Research To Read, Edition 10.
In the tenth edition of Research To Read, let’s read some more research papers related to the Musculoskeletal system, consisting of bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints, which act as the scaffolding framework of the body providing support, organ protection, and enabling movement.
What is the R2R newsletter all about?
To recap, this newsletter is my 2025 resolution in action: to make reading medical research a consistent habit. Just like any muscle that needs regular exercise, the only way to strengthen this practice is by doing it repeatedly.
That’s the motivation behind Research to Read. It's a way for me to share the research I’m diving into, while also expanding my own knowledge. And I’m inviting my fellow medicos to join me on this journey. We all stand to benefit from staying informed and sharpening our understanding of the latest studies in our field.
So, let’s get into the research together!
Before you dive in:
This essay from 2023, titled, To the tune of dystonia was written by Lynn Hallarmanis, a health science journalist and consultant for the National Center for Equitable Care for Elders at Harvard University. It is a fascinating write-up about dystonia faced by musicians who “unconsciously change their body shape to preserve the integrity of the sounds”.
Here’s my list of research papers to read:
A Mechanism-Based Approach to Prevention of and Therapy for Fibromyalgia
Vierck CJ. A mechanism-based approach to prevention of and therapy for fibromyalgia. Pain Res Treat. 2012;2012:951354. doi: 10.1155/2012/951354.
Fibromyalgia is an often misunderstood and ambiguous condition- a multisystem disorder caused by chronic pain of deep tissues, chronic psychological stress and/or autonomic dysregulation.
This paper dives into the details of the drivers of fibromyalgia, quantification using CMC (controlled muscle compression) to induce threshold and suprathreshold stimulation, it’s measurement using pressure sensors and how exercise has central and peripheral benefits to alleviate the symptoms of this condition.
Read it here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3200141/
2. Research progress on sarcopenia in the musculoskeletal system
Mao, X., Lv, K., Qi, W. et al. Research progress on sarcopenia in the musculoskeletal system. Bone Res13, 78 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41413-025-00455-8
Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalised skeletal muscle disorder characterised by a rapid deterioration in both muscle function and mass, which contributes to a heightened risk of adverse outcomes, including impaired physical function, increased falls, fractures, muscle weakness, and even mortality.
This paper, in particular, is an in-depth review of sarcopenia and provides a three-pronged approach to evaluate it- the evaluation of muscle strength, muscle mass and physical functioning. It also goes on to connect it to common musculoskeletal ailments such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and spinal degenerative diseases such as scoliosis, intervertebral disc degeneration and thoracolumbar disease.
Read it here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41413-025-00455-8
3. Collagenase Injection versus Limited Fasciectomy for Dupuytren’s Contracture
Joseph Dias, Puvanendran Tharmanathan, Catherine Arundel et. al N Engl J Med 2024;391:1499-510.DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2312631
This study was an unblinded, multicenter, pragmatic, two-group, randomised, controlled noninferiority trial comparing collagenase injection with limited fasciectomy in persons with moderate Dupuytren’s contracture to see if collagenase injections are close enough to be equally effective as the invasive procedure of fasciectomy (to test non-inferiority) as it could potentially lead to avoiding surgical intervention.
The outcome was assessed using the Patient Evaluation Measure–Hand Health Profile (PEM), a questionnaire for assessing hand health as reported by the patient, at 1 year after treatment and indicated the long-term functional advantage in the limited-fasciectomy group.
Read it here: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2312631
…and that brings us to the end of the tenth edition of Research to Read!!
I hope you enjoyed these editions of Research to Read in 2025… I’m so grateful for everyone who took the time to read my newsletter this year, and looking forward to assessing and exploring avenues to encourage more scientific writing readership in the year ahead :)
Check out Research to Read, Edition 1, Research to Read Edition 2, Research to Read Edition 3, Research to Read Edition 4, Research to Read Edition 5, Research to Read Edition 6 and Research to Read, Edition 7 here.
(To be noted: Editions 8 and 9 will be reuploaded due to website technical issues)
To get updates on future newsletter editions, please subscribe, and if you have any suggestions, write to me at drnandithasrinivasan@gmail.com
