Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

06:54
Multimodal Approach to Assess Bone Regeneration and Scaffold Performance
Published on: February 13, 2026
Building a bone & joint program: nursing leads the way in developing a cost-effective, quality-driven program in a
1The Bone & Joint Center, Hallmark Health System and Director, Cummings Orthopaedic Surgery Unit, Melrose, MA, USA.
Orthopedic Nursing
|April 3, 2009
Summary
Joint replacement surgery is evolving with an aging population and new technology. A new Bone & Joint Program, led by a nurse, improved patient satisfaction and hospital finances.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Joint replacement surgery is increasingly recommended proactively for debilitating joint disease due to an aging, active population and technological advancements.
- This trend necessitates evidence-based, comprehensive Bone & Joint Programs to ensure high-quality patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the implementation and outcomes of a new Bone & Joint Program at Hallmark Health System.
- To highlight the role of a skilled nurse in leading this interdisciplinary initiative.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a Bone & Joint Program utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach.
- Led by a skilled nurse within a community-based hospital system.
Main Results:
- The program, over a year old, has demonstrated positive results.
- Improvements noted in patient satisfaction.
- Positive impact on the hospital's financial performance ('bottom line').
Conclusions:
- An interdisciplinary Bone & Joint Program, nurse-led, can effectively enhance patient care and hospital outcomes.
- This model addresses the growing demand for joint replacement surgery and improves both patient experience and financial health.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Remodeling and Repair
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...
Fractures: Bone Repair
Treatment for a fracture is based on the type of break, the bone affected, and the patient's age.
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
Bone Disorders
Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone Remodeling
Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.
Bone Structure
Within the skeletal system, the structure of a bone, or osseous tissue, can be exemplified in a long bone, like the femur, where there are two types of osseous tissue: cortical and cancellous.
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...

