The common pathway for almost all injuries and diseases is inflammation. Can it be controlled? And if so, should it?

Yes, you can stream Netflix—and your body can stream stem cells. In fact, this is the up-to-the-minute thinking about how stem cells work. Here is the latest from the recent International Cartilage Repair Society meeting on stem cells, growth factors, bone marrow, fat, and PRP.

Birth tissues products such as membranes, cells, and fluids donated by the mothers when they give birth are the new fountain of youth used in many fields of medicine. Here is a brief, biased guide to what you may hear at your next orthopedic (and almost every other medical) office visit.

“My veterinarian gave my horse (or dog) glucosamine, and the animal stopped limping, so I started taking it and I feel less stiff. But I sure hate those big horse pills!”

What we think we know is probably not true. If we are practicing medicine the same way next year as we are practicing this year, we clearly haven’t learned anything.

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, hurts. It takes a long time to resolve and interferes with daily activities. Here is what causes the problem and what you can do about it.

Short-term solutions for managing joint pain used to be limited to anti-inflammatory drugs and shots of cortisone. Today’s new injections can provide more than relief of symptoms.

Though usually self-healing in the young, a tongue-twisting condition called Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) can mean more serious trouble for adolescents. Advances in knee surgery may move this injury, like many others, into the “curable” realm.

The human shoulder is a complex system, interconnecting bones, muscles, tendons and cartilage. When shoulder pain occurs, finding out exactly what’s going wrong is the first step toward a cure.

Cortisone is a therapeutic drug used to fight ailments ranging from asthma to arthritis. It was the athlete’s best friend throughout the 20th century. But in orthopedics, there is a significant downside.

If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, there’s a strong chance that you were advised to rest, limit your activities and use anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the symptoms of pain and inflammation. There are some major flaws in this advice.