Joint Action News - March 2009

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newsKeeping People Mobile March 2009

Joint Action

MUM’S THE WORDWith Mothering Sunday approaching, we want to dedicate this issue of Joint Action News to mothers across the land in recognition of the support, kindness and unconditional love they give to us all.

We hope you will �nd the content inspiring and that it will go some way to show you just how much importance we place on orthopaedic research and the ultimately profound e�ect we can have on all our mothers. Today, more than half of all chronic diseases su�ered by women over 60 years are fractures and crippling diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Sadly, in many cases this can result in immobilisation. We want to help. Not just with rejoining bones, but also rejoining generations.

A history of Mothering Sunday

While no one knows the true origin of Mothering Sunday, the majority of historians believe the tradition came about in the sixteenth century and has strong links to the Christian Faith.

It was common for children of these times to leave their homes after the age of ten for jobs as apprentices or domestic servants. Once a year, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, the children were granted permission to return home to their families in order to visit the Church or Cathedral in their local town, known as the “Mother Church”. Anyone who did this was said to have gone "a-mothering" and it was often the only time that whole families could get together.

The returning children were sometimes allowed to bake cakes to take home for their mothers as gifts. They would also pick �owers from the meadows as they made their way back to their villages. These visits became a joyous time for the families and people began honouring both their mothers and their Mother Church. The day then became known as Mothering Sunday.

Today, Mothering Sunday is still a very special day - a day for families to share the love that they have for each other. Many children still send �owers and gifts to their mothers by way of thanks for the love and kindness they have received over the years.

OSTEOPOROSIS, FRAGILITY FRACTURES & FALL PREVENTION

Most fragility fractures happen as a result of a fall from standing height and are a result of the underlying bone disease, osteoporosis. Older people are often not aware that they are at risk of osteoporosis or falling and do not know what the risk factors are.

It is important that you talk to your GP if you are concerned about falling or have a tendency to fall. They will assess your medical and previous falls history, the medications you take, your gait, balance and vision and also check that there are no other underlying medical causes that could result in frequent falls. You may be referred to a local 'falls prevention service' or to a physiotherapist who will advise you on exercises to improve your muscle strength, gait and balance that will help to reduce your risk of falling.

Many older people fall in the home, so it is important to try and reduce the hazards that could cause you to trip and fall.

Please check that you have:

a secure rail to hold when going up and down the stairs

no loose rugs or carpets

su�cient lighting

no trailing telephone, television or other wires

well �tted footwear

hand rails or grab rails in your bathroom

a bed and chairs that are easy to get in to and out of

These simple steps will go a long way to ensuring that your risk of falling is reduced and with it, your risk of su�ering a fragility fracture.

If you would like further information on Osteoporosis, falls prevention and fragility fractures the following telephone numbers can be of help:

National Osteoporosis Society 0845 4500230

Help the Aged 020 7278 1114

NAME THAT NANA COMPETITION!

We often don’t realise what we have until it has been taken away from us. Having surgery has helped change many lives for the better. For some it has meant being able to take a stroll in the park again, or support a grandchild at a sports day, it has helped gain back some of what has been lost – and we want to hear your stories.

For this special competition, we are inviting all Grandmothers or even great Grandmothers to tell us in no more than 200 words how orthopaedic surgery has changed your lives. We want the grandchildren to get involved too, perhaps by sending us in a picture or maybe even a few words about their nana – you could even do it together!

We are o�ering a grand prize of a family day out for four, plus the winning story and picture will be published in the next issue of Joint Action News.

Our competition is not to see who can do the most, and we certainly don’t want for any nana to question her worth. This is a celebration of the work Orthopaedic research is doing, not only to re-join bones but to re-join generations, So if you have a story, no matter how big or small, please send details to Name That Nana Competition, Joint Action, British Orthopaedic Association, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE. We look forward to hearing from you!

WORDSEARCH

Can you �nd all the words listed below in our wordsearch puzzle? Remember, the words can be diagonal, left to right and right to left. Good luck!

BRITISHORTHOPAEDICASSOCIATIONKeeping People Mobile

Thank you mum

Thank you for your friendshipBeing there when I’m in need

Thank you for your guidanceAnd warnings to take heed

Thank you for your strengthTo pull me through the rough

Thank you for your courageAnd help when times are tough

But mostly mum I thank you,For simply being you

Allowing me to share the loveThat keeps on shining through

1. AMOTHERIING

5. GENERATION

9. MARATHON

13. TREAT

2. CHILDREN

6. GIFT

10. RACE

3. FAMILY

7. GRANDMOTHER

11. RESEARCH

4. FLOWER

8. JOINTACTION

12. SUNDAY

PATRON: HRH The Prince of Wales. Registered Charity No. 1066994. Company limited by guarantee No. 3482598.

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09-03-03 JAnewsletterFront.pdf 06/03/2009 10:52:21

Will your mum be at the �nish line?

I hope so. We are going to try to get some disabled tickets so she can be right at the finish line. I think it will make me want to do better; I want to help people in her situation. The fact that my mum will never be able to run a marathon spurs me on when I’m finding it really tough.

Do you realise that by running you can help prevent getting Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis related conditions as you are building your bone density?

Yes, but it can be harmful too. If you have just started training try walking first, you have to be careful. This should start to build up bone density. I have noticed that my body has got a lot stronger now, when I first started training my joints used to ache but I don’t get that anymore so I know it will be helping in the future. But if I do need to ever have a knee replacement - I have a whole list of surgeons now to go to, to get one (laughs) …

Is it your �rst marathon?

Yes, until June last year I had never run before. A friend of mine was doing a marathon and he looked so happy when he was talking about running he made me want to run. I would not have got as far as doing marathons obviously without running for Joint Action. I would have probably stuck to running 5 or 6 miles. So it’s pushed me to do better.

How old are you?

I’m 26 I will be 27 four days after the marathon.

Wow, so what do you think you’ll do to celebrate?

I’m travelling to New York to visit my friend who started me running as well as see some of the sights – it should be a fantastic way to relax and recover!

Can you help us by sponsoring one of our 2009 Flora London Marathon runners?

If you would like to sponsor Becky or any of our marathon runners please do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/BOA. Anything you can give would be gratefully received. We have asked our runners to raise a minimum of £1,000 each towards our cause – no small target!

If you have already sponsored one of our runners, thank you so much. The work we do relies on the generosity of people like you as well as people like Becky who are willing to rise to the challenge and raise awareness for this important, yet sometimes forgotten cause.

If you or someone you know would like to take part in a sponsored walk or run for Joint Action, complete the appropriate request on the response coupon and we will send you further information on how to go about it.

JOINT ACTION GRAND PRIZE DRAWWe are pleased to announce our �rst Prize Draw! It's open to all Joint Action supporters, but if you have given a donation or sponsored one of our Flora Marathon runners since our Newsletter went out last December we will automatically enter you.

We have a fantastic selection of prizes on o�er. First Prize is a pair of Grandstand seats at the �nish line of the 2009 Flora London Marathon on Sunday 26th April. These seats are not available by application, but are allocated to dignitaries and celebrities. Joint Action is highly privileged to have these seats and we are honoured to o�er them as First Prize in our draw as a thank you for all your support over the years.

Second and Third Prize are each a �ne Food Hamper in a wicker basket, graciously donated by Harrods – a real luxury treat. We also have six wooden scale models of a human skeleton available for further runners up. These novelty models are great for your own amusement and also serve as an educational tool for the younger members in your family.

If you have given to Joint Action since December last year we will automatically enter you into the draw. If you would like to enter but haven’t given a donation please write to us with your name and address details requesting entry and we will include you. We will be picking the lucky winners on Thursday 9th April.

When you donate, please supply a telephone number so we can contact you quickly if you're one of the lucky winners. Full terms and conditions of this Prize Draw are available via the Joint Action Website or by request in

writing from Joint Action Prize Draw, British Orthopaedic Association, 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE.

PERSONAL IMPACT OF DISABILITY IN OSTEOARTHRITIS STUDY Vikki Wylde, Chris Livesey, Ian Learmonth, Ashley Blom and Sarah Hewlett

In December 2006, Joint Action awarded a grant of £19,941 to Ashley Blom, Lead Researcher at The Bristol Royal In�rmary to enable them to conduct a one-year study into the “The Personal Impact of Disability in Osteoarthritis”. The aim of this study was to validate a questionnaire that measured the personal impact of disability in osteoarthritis patients, called the ‘Personal Impact Health Assessment Questionnaire.’ This questionnaire looked at the balance between the di�culty patients experienced when performing an activity versus the importance of performing the activity, therefore placing disability in an individualised context.

Two years later, the results are in and are being concluded. The study has validated the ‘Personal Impact Health Assessment Questionnaire’ in osteoarthritis patients and found it to be a reliable and valid tool to use. This questionnaire has provided an important advancement in the area of rheumatology and orthopaedics because it can give healthcare professionals an accurate re�ection of the personal impact of disability upon an individual, which in turn could facilitate more e�ective communication between clinicians and patients.

To validate the questionnaire, two studies were undertaken. In study one, 50 patients with osteoarthritis completed the questionnaire at baseline and one week later. From this study, it was found that the questionnaire had good short-term reliability, i.e. the results were stable over time.

For study two, 115 patients with osteoarthritis completed the questionnaire, along with other psychological and functional questionnaires, at baseline and one month later. From this study it was found that the questionnaire had good long-term reliability and was also valid i.e. the questionnaire score correlated with associated variables.

Further research will need to be undertaken to use the questionnaire in clinical trials so that the impact of interventions, such as patient education, physiotherapy and joint replacement are also taken into consideration, therefore reducing the personal impact of disability.

The conclusions of this piece of work will, in time, go on to create a greater understanding of just what exactly each and every patient goes through when they are diagnosed with Osteoarthritis or a similar condition. This will lead to more e�ective treatments. Helping to keep people mobile.

JOINT ACTION UPDATESMy JOINT ACCOUNT and the Joint Action website

The new Joint Action website, www.jointaction.org.uk and members’ private area MY JOINT ACCOUNT have been well received since their launch in November last year. Many new supporters and interested parties have joined up and used the site for donations, requesting Walk More information and applying for an Orthocard. If you haven’t yet visited the site, please take a look. We would welcome any feedback you may have.

The Orthocard

The Orthocard is the Joint Action membership card that has been developed in order to advise medics of your implant and its implications, as well as ease your passage through metal detecting security checkpoints.

So far, nearly 100 implant patients have applied for and received an Orthocard and now we’ve made it even easier. If you would like to apply for a card you can now do so via the Joint Action website in the MY JOINT ACCOUNT area. You can also write to us at Joint Action, British Orthopaedic Association, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE. As well as your card you will also receive other helpful information and you could be enjoying the bene�ts in time for your next trip abroad!

HOW ORTHOPAEDICS SAVED MY LIFEThe story of Martha Lane Fox

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that every year 1.2 million people die in road accidents - making it, according to WHO’s 2002 calculations, the seventh biggest killer in the world, ahead of diabetes and malaria. Here in the UK, traumatic injuries account for over 40% of orthopaedic workload. By 2020, trauma caused by road tra�c injury alone is predicted to be the third highest cause of disabling conditions in the UK.

Last year, at the Medical Futures Innovation Awards Ceremony, Martha Lane Fox, Co-founder of lastminute.com and business entrepreneur, gave public thanks to the orthopaedic community for the support she received after a devastating car accident. We would like to extend these wishes of thanks onto you, our supporters, for without you we would not be able to fund the research that leads to these life saving services.

“Following a road traffic accident in Morocco, I was left on a desert roadside with a shattered pelvis, internal bleeding and almost every bone in my body broken. Thanks to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of my friends, I managed to get back to the John Radcliffe Centre in Oxford where I was put back together, literally piece by piece. My arm is metal, my leg is metal and my pelvis is fairly metal but I am alive and for this reason, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of orthopaedics and how it can change people’s lives. Joint Action is the British Orthopaedic Association’s research appeal and for this reason, I am delighted to lend my support and put out a call for new ideas to find ways to improve care.”

From babies with clubfeet and dislocated hips, to children with cancers and rare genetic disorders who have growth disturbance or fragile bones that break. From people like Martha Lane Fox who su�er from devastating injuries, to elderly patients with arthritis, orthopaedics is likely to touch us all at some stage in our lives.

British Orthopaedic surgeons have in the past pioneered many exciting advances and with your help, will continue

to do so well into the future and achieve our primary purpose - to lead in the process of developing a research base in UK orthopaedics, harnessing it systematically to address all current and future musculoskeletal needs.

STRIDING FORWARD ON BEHALF OF JOINT ACTION

In 1997, Clare Hall was diagnosed with RSD (Re�ex Sympathetic Dystrophy). The condition is painful and at present there is no known treatment. Despite this, Clare still �nds time to help others and was last year awarded the ‘Women who make a di�erence’ award from Bristol City Council.

This year, Becky Hall, her daughter, is taking some huge steps of her own. She is running the London Marathon to raise some much-needed funds for Joint Action. Inspired by her mother and the work of Joint Action, she hopes that her contribution will help make a di�erence to mothers across the land and raise awareness for the important research.

We wanted to �nd out more about this remarkable young woman, so caught up with her to ask her some questions and share a well-earned spot of lunch…

Why are you running the marathon?

My mum is sick. She has this disability called RSD, which is very similar to arthritis with the kind of pains that manifests. It affects the nerves. It can be triggered from Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis, typically conditions that affect predominantly women. It’s one of those diseases that we don’t know much about so it cannot be treated. The reason I am doing the running is to raise money for research. Anyone who has been in these kinds of pain will know how horrendous it is. So when I am finding it really tough on my runs I visualise my mum on the finish line.

Keeping People MobileReg. Charity No. 1066994

Orthopaedic Implant Confirmation Card

The British Orthopaedic Association

“The fact that my mum will never be able to run a marathon spurs me on when I’m �nding it really tough”

Martha Lane Fox, Steve Cannon (BOA President 2007-2008) and Hostess Melanie Sykes accepting their award for 'Injectable Bone'

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09-03-03 JAnewsletterInside.pdf 06/03/2009 10:51:45







How old are you?























The Orthocard





















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How old are you?























The Orthocard





















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t: 0114 280 3200


Joint Action















su�cient lighting














WORDSEARCH



Thank you mum







1. AMOTHERIING

5. GENERATION

9. MARATHON

13. TREAT

2. CHILDREN

6. GIFT

10. RACE

3. FAMILY

7. GRANDMOTHER

11. RESEARCH

4. FLOWER

8. JOINTACTION

12. SUNDAY


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t: 0114 280 3200


Joint Action















su�cient lighting














WORDSEARCH



Thank you mum







1. AMOTHERIING

5. GENERATION

9. MARATHON

13. TREAT

2. CHILDREN

6. GIFT

10. RACE

3. FAMILY

7. GRANDMOTHER

11. RESEARCH

4. FLOWER

8. JOINTACTION

12. SUNDAY


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Documents

Joint Action News - March 2009