OE JOURNAL
OE Journal
Vol. 14 | Iss. 2 | January 2026 - 29 Studies
Questions This Issue Explores
Does bone marrow concentrate intradiscal injection affect chronic discogenic low back pain?
Does PENG block differ from anterior quadratus lumborum block for postoperative analgesia in hip fracture surgery?
Do minimally invasive and open distal metatarsal osteotomies differ for hallux valgus?
Do probiotics affect functional performance in patients with osteoarthritis?
How does AI affect clinical research and what warning signs should clinicians consider?
ORIGINAL ANALYSIS
AI in Clinical Research: Wins & Warning Signs
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping clinical research, offering both transformative opportunities and important cautions. This article explores how generative AI is already improving core elements of clinical trials, including patient recruitment, eligibility screening, trial design, simulation, and the use of digital twins. Emerging evidence suggests AI can reduce screening time, enhance equity, and improve trial efficiency, while early applications in drug discovery hint at faster and more productive development pipelines. However, these advances are tempered by significant limitations. Ethical concerns surrounding data privacy, intellectual property, transparency, and bias remain unresolved, and successful computational predictions do not always translate into real-world clinical benefit. Overall, the article provides a balanced, evidence-informed view of where AI is delivering value today—and where careful oversight, validation, and governance are still essential as the technology continues to evolve.
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Efficacy of Liposomal Bupivacaine in Adductor Canal Block Following Knee Arthroplasty
This trial enrolled and evaluated 119 patients undergoing elective knee arthroplasty. Patients were randomized to receive an ultrasound-guided adductor canal block with either ropivacaine (Group R) or liposomal bupivacaine (Group B) prior to induction of general anesthesia. One patient withdrew after randomization, resulting in 119 patients included in the final analysis. The primary outcome of interest was postoperative pain intensity, assessed using visual analog scale scores (VAS) at rest and during movement at 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included weighted area under the curve for VAS scores, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia presses between 12 and 48 hours, early functional recovery measures (pain-free knee bending angle and 10-second walking distance), quality of recovery, patient satisfaction, and adverse events. Outcomes were assessed over the first 72 hours postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed that liposomal bupivacaine provided significantly lower pain scores and sustained analgesia up to 72 hours, with improved early functional recovery compared with ropivacaine.
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