Bone cancer is rare, but up till recently if it was diagnosed in a limb, it almost certainly meant an amputation.

But that has changed with the advent of internal prosthetics that can replace the diseased bone. Surgeons can now reconstruct a bone with prosthetics if a malignancy is not wrapped around blood vessels.

Dr. James Wittig of New York City's Mt. Sinai Medical Center says that, these days, 95 percent of patients with bone sarcomas, which comprise less than 1 percent of all cancers, can have their limbs saved. But some bone cancer sufferers may still be having amputations due to ignorance of the technology. (Read more about Saving Bone Cancer Patients' Limbs)

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A computer-aided bone-implant technique is coming on line that will increase the accuracy of implant insertions and decrease operating room time for hip, shoulder, knee and ankle replacements - especially for younger patients.

The novel technology relies on software newly developed by the Human Mobility Research Center in Kingston, Ontario. It also depends on computed tomography (CT) scans of a patient's damaged joint. The software creates an exact, patient-specific, 3-D image of the joint and nearby bones, which can then be turned into a plastic model. This, in turn, is used for precise alignment and placement of the metal implants needed to redo the patient's joint with - in the case of hip surgery - so-called hip resurfacing arthroplasty. (Read more about Technique Aids Joint Replacements)

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If you have osteoarthritis of the knees, with all of the pain and loss of flexibility that entails, chances are your doctor has recommended arthroscopic surgery. This is a procedure in which the surgeon inserts a scope into the knee and cleans out bits of loose bone and smoothes rough cartilage.

But there are ways to avoid this invasive, expensive surgery and actually alleviate the arthritis. (Read more about How to Save Your Knees From Arthroscopic Surgery)

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Medicine is ever advancing - and that includes orthopedic medicine, which has now developed gender-specific artificial knees that match the subtle anatomical differences between men and women. Technicians have also produced a computer program to assist orthopedic surgeons in correctly positioning replacement knees.

These two elements - gender-specificity and computer-navigated surgery - are being hotly discussed these days whenever orthopedic surgeons come together in professional gatherings. (Read more about Cutting-Edge Knee-Replacement Gadgets)

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Many studies are showing a persistent connection between gum disease and other ailments that afflict corners of the body far afield from the teeth.

Specifically, when gingivitis (early-stage gum disease) or full-blown periodontal disease is present, it's often the case that doctors find that a patient has diabetes, kidney disorders, preterm labor, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis or even Alzheimer's disease. (Read more about As Goes Oral Health, So Goes General Health)

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A particular chiropractic adjustment has been shown to significantly improve high blood pressure, according to recent research.

"This procedure has the effect of not one, but two blood-pressure medications given in combination," said study leader George Bakris, a medical doctor who is director of the University of Chicago hypertension center. "And it seems to be adverse-event free. We saw no side effects and no problems." (Read more about Chiropractic Technique Reduces Blood Pressure)

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An old Chinese healing-energy practice has potential for helping patients with knee arthritis, recent research suggests.

The Chinese technique, known as qigong (pronounced chee-gong), utilizes the supposed flows of chi (qi), or energy, in practitioner and patient to bring healing to a variety of disorders. It's widespread in China. Qigong theorizes that disease results from blockages in the free flow of chi in the human organism. A therapist trained in controlling his own chi can use it to normalize the flow of chi in a patient. (Read more about Anti-Arthritis Benefits of Ancient China's Qigong)

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Smoking causes cancer, lung disease and heart attacks, and disrupts body chemistry in such dangerous ways that a host of other ailments can result. So it's not surprising that even back problems might be caused by nicotine and smoke ingestion.

Indeed, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says smoking diminishes the blood supply to the bones, and saps them of calcium, both of which increase the possibility of the onset of osteoporosis. Suggestive of the relationship between smoking and back issues, one's chances for success after back surgery improve dramatically if one is a nonsmoker or has ceased smoking. (Read more about Smoking's Link to Back Problems)

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It's just in rats for now, but scientists have induced spinal cord regrowth by taking tiny nerves from the rib cage, bathing them in a growth-inducing protein, and then grafting them into the area of the cut spinal cord.

"By using tiny nerves from the rib cage as cables connecting the severed spinal cord, we were able to get some improvement in leg function," said Dr. Vernon Lin, a professor of physical medicine at the University of California at Irvine and director of the Spinal Cord Injury Group at the Long Beach Veterans Administration Medical Center. (Read more about Glimmer of Hope for Spine-Injury Victims)

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High impact activities like jumping and skipping has been shown to benefit bone health in adolescents. A ten minute school based intervention, provided twice a week for eight months, greatly improved bone and muscle strength in healthy teenagers when compared to regular warmups. Physiotherapist Ben Weeks said the warm-up, which included high intensity jumps and lunges of gradually increasing complexity and repetition, was specifically designed to stimulate skeletal growth. By the end of the study, students worked up to about 300 jumps per session. (Read more about High Impact Means High Bone Density for Children)

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