Osteoarthritis

Rotator.Cuff.shoulder-pain

COMMON - Incidental Rotator Cuff Abnormalities on MRI

Jack Cush, MD

In this cross-sectional study of 602 Finnish adults undergoing bilateral shoulder magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical assessment, found abnormalities in nearly everyone over age 40yrs, regardless if asymptomatic or symptomatic.

Read Article
Phase 1b trial shows transdermal Curcumin Gel (VAS-101) in was effective in Knee Osteoarthritis. Enrolled 60 KOA pts 45–75 yrs Rx w/ PBO or gel qd x 28d w/ signif improvement in pain & KOOS scores https://t.co/yNiNocZxa4 https://t.co/3W7j1bIvBc

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Muscular strength is a resilience marker relevant to function. A prospective cohort study of 5472 women (mean 79 yrs), showed that greater muscular strength (grip strength, chair stand time) was assoc w/ lower mortality (HR 0.85- 0.67) https://t.co/HEO4r2cdmS https://t.co/Ada3Bnrt0Z

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Diacerin, an IL-1β blocker, compared to placebo in a 262 pt RCT of knee pain, Knee #OA w/ inflammation. After 24 wks, 88% completed the trial & (vs PBO) diacerein did not improve knee pain (−19.9 vs −18.6 mm). 42% had AE/ GI Sxs were more w/ diacerein (42% vs 25% PBO https://t.co/P2d6IhFw2I
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RheumNow Podcast square

UBER Rheumatology Ride (3.6.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this week on RheumNow.com

Read Article
Diacerin, an IL-1β blocker, compared to placebo in a 262 pt RCT of knee pain, Knee #OA w/ inflammation. After 24 wks, 88% completed the trial & (vs PBO) diacerein did not improve knee pain (−19.9 vs −18.6 mm). 42% had AE/ GI Sxs were more w/ diacerein (42% vs 25% PBO https://t.co/QabS3xLN85
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Cross-sectional study of Joint hypermobility (JH) in 256 young adults (75% female) found JH in 42%, females w/ signif. higher Beighton scores. 88% had chronic MSK pain; 38% had acute MSK pain. MSK pain was signif higher in students with mild JH (BS 4–6/9 pts; P < 0.009) https://t.co/QZwJ9zHfEj
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
GLP-1s are known to improved knee OA. Using a mouse OA model w/ obesity, semaglutide yielded less pain, osteophytes & had strong chondroprotective effects, fia a wt loss-independent way. Changing from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation resulted in cartilage restoration. https://t.co/8zs34ys9o9
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Shoe.blue

Supportive vs Flexible Footwear in Hip Osteoarthritis

Jack Cush, MD

Do shoes make a difference in osteoarthritis (OA)? Common advice often suggests that stable supportive shoes can improve arthritis symptoms in the knee, but does this apply to hip osteoarthritis?

Read Article
GLP-1s are known to improved knee OA. Using a mouse OA model w/ obesity, semaglutide yielded less pain, osteophytes & had strong chondroprotective effects, fia a wt loss-independent way. Changing from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation resulted in cartilage restoration. https://t.co/YySGDHX9KO
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RheumNow Podcast square

Referral Rules to Live By (2.20.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. Highlights include referral rules, combination biiologics in psoriasis and don't use JAK inhibitors in pregnancy.

Read Article
Rotator cuff abnormalities are nearly universal after age 40, & incr w/ age; routine imaging should not guide Dz or Tx of atraumatic shoulder pain. Study of 602 having MRI (58yrs) RC abnormalities in 98.7%;; 25% tendinopathy, 62% Partial & 11% Full thickness tears https://t.co/Jw9rMUQBLs
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RT @ericdeinMD #RNL26 GLP on Knee OA STEP 9 Trial - 68 wk Mean WOMAC improved by 41.7 pts, compared to 27.5 in PBO, improved SF-36 7% stopped due to side effects https://t.co/LJzGzzlgq6 https://t.co/5ybyUdfNjZ

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RT @ericdeinMD #RNL26 Dx Modification of OA @Tuhina_Neogi Challenge in drug develop: Models in young animal, not like human OA Trial enrollment in pts w late, establ OA- not early interv tx Many paths to OA - target mechanism to correct pt Slow progress of dx, $$ Endpt? Sx or

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Haque and Goodman

Obesity, Surgery, and Optimizing Patient Care

Eric Dein, MD

Rheumatologic care involves multidisciplinary approaches and collaboration with specialties to treat complex, systemic diseases. While many Pods at RheumNow Live are disease specific, the Pod II focused on Advancing Practice on important and emerging areas affecting rheumatologic patients. This

Read Article
RT @gibson_RheumPAC Osteoarthritis affects 600 million people worldwide—yet we still have no approved disease-modifying therapies. A powerful opening to this talk on why OA drug development keeps missing the mark. https://t.co/wBUN3lux6X
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Semaglutide ameliorates osteoarthritis via wt loss-independent mechanism. GLP-1R agonist exhibits OA chondroprotective effects in a mouse model of obesity by changing chondrocyte metabolism from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation via the “GLP-1R-AMPK-PFKFB3” axis.

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

research2.jpg

Canada's 2025 Top 10 Funded Rheumatology Projects

Arthritis Society

Arthritis Society Canada (ASC) is Canada’s largest charitable funder of cutting-edge arthritis research, investing more than $240 million in research projects since its founding, and over $7 million invested in 2024-2025. Below are the investigators and projects that were funded in 2025.

Read Article
NEJM - Baker’s Cyst A 63-year-old woman with psoriatic arthritis presented with a 9-month history of pain in the left knee. A nontender, palpable mass was present in the left popliteal fossa, which had a “speech bubble” shape on ultrasonography. https://t.co/7wBnkDoUaX https://t.co/m0AhRnDc4c

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
knee.surg2_.jpg (keep)

TOPKAT Trial: Partial vs Total Knee Replacement

MedPage Today

Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) primarily affecting only one knee joint compartment did just as well with partial knee replacement (PKR) as with total arthroplasty after 10 years in a randomized trial -- and maybe a little bit better.

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Emergencies, Independence & Hemorrhage (1.23.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past two weeks on RheumNow.Com

Read Article
lung,cancer,blue,mass

BIOBADASER III Registry shows No Cancer Risk with b/tsDMARDs

Jack Cush, MD

A large, real-world cohort study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) finds patients treated with biologic and targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARDs) do not have an increased risk of cancer. 

Researchers used 2000–2023 data for RA patients from the BIOBADASER III registry,

Read Article
2025 Lancet review https://t.co/Qbwup6QxZK of Osteoarthritis did not mention/endorse Rx w/ platelet rich plasma (PRP) prompting several letters of protest. Read the authors response: Despite the popularity of PRP, there are few PBO controlled high quality studies to prove its https://t.co/RCaQVXvvfK

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
2025

The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review

Jack Cush, MD

The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines and practices that will impact patient care for rheumatic diseases.

Read Article
Join us for STEP Talks at RheumNow Live! Big Ideas. Real Impact. No Filler! https://t.co/vvLKFWatWe Don’t miss these engaging discussions: - Placebos in Rheumatology - Dr. Andreas Kerschbaumer - Disease Modification in Osteoarthritis - Dr. Tuhina Neogi - Helicobacter pylori https://t.co/lQRCLdMSh6

Links:

Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Recent Blogs

Best of 2023: PMR: glad or bad tidings?

Sarah Mackie, MRCP, PhD
Smile feedback opinion yes no good back opinion
Please don’t tell your patient that PMR “typically” lasts two years. According to real-world data from the UK, one in four patients with PMR is prescribed steroids by their primary care physician for over four years. But nobody tells them this at the start, and that causes big problems later on.
Read Post

PMR: glad or bad tidings?

Sarah Mackie, MRCP, PhD
Smile feedback opinion yes no good back opinion
Please don’t tell your patient that PMR “typically” lasts two years. According to real-world data from the UK, one in four patients with PMR is prescribed steroids by their primary care physician for over four years. But nobody tells them this at the start, and that causes big problems later on.
Read Post
How well do you know this week's rheumatology news?
Take the rheumIQ quiz
Take the RheumIQ Quiz

Podcasts

  • ACR 2025 Daily Podcasts Day2c
×