, and data were retrieved following a data-charting form that was pretested by the research team. RESULTS The included articles were mainly conducted in the United States (n=10) or the United Kingdom (n=4). Among the articles, topic areas included accuracy or correspondence with a doctor’s diagnosis (n=6), commentaries (n=2), regulation (n=3), sociological (n=2), user experience (n=2), theoretical (n=1), privacy and security (n=1), ethical (n=1), and design (n=1). Individuals who do not have access to health care and perceive to have a stigmatizing condition are more likely to use this technology. The accuracy of this technology varied substantially based on the disease examined and platform used. Women and those with higher education were more likely to choose the right diagnosis out of the potential list of diagnoses. Regulation of this technology is lacking in most parts of the world; however, they are currently under development. CONCLUSIONS There are prominent research gaps in the literature surrounding the use of artificially intelligent self-diagnosing digital platforms. Given the variety of digital platforms and the wide array of diseases they cover, measuring accuracy is cumbersome. More research is needed to understand the user experience and inform regulations.

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Alpha-2-Macroglobulin Not Significantly Better Than Regular PRP For Knee Arthritis Symptoms

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120s00454 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (7_suppl6) ◽

pp. 2325967120S0045

Author(s):

David Klein ◽

David Bloom ◽

Kirk Campbell ◽

Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas ◽

Michael Alaia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Platelet Rich Plasma ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

The United States ◽

Joint Disease ◽

Osteoarthritis Of The Knee ◽

Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Symptomatic Knee ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Patient Reported

Objectives: Osteoarthritis, a degenerative and debilitating joint disease, is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States. Despite the significant burden osteoarthritis can place on an individual and society, nonoperative treatment options are still very limited. Little clinical data exists on the use of injectable macromolecules for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), a naturally occurring macromolecule, inhibits the many endogenous and exogenous proteinases presenting in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. To date, no studies exist evaluating the effectiveness of A2M with other intra-articular injectables. The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical effectiveness of intra-articular injection of A2M against both platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and corticosteroids. Methods: This prospective randomized control trial was conducted at a single medical center. Seventy-five patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3 were randomized into one of three cohorts receiving intra-articular injection. One group was given PRP, one group was given A2M, and one group was given corticosteroids. All groups had blood drawn to simulate A2M preparation. Patient reported outcomes were collected prior to injection, 6 weeks and 12 weeks following injection. Several measures were used for clinical assessment including the visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Lysholm, and Tegner scores. Results: Seventy-five patients with a mean age of 61.08 (± 8.48) were enrolled between June 2018 and February 2019. At six weeks, the A2M group had the greatest decrease in VAS (-1.60) and WOMAC (-10.9), however, the differences were not statistically significant. Between the injection and the twelve week visit, the A2M group had a statistically significant difference in WOMAC score compared with PRP (-18.43 vs -5.70, p <0.02). Overall, both corticosteroid (-1.57) and A2M (-1.70) had a similar improvement in VAS when compared with PRP (-0.61). These differences were also not statistically significant. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates Alpha 2 Macroglobulin shows similar effectiveness to corticosteroids in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Both A2M and corticosteroids appear to show marginally better effectiveness than PRP injection, however the differences are small and did not reach statistical significance in most outcome measures.

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Curriculum initiatives to enhance research skills acquisition by medical students: a scoping review

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02754-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Crea Carberry ◽

Geoff McCombe ◽

Helen Tobin ◽

Diarmuid Stokes ◽

Jason Last ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Student Performance ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Research Output ◽

The United States ◽

Skills Acquisition ◽

Research Activity ◽

Research Skills ◽

Medical Degree ◽

Intercalated Degree

Abstract Background Although it is accepted that providing medical students with opportunities to engage in research activity is beneficial, little data has been collated on how medical degree curricula may address this issue. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a scoping review examining curriculum initiatives that seek to enhance research experience for medical students. Methods This review looks to specifically look at ’doing research’ as defined by the MEDINE 2 consensus rather than ‘using research’ for the bachelor component of the Bologna Cycle. The framework developed by Arksey & O’Malley was utilised and a consultation with stakeholders was incorporated to clarify and enhance the framework. Results A total of 120 articles were included in this scoping review; 26 related to intercalated degree options and 94 to non-intercalated degree options. Research initiatives from the United States were most common (53/120 articles). For non-intercalated research options, mandatory and elective research projects predominated. The included studies were heterogeneous in their methodology. The main outcomes reported were student research output, description of curriculum initiative(s) and self-reported research skills acquisition. For intercalated degree options, the three main findings were descriptions of more ‘novel’ intercalated degree options than the traditional BSc, student perspectives on intercalating and the effect of intercalating on medical student performance and careers. Conclusions There are several options available to faculty involved in planning medical degree programmes but further research is needed to determine whether research activity should be optional or mandatory. For now, flexibility is probably appropriate depending on a medical school’s resources, curriculum, educational culture and population needs.

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Workforce Crisis and Opportunity

Journal of Child and Youth Care Work ◽

10.5195/jcycw.2012.45 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. 54-76

Author(s):

Frank Eckles ◽

Cindy Carraway-Wilson ◽

Debbie Zwicky ◽

Madeleine Rybicki ◽

Carol Stuart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Workforce Development ◽

Well Being ◽

Youth Care ◽

The United States ◽

The Body ◽

Great Promise ◽

Child And Youth Care ◽

Body Of Knowledge ◽

Current State ◽

Systemic Problems

Child and youth care (CYC) practice significantly contributes to the well-being of children, youth, families, communities, and businesses in the United States. Research conducted over the past 15 years has documented systemic problems that limit the availability of a well-prepared, competent workforce to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding field of CYC. Recent practitioner-led efforts have focused on field building by defining the field of practice, describing the body of knowledge and skills, establishing professionally sanctioned ethics and practice standards, and implementing a national professional credentialing system. This article describes the current state of the field and proposes a vision of a national effort to unify professional development across the field, highlighting current trends, milestones, challenges, and priorities. The current evolution of the CYC profession holds great promise in creating a unified approach to workforce development that can significantly impact the emergence of a competent workforce.

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Restorative and Transformative Justice Responses to Sexual Violence

Social Science Protocols ◽

10.7565/ssp.v4.5231 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Jelena Todic ◽

M. Candace Christensen ◽

Sheila M. McMahon

Keyword(s):

Sexual Violence ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Public Interest ◽

Public Discourse ◽

Grey Literature ◽

The United States ◽

Transformative Justice ◽

Current State ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

The Us

Background: #MeToo movement raised the profiles of restorative justice (RJ) and transformative justice (TJ) in the United States (US) as approaches to repairing harm resulting from sexual violence that center survivors’ needs and emphasize meaningful accountability for persons responsible for harm. This focus on RJ and TJ as viable approaches to sexual violence represents a departure from carceral interventions, which has dominated the US public discourse for decades. Given the shift, mapping the current state of knowledge is critical for practice, policy and research. This scoping review aims to map the available literature to provide an overview of RJ and TJ as responses to sexual violence. Methods/Design: The proposed scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joana Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews (Peters, Godfrey-Smith, & Mcinerney, 2017). The concept of interest is the use of RJ and TJ as responses to sexual violence. This scoping review will include both peer-reviewed and grey literature. We will employ a standardized extraction form and represent the data using a descriptive summary, charts and tables that align with the stated objectives. Discussion: Since the #MeToo movement emerged in 2017, public interest in RJ and TJ as meaningful responses to sexual violence has grown. This comprehensive scoping review will systematically organize the literature in order to understand the current landscape of evidence related to these approaches. Given the transformative potential of these interventions, past controversies, and current public interest in the approaches, understanding the current state of knowledge is critical for practice, policy and research.

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