Data suggests there has been a big rise in knee replacement operation rates, particularly for younger patients. Figures for the UK, US and Finland show an emerging trend of requests for arthritic 'baby boomers' in their 50s. UK experts believe the nation's growing obesity problem is partly to blame for the rise, putting strain on the knees. A report in Arthritis & Rheumatism says work is urgently needed to check that replacements in this age group is wise given the product's unknown shelf life.

This week, a list was revealed of the ten most-watched programmes put out during 2011 by that paragon of tasteful broadcasting, Channel 4. Though Channel 4 can generally be relied on to put out content that appeals to the viewing public’s more prurient sensibilities (yes, I wasn’t being entirely serious when I called it a paragon of tasteful broadcasting), it also occasionally features less voyeuristic programming, as demonstrated by the presence of Big Fat Quiz of the Year and Grand Designs in the top ten. However, the three biggest draws were all permutations of the indescribable My Fat Gypsy Wedding, with the top five rounded out by televisual carnival of horrors Embarrassing Bodies and rose-tinted council estate chucklefest Shameless. Although MFGW is, as its name suggests, a documentary series following young Irish traveller couples around on their big day, any pretension toward sentimentality is secondary to outlandish spectacle, such as that of a young woman with an orange face dancing around in semi-darkness wearing a dress stuffed with giant glowsticks; Embarrassing Bodies, meanwhile, presents the viewer with a parade of individuals afflicted with some often quite horrific maladies; while Mancunian sitcom Shameless centres around a family living on a council estate who have all sorts of hilarious adventures and generally live a picturebook existence which belies the privation one would generally associate with the reality of surviving on benefits in recession-hit Britain.

Mr H came to Clear Law about the skin condition he had developed after being exposed to harmful oil at work. He had worked for the company for years and had only thought about making a claim after they had made him redundant. He told us that he recalled first linking the condition to his working conditions approximately 2.5 years previously. As you only have 3 years to issue proceedings before your claim becomes statute barred we issued a claim form straight away to try and get him some protection and sent a letter of claim to his employers. When we received his medical records it came to light that there had actually been an investigation some 4 years and 2 months previously into the cause of his condition by Occupational Health and as a result working practices regarding the oil had changed. Mr H had been mistaken on how long it had been as the years had passed so quickly.

The Montreal Convention is an exclusive cause of action which governs the extent of the liability of the airline to the passenger. If no remedy exists under the Convention, then there can be no alternate domestic remedy. Article 17 of the convention provides that “The carrier is liable for damage sustained in case of death or bodily injury of a passenger upon condition only that the accident which caused the death or injury took place on board the aircraft or in the course of any of the operations of embarking or disembarking” The 1999 Montreal Convention originated way back in 1929 with the Warsaw Convention which was drafted in a very different time for the airline industry when the primary concern was to promote the phenomena of global commercial flight and protect what was a far more dangerous business from pesky liability.

Those who receive a Golden Globe are a good indicator of who will be holding another well-known gold statue later in the year. . . . Ricky Gervais must have some loyal friends in high places but, despite some of the egocentric Hollywood elite finding distaste with his performance last year, he was asked to return again. . . . Much of the same humour but, toned down and the most cutting gags were aimed at those not worthy of attendance (Kim Kardasian, Bieber).