Orthopédie

GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI) today announced the submission of a New Drug Application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for toremifene 80 mg, an oral selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), for the prevention of bone fractures in men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). "ADT has helped improve survival for men with advanced prostate cancer.

It was initially devised as a method of leg lengthening for those with congenital growth abnormalities or trauma to the lower limbs. However, since it was introduced in 2001, Fitbone surgery has without much fanfare, slipped into the realm of cosmetics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week in order to maintain and improve optimal health. This recommendation is especially important for older Americans, who can be less likely to fulfill this requirement, yet are more at risk for chronic diseases associated with aging.

Back pain affects more than 80 percent of people and costs more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. But is the surgery cost effective? A study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggests that for patients with spinal stenosis, a laminectomy, or surgical removal of some soft bone and tissue, is a reasonable value. However, for patients with spinal stenosis with associated slipped vertebrae, the benefits of spinal fusion surgery may not be enough to offset costs.

Weight bearing exercise during adolescence seems to be the best for maintaining bone strength in older life, indicates a small study published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The research team assessed the impact of exercise between the ages of 12 and 18 on preserving bone strength in later life among 46 women. The women were all aged from 52 to 73, and had already gone through the menopause.