Dr Louise Strickland is a clinical academic nurse researcher at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and at the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford. She is the first nurse to hold this exciting post in Oxford. Louise is used to being a trailblazer, having been the first nurse … Read more
New drug no more effective than current treatments for post-operative knee pain
A new study has found that a drug recently licensed in the UK has no effect on post-operative knee replacement recovery or pain, compared to the current treatment when administered at the site of surgery. Knee replacement surgery is highly successful for treating severe arthritis; 100,000 people undergo the procedure every year in the UK, … Read more
Study finds no increased risk of rare neurological events after COVID vaccination
A study of more than eight million people has found no increased risk of rare neurological events after COVID -19 vaccination. However, the researchers did find a higher risk of Bell’s palsy (facial weakness), encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (a nerve condition) after COVID-19 infection. The study, which was … Read more
Oxford BRC researchers named NIHR Senior Investigators
Seven Oxford academics, six of them supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), have been named National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators in recognition of their outstanding leadership in research. The NIHR describes its Senior Investigators as among the “most prominent and prestigious researchers” and “most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within … Read more
Funding boost for early-stage clinical research
Oxford is one of 28 sites that will benefit from over £160 million awarded over five years to expand early phase clinical research for the benefit of NHS patients. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) announced the funding for its Clinical Research Facilities on Monday (28 February). The NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility is … Read more
Cemented hip replacement improves quality of life for patients over 60
A study by Oxford orthopaedic researchers has found that hip replacements using cement improved the quality of life of patients, compared to uncemented implants. The findings of the White 5 trial, which is supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Hip fracture in … Read more
Duchess of Cornwall opens new musculoskeletal science wing
A new building at the University of Oxford’s Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences has been opened by The Duchess of Cornwall. The Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences, on the site of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC), carries out research, much of it supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, into improving the treatment of … Read more
Metal pins no better that plaster casts to treat broken wrists
A University of Oxford study has found that the use of metal K-wires, commonly known as ‘pins’, to hold broken wrist bones in place while they heal are no better than a traditional moulded plaster cast. The DRAFFT2 study by researchers from the university’s Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) was funded … Read more
Drug could more effectively treat patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia, research finds
A proof-of-concept trial involving Oxford researchers has identified a drug that may benefit some patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia. The CATALYST Trial tested the rheumatoid arthritis treatment namilumab as a potential therapeutic to treat patients who are hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia and receiving ‘usual’ care, but who also have high levels in their blood of … Read more
New Senior Research Fellows named
The NIHR Oxford BRC has announced the appointment of its latest group of Senior Research Fellows – the third cohort of emerging research leaders to receive the accolade. Like in 2020, this year’s selection process was a coordinated effort by the Oxford BRC and its partners in the NIHR Oxford Health BRC, which focuses on mental health … Read more
Study reveals three most important aspects of care for hip fractures
Older patients with hip fractures recover better if they receive treatment under the supervision of both a surgeon and a specialist in elderly care; are checked to avoid future falls; and are assessed for memory problems. These are the findings of the World Hip Trauma Evaluation (WHiTE) study, published in the Bone and Joint Journal. … Read more
Oxford academics named NIHR Senior Investigators
Four academics supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre have been awarded a prestigious national award. The University of Oxford professors have been named National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigators in recognition of being “among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR and the most outstanding leaders of patient and people-based research within the NIHR research … Read more
New centre aims to help companies conduct more efficient trials
A new clinical therapeutics centre has been set up by the University of Oxford to help life sciences companies identify interventions that have the greatest potential to deliver patient benefit, and so bring down the cost of early phase clinical trials. The Oxford Centre for Clinical Therapeutics (OCCT), which has been supported by the NIHR … Read more
Results of fragility hip fracture trial published
A trial to compare the effectiveness of two different implants used to treat broken hips has found no clinically relevant difference between treatments. WHiTE Four clinical trial for the treatment of fragility hip fractures was conducted by the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU), with support from the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research centre (BRC). It’s … Read more
New trial on use of anti-TNF drugs to treat Covid-19 in care homes
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