Passive insufficiency of two-joint shoulder muscles

This preliminary study examined the effects of full elbow flexion and full elbow extension on the end-point of active range of motion of shoulder flexion and shoulder extension respectively. The end-points were measured from lateral photographs of the right upper limbs of 30 men after they flexed and extended their shoulders with their elbows held in full flexion and full extension. Angular measurements showed that full elbow flexion limited shoulder flexion range of motion and that full elbow extension limited shoulder extension range of motion.

The results indicated that passive muscle insufficiency of active shoulder flexion and extension was probably brought about by lengthening the triceps brachii and the biceps brachii muscles respectively. Clinicians are encouraged to considerthis passive insufficiency when measuring range of motion of shoulderflexion and extension and when implementing therapeutic interventions.     

全膝关节置换术后早期股四头肌肌力降低——肌肉主动激活障碍和肌萎缩

背景：尽管全膝关节置换能够缓解疼痛和恢复膝关节的功能活动度，但术后1年仍然存在股四头肌乏力和功能下降。本研究的目的是确定肌肉主动激活障碍和肌萎缩在术后早期股四头肌肌力降低中的作用。 方法：以20例单侧膝关节骨性关节炎患者分别在术前（平均10天）和术后（平均27天）进行测量。股四头肌肌力和主动激活通过脉冲叠加刺激技术测量，即在股四头肌最大主动等长收缩时给予一超阈值电流脉冲刺激。使用核磁共振成像技术测量股四头肌的最大横截面积。 结果：和术前相比，术后股四头肌肌力下降了62％，主动激活能力下降了17％，最大横截面积下降了10％，差异具有统计学意义（p〈0．01）。总的来说，股四头肌主动激活障碍和肌萎缩占股四头肌肌力下降原因的85％（p〈0．001）。多元线性回归分析发现股四头肌主动激活障碍导致的肌力丢失几乎是由于肌萎缩导致的肌力丢失的两倍。和术前水平相比，肌肉收缩时膝关节的疼痛程度在术后并没有显著变化（p=0．31）。在肌力测试中，膝关节疼痛的变化对于股四头肌主动激活没有显著的影响（p=0．14）。 结论：全膝关节置换术后1个月股四头肌肌力障碍仍然严重。这种肌力障碍主要由股四头肌的主动激活障碍引起，另外，肌萎缩也起到一定的作用。肌肉收缩时膝关节疼痛对肌肉主动激活的影响不大。可信水平：预测性研究，Ⅰ级。进一步可信度参见作者介绍。     

Lack of increased bleeding after paracentesis and thoracentesis in patients with mild coagulation abnormalities

To determine whether untreated mild coagulopathy in patients with no evidence of clinical bleeding is associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage after paracentesis or thoracentesis, retrospective examination was conducted of 608 consecutive procedures for which prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), platelet (Plt) counts, and preprocedure and postprocedure hemoglobin concentrations were available. There was no increased bleeding in patients with mild to moderate coagulopathy (defined as PT or PTT up to twice the midpoint normal range or pit count of 50 to 99 x 10(3) per microL [50-99 x 10(9)/L]). However, patients with markedly elevated serum creatinine levels (6.0 to 14.0 mg/dL [530-1240 mumol/L]) had a significantly greater average hemoglobin loss (-0.82 +/- 1.3 g/dL [-8 +/- 13 g/L], n = 11) than patients with normal serum creatinine levels (-0.12 +/- 0.88 g/dL [-1 +/- 9 g/L], n = 450) (p = 0.011). Overall, the frequency of bleeding complications requiring red cell transfusions was very low: 0.2 percent of events. The most common diagnosis for patients who had paracentesis was alcoholic liver disease (72%); for those having thoracentesis, it was infection (37%). It can be concluded that, for these patients, prophylactic plasma or platelet transfusions are not necessary. Patients with markedly elevated serum creatinine deserve close postprocedure observation.     

A study of body image in long‐term breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND:

In this controlled postdiagnosis study, the authors examined various aspects of body image of breast cancer survivors in cross‐sectional and longitudinal designs.

METHODS:

In 2004 and 2007 the Body Image Scale (BIS) was completed by the same 248 disease‐free women who had been treated for stage II and III breast cancer between 1998 and 2002. “Poorer” body image was defined as greater than the 70th percentile (N = 76 women) of the BIS scores in contrast to “better” body image (N = 172 women). Breast cancer survivors were examined clinically in 2004, and their BIS scores were compared with the scores from an age‐matched group of women from the general population.

RESULTS:

In this cross‐sectional study, poorer body image in 2004 was associated significantly with modified radical mastectomy, undergoing or planning to undergo breast‐reconstructive surgery, a change in clothing, poor physical and mental health, chronic fatigue, and reduced quality of life (QoL). In univariate analyses, most of these factors and manually planned radiotherapy were significant predictors of poorer body image in 2007. In multivariate analyses, manually planned radiotherapy, poor physical QoL and high BIS score in 2004 remained independent predictors of a poorer body image in 2007. Body image ratings were relatively stable from 2004 to 2007. Twenty‐one percent of breast cancer survivors reported body image dissatisfaction, similar to the proportion of dissatisfaction in controls.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this cross‐sectional analysis, body image in breast cancer survivors was associated with the types of surgery and radiotherapy and with mental distress, reduced health, and impaired QoL. Body image ratings were relatively stable over time, and the antecedent body image score was a strong predictor of body image at follow‐up. Body image in breast cancer survivors differed very little from that in controls. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.     

Physiotherapie im Wandel

This article is intended to give a review for dentists and dentofacial orthopedists of the slowly emerging profession of physiotherapy. Within the framework of the Bologna process Bachelor and Master Degrees are now possible and technicians for scientific work will be procured from this professional group. This basic scientific training is the foundation for a system by which those who finally carry out the forms of therapy on patients are actually those who can now develop and carry out effective and validated study designs. These studies will ensure an improved estimation of therapy success and patients will also receive the optimal evidence-based treatment corresponding to the scientific state-of-the art. Physiotherapists will have an improved planning capability for physiotherapeutic treatment options due to new guidelines for the treatment of craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) which have yet to be established. Dentists transferring patients can in the future prescribe physiotherapeutic treatment with a clear conscience in the knowledge that this treatment has been scientifically tested and validated. The inclusion of physiotherapists is alone scientifically profitable due to the improved safety of treatment and economically for those responsible for finance due to proven or non-proven validation of the tested forms of therapy. Physiotherapists have then the possibility to test forms of therapy for which results are still lacking and to evaluate them in a valid way using scientifically correct study designs.