Researchers at the University of Oxford are starting a new study to explore the effectiveness of a common arthritis drug, adalimumab, as a treatment for patients with COVID-19 in the community, especially care homes. Recent studies of patients with COVID-19 have shown that patients already taking anti-tumour necrosis factor drugs for inflammatory arthritis and inflammatory … Read more
Key discovery in psoriatic arthritis points way for developing targeted treatments
A new study has revealed psoriatic arthritis may be activated by the same trigger in different patients. Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Sanger Institute identified high levels of a specific receptor in immune cells from psoriatic arthritis patients, giving the strongest evidence yet of a single cause for the disease. Published … Read more
Hydroxychloroquine study finds increased cardiovascular risk with azithromycin
The combination of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin (AZM) has been linked to significant cardiovascular risks, including mortality, in the largest safety study ever performed on both HCQ and HCQ+AZM. This network study, led by the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) community, was published in Lancet Rheumatology. The study was supported by the NIHR … Read more
Oxford leads part of major COVID-19 drugs trial
As part of a new UK trial researchers at the University of Oxford will investigate whether administering the anti-inflammatory drug infliximab to patients with COVID-19 can prevent progression to respiratory failure or death. The multi-arm, multi-stage CATALYST Trial, is being led by the University of Birmingham in partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham and the Birmingham NIHR Biomedical Research … Read more
Childhood obesity increases the risk of fracture new study finds
Overweight or obese pre-school children have a higher risk of bone fractures during childhood than those of normal range weight according to a new study published in the Journal of Bone & Mineral Research and supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity is a major public health concern … Read more
Researchers identify markers in joint fluid that could be key to cartilage repair
Oxford researchers have found that molecular changes in the joint fluid during knee distraction surgery reveal markers that may drive cartilage repair in osteoarthritis. It is generally accepted that cartilage is not able to heal or regenerate itself after injury or through wear and tear, leading to the development of osteoarthritis. But there is a … Read more
New trauma wound treatment no better than standard dressing
A study by Oxford researchers has shown that a new method of treating wounds after major trauma is no more effective at improving surgical infection rates than cheaper standard dressings. The findings, by a team at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) at the University of Oxford, could save NHS millions … Read more
Platelet rich plasma found to be of no benefit in treating torn Achilles tendon
New research from the University of Oxford has shown that platelet rich plasma (PRP) is not effective in treating acute Achilles tendon ruptures. The Achilles tendon is the most common tendon rupture treated in hospitals. Patients face long periods unable to work or participate in sport as healing and recovery are slow. With PRP therapy, … Read more
NIHR Oxford BRC Senior Research Fellows named
The Oxford BRC is delighted to announce the appointment of seven new Senior Research Fellows. They were chosen from an extremely strong field of 47 applicants from across the scientific and clinical community because they demonstrated that their research was high impact and of high quality . They were also able to demonstrate leadership, independence … Read more
Oxford medical researchers win prestigious national awards
Four leading healthcare academics in Oxford have received a prestigious national award. The University of Oxford professors have been named National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators in recognition of their “outstanding contribution to clinical and applied health and social care research”. The successful candidates are all prominent researchers in the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre … Read more
Genes and height matter for carpal tunnel syndrome
Researchers from Oxford and Estonia have found further evidence that a person’s genetic make-up and height can influence whether they will develop carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). In the first ever genome-wide association study of CTS, published today in Nature Communications, the researchers from the University of Oxford and the Estonian Genome Center revealed 16 specific locations in chromosomes associated with … Read more
Pills as good as injections to treat bone and joint infections, paper finds
Pills are just as effective as intravenous (IV) injections in tackling bone infections, a study led by Oxford-based researchers has found. The findings, published on 30 January in The New England Journal of Medicine, challenge the long-held belief that injections into the vein are the best way to give antibiotics for bone and joint infections, … Read more
Largest-ever clinical trial in hip fracture fixation reaches key milestone
A randomised controlled trial comparing extracapsular hip fracture fixation devices, conducted by Oxford University and supported by NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, has reached a key milestone, with the 1000th patient recruited completing their one-year follow-up Recruitment for the World Hip Trauma Evaluation 4 (WHITE4) began in June 2016 and involved 10 centres in the … Read more
Prof Duncan Richards appointed to key new Clinical Therapeutics role
A newly appointed professor at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) will lead Oxford’s answer to the key global challenge of how to determine quickly which potential new therapies have the properties to become important medicines. Professor Duncan Richards (pictured right), who has been appointed the new Climax … Read more
New clinical tool will help patients with acute ankle sprain
Patients arriving at hospital emergency departments with acute ankle sprains can expect more timely advice and follow-up care in future after researchers in Oxford developed a new tool that will aid clinical decisions on treatment. Ankle sprains are very common and represent up to 5 per cent of all A&E admissions in the UK; between … Read more
Research for better shared decision-making in knee surgery
New research by a team at the University of Oxford, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, provides a robust basis for informed shared decision-making and consent on keyhole knee surgery. An innovative study, published today in the Lancet, using 20 years’ worth of data covering around 700,000 arthroscopic partial meniscectomies (APM), or keyhole … Read more
Partial knee replacements better for many patients and cheaper for NHS
Researchers at the University of Oxford have found that many more patients could be given a partial knee replacement instead of a total knee replacement, resulting in improvements in their quality of life and lower costs for the healthcare system. The researchers from the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) used routinely collected … Read more
Study confirms close contact casting offers alternative to surgery in unstable ankle fractures in older people
A study has confirmed that a new form of casting offers an alternative to invasive surgery in older people who have unstable ankle fractures. The study comparing initial treatment with close contact casting (CCC) and the usual open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery was conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department … Read more
Oxford study questions value of common shoulder surgery
A study funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre has found that decompression surgery does not reduce shoulder pain any more than placebo surgery for people with shoulder impingement. The results of the first placebo-controlled trial in shoulder surgery were published in The Lancet on Tuesday 21st November. The study was jointly led by … Read more