We suggest that different mechanisms underlie joint pain at rest and on movement in osteoarthritis and that separate assessment of these two features with a visual analogue scale (VAS) offers better information about the likely effect of a total knee replacement (TKR) on pain. The risk of persistent pain after TKR may relate to the degree of central sensitisation before surgery, which might be assessed by determining the pain threshold to an electrical stimulus created by a special tool, the Pain Matcher. Assessments were performed in 69 patients scheduled for TKR. At 18 months after operation, separate assessment of pain at rest and with movement was again carried out using a VAS in order to enable comparison of pre- and post-operative measurements. A less favourable outcome in terms of pain relief was observed for patients with a high pre-operative VAS score for pain at rest and a low pain threshold, both features which may reflect a central sensitisation mechanism.

No abstract

No abstract

Nerve regeneration and the occurrence of three neuropeptides; i.e. substance P (SP), calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and galanin (GAL), were studied during healing of tendon rupture in the rat by semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry. The neuronal findings were related to nociception as assessed by hindpaw withdrawal latencies at thermal and mechanical tests.Experimental rupture of rat Achilles tendon-normally devoid of nerves-licited extensive nerve ingrowth into the rupture site in the early phase of healing followed by almost complete fiber disappearance (weeks 12-16). The ingrowth of SP and CGRP positive fibers, seen already at weeks 1-2, was associated with increased nociception. Subsequently, the occurrence of GAL positive fibers at weeks 4-6 was associated with decreased nociception. An even stronger relationship to nociception during healing was observed when the rate of change in neuropeptide expression instead of the expression in absolute terms was considered, according to the "cascade" formula of SP' + CGRP' -GAL'.It may prove that the observed temporal occurrence of different neuropeptides reflects a role of the peripheral nervous system in regulating synchronously nociception and healing.

We analyzed the clinical course in 40 patients with enchondroma and 40 with low-grade chondrosarcoma of the extremities after a median follow-up of 7 years. 13 patients with enchondroma and 2 with chondrosarcoma had only open biopsy and they had no signs of further progression of the lesions. Among 23 patients with enchondroma and 23 with chondrosarcoma who were treated by intralesional curettage, 3 had local recurrences. The 10-year local recurrence rate was 0.04 in the enchondroma group and 0.09 in the chondrosarcoma group. There were no metastases. The results imply that enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma of the extremities should be treated with limited surgery. The morbidity associated with en bloc resection and reconstruction can apparently be obviated without jeopardizing the limb or survival.