The decision to undergo surgery can be particularly difficult and confusing for older adults. In a study published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues report that older patients and their surgeons do not communicate effectively when exploring surgical treatment options.

Drug delivery systems have progressed from the teaspoon to time-release capsules to drug-eluting stents. Nanotechnology promises yet another advance by delivering therapeutic agents at desired rates exactly where needed in the body.