Topic
Bones, joints and movement
How musculoskeletal problems are understood and treated, with imaging and surgery weighed against the evidence.
This page collects every article by Dr. Damon Tojjar in this topic. For all topics see browse by topic, and for the source-anchored record see damontojjar.com/record.
Articles in this topic (14)
- Knee Arthroscopy for a Worn Meniscus: What the Sham Trials Revealed
When researchers compared knee arthroscopy for a worn, degenerative meniscus against a fake operation, the surgery worked no better than the placebo. In the Finnish...
- Stopping Denosumab: What the Rebound-Fracture Evidence Shows About Discontinuation
Denosumab's effect on bone is fully reversible, so stopping it without a follow-on drug lets bone turnover rebound above pretreatment levels within months. In post...
- PRP for Tennis Elbow: What the Randomized Evidence Says About Short Versus Long Term
The randomized evidence on platelet-rich plasma for tennis elbow tells a two-part story. In the first weeks a corticosteroid injection relieves pain faster, but by...
- Gout Is a Crystal Disease: What the Urate Evidence Actually Shows
Gout is a crystal disease, and that single fact reorganizes how the condition should be understood and managed. The pain of a flare is not caused by a high number...
- How Fast-Track Ultrasound Changed Giant Cell Arteritis Diagnosis
Ultrasound of the temporal and axillary arteries, looking for the hypoechoic "halo" of an inflamed vessel wall, is now the first imaging test that European...
- Why the Osteoarthritis Guideline Puts Exercise Above Supplements
The short answerThe 2019 osteoarthritis guideline from the American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation puts exercise and weight loss at the top...
- How the Osteoporosis Screening Recommendation Was Built
The short answerIn January 2025 the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) reaffirmed that screening for osteoporosis earns a B recommendation for all women 65...
- Why Methotrexate Is Still the Anchor Drug in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Methotrexate remains the anchor drug for rheumatoid arthritis because the 2021 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guideline was built to reward efficacy,...
- Osteoarthritis or Inflammatory Arthritis: How the Evidence Distinguishes Them
The distinction between osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis rests on a pattern, not a single test. Inflammatory arthritis is suggested by morning stiffness...
- Treat to Target in Gout: How Strong Is the Evidence for a Urate Number?
How strong is the evidence for a urate number?The 2020 American College of Rheumatology guideline strongly recommends treating gout to a serum urate below 6 mg/dL,...
- Vertebroplasty for Spinal Compression Fractures: What Sham-Controlled Trials Reveal
When vertebroplasty was tested against a convincing fake procedure, its pain advantage largely vanished. In the blinded VERTOS IV trial, injecting bone cement into...
- What a FRAX Fracture Risk Score Can and Cannot Tell You
A FRAX score estimates your 10-year probability of two things: a hip fracture, and a major osteoporotic fracture (hip, spine, forearm, or shoulder). It builds that...
- Knee Steroid Injections: What the Triamcinolone-vs-Saline Trial Found on Cartilage and Pain
The short answerIn a 2-year randomized trial published in JAMA in 2017, Timothy McAlindon and colleagues at Tufts Medical Center gave patients with knee...
- When Back Pain Imaging Helps and When It Just Finds Noise
The short answerFor most new low back pain, an early scan does not change what happens next, and it often finds things that would have been there whether or not...