WEDNESDAY, July 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A meniscal tear is a common and disabling knee injury affecting many Americans at some point in their lives.

Now, new research suggests that in many cases, exercise may work just as well as surgery to heal the condition in middle-aged people.

Meniscal tears occur when damage is done to the rubbery discs that cushion the knee joint.

According to the European research team, about 2 million people worldwide undergo surgeries known as knee arthroscopy each year -- although there's debate over how valuable these procedures are for meniscal tears.

TUESDAY, July 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists report progress toward developing lab-grown cartilage that could postpone or possibly eliminate the need for hip replacement surgery in younger arthritis patients.

The cartilage hasn't been tested in humans yet, and it's too early to know anything about side effects or cost. Still, the researchers said it's promising because the cartilage is only partially artificial -- it also includes the patient's stem cells -- and the synthetic "scaffolding" may vanish over time, leaving only human tissue in its place.

In addition, the implant is designed to fight off swelling, said lead researcher Bradley Estes.

Blau syndrome is an inflammatory disorder that primarily affects the skin, joints, and eyes. Signs and symptoms begin in childhood, usually before age 4.

A form of skin inflammation called granulomatous dermatitis is typically the earliest sign of Blau syndrome. This skin condition causes a persistent rash that can be scaly or involve hard lumps (nodules) that can be felt under the skin. The rash is usually found on the torso, arms, and legs.

Arthritis is another common feature of Blau syndrome. In affected individuals, arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the lining of joints (the synovium). This inflammation, known as synovitis, is associated with swelling and joint pain.

THURSDAY, July 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Female athletes younger than 25 have the highest risk for a repeat tear of the knee's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after surgery to repair it, a new study says.

The study included just over 500 male and female athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction with a hamstring graft and were followed for two years. Their average age was 27. They were allowed to return to sports six to 12 months after surgery if they were pain-free, had equal quadriceps/hamstring strength, and had finished a rehabilitation program.

"Our research noted that female patients under the age of 25 with a [smaller] graft size of less than 8 millimeters have an increased chance of re-tearing their ACL following reconstruction," study lead author Dr.

TUESDAY, June 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Certain cancer immunotherapy drugs may increase risk for joint and tissue disease, including arthritis, new research suggests.

"We keep having referrals coming in from our oncologists as more patients are treated with these drugs," said Dr. Clifton Bingham, director of the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center in Baltimore.

"In particular, as more patients are treated with combinations of multiple immunotherapies, we expect the rate to go up," he said in a Hopkins news release.

Drugs like ipilimumab and nivolumab are called checkpoint inhibitor drugs. Between 2012 and 2016, 13 patients given these drugs at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center (1.3 percent of the total using them) developed new-onset arthritis, or autoimmune disorders that cause dry eyes and mouth, the researchers said.

FRIDAY, June 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- For those who suffer debilitating arthritis in their knees, researchers report in a small study that just one injection of stem cells can reduce pain and inflammation.

The idea is experimental: Extract stem cells from a patient's own body fat -- cells known for their ability to differentiate and perform any number of regenerative functions -- and inject them directly into the damaged knee joint.

"While the goal of this small study was to evaluate the safety of using a patient's own stem cells to treat osteoarthritis of the knee, it also showed that one group of patients experienced improvements in pain and function," noted Dr.