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Trends in Public Interest in Digital Musculoskeletal Care: A Google Trends Analysis of Hinge Health From 2020 to 2025
No full textIntroduction
Hinge Health (Hinge Health, Inc., San Francisco, CA) and similar musculoskeletal (MSK) telehealth platforms have grown rapidly in recent years, offering a new avenue for accessible, at-home care. As digital health further integrates into routine clinical practice, understanding public interest in these services can provide insight into shifting care-seeking behaviors and potential disparities in healthcare access. This study aims to analyze Google Trends (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA) data to evaluate temporal and geographic patterns of public search interest in Hinge Health in the United States, comparing upper and lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries, with the hypothesis that interest has increased over time.
Methods
Google Trends was used to extract relative search volume (RSV) data for the term “Hinge Health” and related MSK keywords (e.g., “chronic pain,” “knee pain”) between January 2020 and April 2025. RSV data was analyzed between two intervals (January 2020-August 2022) and (September 2022-April 2025) using independent t-tests to evaluate changes over time. Geographic patterns were analyzed and visualized using heat maps to identify regions with elevated interest.
Results
Search trends for “Hinge Health” increased from January 2020 to April 2025. The median RSV rose from 23.5 in the first interval to 54.5 in the second, indicating a statistically significant difference (P \u3c 0.001). States with the highest RSV included Minnesota, California, Oregon, and Colorado, while the lowest were Mississippi, Nebraska, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Public interest in upper and lower body MSK pain also increased across most terms. Conditions like chronic neck (P = 0.043), shoulder (P \u3c 0.001), back (P \u3c 0.001), knee (P \u3c 0.001), and pelvic pain (P \u3c 0.001) showed significant growth in RSV between intervals. Chronic shin pain was the only category that did not change significantly (P = 0.055). Geographic differences were also notable. States such as Kentucky, Connecticut, and Arkansas showed the greatest increases in RSV over time, while states like Montana, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia saw declines.
Conclusion
Digital public interest in Hinge Health has increased significantly from 2020 to 2025, reflecting broader changes in healthcare delivery and access during the post-COVID period. However, the geographic and socioeconomic disparities in engagement reveal ongoing inequalities in digital healthcare access. Future efforts to expand digital access to MSK care may focus on building socioeconomic infrastructure, improving digital literacy in rural regions, community education, and establishing clearer policy frameworks to promote equitable integration of telehealth services nationwide
Gross Anatomy, Neuroanatomy, and Embryology for Medical Students: The Ultimate Survival Guide
No full textThis work is an essential resource for medical students seeking a deep, long-term understanding of anatomy. Combining and updating two of the author’s previous Springer titles—one on gross anatomy and another on medical neuroanatomy—this book also includes a wealth of new material designed to support comprehensive learning.
Rather than emphasizing rote memorization, this guide helps students grasp the most complex anatomical concepts they will encounter in their first year of medical school, with a focus on clinical application. Each topic is presented with real-world scenarios in mind, making it a valuable reference not only for preclinical students but also for third- and fourth-year trainees looking for a refresher during clinical rotations.
The book is organized into three sections: Section One covers the gross anatomy of the head and neck, abdomen, thorax, pelvis and perineum, lower limb, upper limb, and back. Section Two presents clinical neuroanatomy in a lesion-based format, emphasizing diagnosis through signs and symptoms. Section Three explores embryology and organ system development, also with a clinical focus
Beyond the Biliary Tree: A Giant Calcified Rectal Fecalith Treated With Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy
No full textChronic constipation and anorectal abnormalities can lead to the formation of fecaliths. Large, calcified fecaliths may pose significant clinical challenges when conservative treatments fail, including the risk of bowel perforation and hemorrhage. Although electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) has been widely adopted for biliary and urinary calculi, its role in managing fecaliths remains rare. We report a 40-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who presented with a large rectal fecalith successfully treated with EHL. This case underscores the potential of EHL as a minimally invasive procedure for calcified fecaliths, offering a safe alternative to surgery in patients at high risk for complications
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Diagnosed on Frozen Section During Diagnostic Laparoscopy: A Case Report
No full textMalignant mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm arising from the proliferation of mesothelial cells. When this proliferation involves the lining of the abdomen, the peritoneum, it is referred to as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM). We present a case of MPM identified during diagnostic laparoscopy, detailing the patient’s symptoms and prior workup that prompted the procedure. This report describes a rare, rapidly progressive case in an elderly female patient, diagnosed via frozen section and immunohistochemistry, who experienced clinical deterioration over 24 days from initial presentation, highlighting both the diagnostic challenges and the aggressive nature of this disease
Infantile Subacute Brainstem Infarction and the Presence of Incidental Ectopic Lymphoid Tissue: A Rare Case
No full textUnexpected infant deaths often present complex diagnostic challenges, where clinical histories alone may not reveal the underlying etiology. Autopsy examination remains essential in identifying uncommon neuropathologic findings that contribute to mortality.
A two-month-old male infant was found unresponsive in his car seat (day 0) and succumbed four days later despite intensive medical intervention. His medical history included neonatal respiratory distress with two prior admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. Autopsy was conducted one day after death (approximately five days postictus), revealing ectopic lymphoid tissue within the medulla of the brainstem, accompanied by subacute infarction and early necrosis. Additional systemic findings included acute splenic infarction, colonic inflammation, and focal acute bronchiolitis. Genetic analysis (collected two days postictus) identified a heterozygous SLC4A3 missense variant, though it was not deemed contributory to death.
This case describes a rare neuropathologic finding of ectopic lymphoid tissue within the brainstem of an infant, suggesting an underrecognized cause of death. It underscores the indispensable role of autopsy in elucidating rare pediatric neuropathologies and broadening the understanding of infant mortality mechanisms
Tumor-informed Minimal Residual Disease Testing in Select Solid Tumors and Hematologic Malignancies: A Narrative Review
No full textTumor-informed circulating tumor DNA assays detect patient-specific cancer mutations in plasma and hold promise for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) after or during definitive therapy. Recent large studies across solid tumors and hematologic malignancies suggest that tumor-informed MRD (TI-MRD) is strongly prognostic for relapse and survival. We reviewed disease evidence for these claims, as well as the potential utility in guiding therapeutic decisions. TI-MRD assays consistently achieved high analytical sensitivity. In solid tumors (colorectal cancer [CRC], non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer), multiple studies demonstrated that post-treatment MRD positivity conferred markedly worse recurrence-free and overall survival. TI-MRD positivity also often preceded clinical or radiological signs of relapse. Studies on hematologic malignancies, such as acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma, also demonstrated prognostic power; however, TI-MRD also demonstrated effectiveness in guiding therapy escalation and de-escalation in AML and CLL studies. Ongoing trials in both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies are focused on further evaluating the utility of TI-MRD in guiding therapeutic decisions and enhancing patient survival. TI-MRD testing has matured into a broadly validated prognostic biomarker across multiple cancers supported by large prospective cohorts. Pending results of ongoing randomized trials will clarify its clinical utility in guiding adjuvant therapy. Key challenges remain, including low tumor shedding, assay cost, and standardization. We recommend cautious use of TI-MRD in practice where evidence is strongest (CRC and hematologic malignancies) while awaiting prospective validation in other settings
Antipsychotic Misuse: A Silent but Growing Public Health Hazard
No full textAntipsychotic drugs are essential in the management of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric illnesses, but their use is closely linked to cardiometabolic side effects. Cardiometabolic side effects include weight gain, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Mechanisms of cardiometabolic side effects involve disruption of the central nervous system’s ability to regulate appetite, peripheral metabolic effects, which are changes in metabolism outside the CNS, and receptor-level interactions, with second-generation antipsychotics generally posing a greater risk than first-generation agents. This review addresses current evidence on the cardiometabolic consequences of antipsychotic therapy, increasing inappropriate off-label use of antipsychotic drugs, particularly those that are atypical, highlights vulnerable populations, and discusses strategies for monitoring and mitigation. A secondary goal is to address the considerable literature gap covering recent trends and costs in the off-label use of atypical antipsychotic drugs
