Weightbearing and Activity Restriction Treatments and Quality of Life in Patients with Perthes Disease

BackgroundWeightbearing and activity restrictions are commonly prescribed during the active stages of Perthes disease. These restrictions, ranging from cast or brace treatment with nonweightbearing to full weightbearing with activity restrictions, may have a substantial influence on the physical, mental, and social health of a child. However, their impact on the patient’s quality of life is not well-described.Questions/purposesAfter controlling for confounding variables, we asked (1) are restrictions on weightbearing and activity associated with physical health measures (as expressed by the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System [PROMIS] mobility, PROMIS pain interference, and PROMIS fatigue) of children in the active stages of Perthes disease? (2) Are these restrictions associated with poorer scores for mental health measures (PROMIS depressive symptoms and PROMIS anxiety)? (3) Are these restrictions associated with poorer scores for social health measures (PROMIS peer relationships)?MethodsBetween 2013 and 2020, 211 patients with Perthes disease at a single institution were assigned six PROMIS measures to assess physical, mental, and social health. Patients who met the following eligibility criteria were analyzed: age 8 to 14 years old, completion of six PROMIS measures, English-speaking, and active stage of Perthes disease (Waldenstrom Stage I, II, or III). Weightbearing and activity restrictions were clinically recommended to patients in the initial through early reossification stages of Perthes disease when patients had increasing pain, loss of hip motion, loss of hip containment, progression of femoral head deformity, increased hip synovitis, and femoral head involvement on MRI or as a postoperative regimen. Patients were categorized into four intervention groups based on weightbearing and activity regimen. We excluded 111 patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria. The following six pediatric self-report PROMIS measures were assessed: mobility, pain interference, fatigue, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and peer relationships. Of the 100 patients, 36 were categorized into the no-restriction regimen, 27 into the mild-restriction regimen, 25 into the moderate-restriction regimen, and 12 into the severe-restriction regimen at the time of PROMIS administration. The median (range) age at diagnosis was 8 years old (range 2 to 13 years). There were 85 boys and 15 girls. Eleven patients had hips in Waldenstrom Stage I, 10 were in Stage II, and 79 were in Stage III. Forty-four patients had hips classified as lateral pillar B and 47 patients as lateral pillar C. Nine patients had not reached the mid-fragmentation stage for appropriate lateral pillar classification by the time they took the PROMIS survey. ANOVA was used to compare differences between the mean PROMIS T-scores of these weightbearing/activity regimens. Results were assessed with a significance of p < 0.05 and adjusted for Waldenstrom stage, gender, age at diagnosis, and history of major surgery using multivariate regression analysis.ResultsAfter controlling for confounding variables, the mild- (β regression coefficient -15 [95% CI -19 to -10]; p < 0.001), moderate- (β -19 [95% CI -24 to -14]; p < 0.001), and severe- (β -25 [95% CI -30 to -19]; p < 0.001) restriction groups were associated with worse mobility T-scores compared with the no-restriction group, but no association was detected for the pain interference or fatigue measures. Weightbearing and activity restrictions were not associated with mental health measures (depressive symptoms and anxiety). Weightbearing and activity restrictions were not associated with social health measures (peer relationships). Earlier Waldenstrom stage was associated with worse pain interference (β 10 [95% CI 2 to 17]; p = 0.01) and peer relationships scores (β -8 [95% CI -15 to -1]; p = 0.03); female gender was linked with worse depressive symptoms (β 7 [95% CI 2 to 12]; p = 0.005) and peer relationships scores (β -6 [95% CI -12 to 0]; p = 0.04); and earlier age at diagnosis was associated with worse peer relationships scores (β 1 [95% CI 0 to 2]; p = 0.03). History of major surgery had no connection to any of the six PROMIS measures.ConclusionWe found that weightbearing and activity restriction treatments are associated with poorer patient-reported mobility in the active stages of Perthes disease after controlling for Waldenstrom stage, gender, age at diagnosis, and history of surgery. Weightbearing/activity restrictions, however, are not associated with pain interference, fatigue, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and peer relationships. Understanding how these treatments are associated with quality of life in patients with Perthes disease can aid in decision-making for providers, help set expectations for patients and their parents, and provide opportunities for better education and preparation. Because of the chronic nature of Perthes disease, future studies may focus on longitudinal trends in patient-reported outcomes to better understand the overall impact of this disease and its treatment.Level of EvidenceLevel III, therapeutic study.     

A comparative study of portal vein embolization versus radiation lobectomy with Yttrium-90 micropheres in preparation for liver resection for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundPortal vein embolization before liver resection is considered the therapy of choice for patients with inadequate future liver remnants. The concept of radioembolization with Yttrium-90 to achieve the same goal has limited data.MethodsWe retrospectively compared patients who underwent portal vein embolization and Yttrium-90 lobectomy before resection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease.ResultsSeventy-three patients underwent portal vein embolization and 22 patients underwent Yttrium-90. Forty-seven percent of patients before portal vein embolization required additional procedures for tumor control, and 27% of patients after Yttrium-90 required additional procedure to mainly induce further hypertrophy. Both therapies achieved the goal of future liver remnants >40%, but the degree of hypertrophy was significantly higher in Yttrium-90 patients (63% for Yttrium-90, 36% for portal vein embolization, P < .01). Tumor response was significantly better with Yttrium-90, achieving complete response in 50% of patients. Resectability rate was higher after portal vein embolization (85% for portal vein embolization, 64% for Yttrium-90, P = .03). Tumor progression was the most common reason precluding surgery. Complete tumor control was the reason not to pursue surgery in 18% of patients after Yttrium-90.ConclusionBoth preoperative portal vein embolization and Yttrium-90, increases liver resectability rates by inducing hypertrophy of future liver remnants in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease. Yttrium-90 lobectomy achieved better tumor control and provided more time to assess therapy response, optimizing the indication for surgery.     

Mechanism of Graft Damage Caused by NTPDase1-activated Macrophages in Acute Antibody-Mediated Rejection

ObjectivesTo investigate the effect and mechanism of macrophage activation and graft damage caused by nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (NTPDase1) in acute antibody-mediated rejection (AMR).MethodsAcute AMR was induced in different skin-grafted nude mouse models with wild-type NTPDase1 expression, transgene-enhanced NTPDase1 expression, or NTPDase1 gene knockout. Several methods (eg, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC], immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and luciferin/luciferase assays) were used to study (at the histologic and molecular levels) the extracellular adenosine diphosphate (ADP) concentration, macrophage proliferation, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen expression on the surface of macrophages, B-cell activating factor (BAFF) expression in the peripheral blood serum, and the total number of SmIg-positive B cells during acute AMR. The relative activity of NTPDase1 in B cells and epithelial cells, pathologic changes, and the incidence of positive C4d deposition around the capillaries of skin grafts on the different nude mice were studied.ResultsMacrophages proliferated significantly when acute AMR occurred. The higher the NTPDase1 expression level, the lower the extracellular ADP concentration, the expression of MHC class II antigens on the surface of macrophages, the expression of BAFF in the peripheral blood serum, and the total number of SmIg-positive B cells, indicating negative correlations. The relative activity of NTPDase1 in B cells and epithelial cells of the skin graft was different among the different mice. The higher the NTPDase1 expression level, the lower the degree of pathologic damage to the skin graft.ConclusionsImbalance in extracellular ADP degradation by NTPDase1 may promote macrophage activation, and activated macrophages may be an important cause of graft damage.     

Clinical Significance of De Novo Malignancy After Liver Transplant: A Single-Center Study

BackgroundSeveral studies have reported that solid organ transplant recipients have a high risk for malignant tumors because the suppressed immune system fails in preventing malignant transformations. De novo malignancy after transplantation is the most common cause of death in the late period after liver transplant (LT). This study investigated the clinical significance of de novo malignancy after LT, and it is the largest study based in Korea to report long-term follow-up results associated with de novo malignancy after LT.MethodsData of 1793 adults who underwent LT in Seoul National University Hospital were retrospectively collected, and medical charts and data from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security were reviewed to examine the causes of death and de novo malignancy status. The Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to analyze the data.ResultsOf the 1793 recipients, 27 died of de novo malignancies. Of 875 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, 12 died, and of 918 non-HCC patients, 15 died. De novo malignancy was the main cause of death at 5 years after LT but was not in the initial 5 years. In Korea the most common cancers that developed after LT were gastric cancer (21.4%) and lymphoma (14.3%). De novo HCC in non-HCC cases was found in 2 patients.ConclusionDe novo malignancy is a key factor affecting long-term survival after LT. Therefore, regular screening and education are important for improving long-term survival and quality of life in these patients after LT.     

Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Early-Onset Tuberculosis After Liver Transplantation

BackgroundWe encountered some cases of early-onset tuberculosis (TB) after liver transplant (LT), leading to further transmission to other immunocompromised patients. Therefore, we investigated the clinical characteristics and risk factors of early-onset TB after LT.MethodsAll adult patients with TB after LT from 1996 to 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. Our hospital did not screen for latent TB infection (LTBI) in LT recipients because of concerns regarding the potential hepatotoxicity of anti-TB medication. Patients were categorized into 2 groups based on the TB onset time after LT: early-onset TB (≤2 months) and late-onset TB (>2 months).ResultsOf 4301 LT recipients, 91 patients developed TB after LT (2.1%). The median time from LT to TB development was 9.4 months. Of these 91 patients, 11 were classified as having early-onset TB (12.1%). Patients with early-onset TB had a greater pretransplant TB history than patients with late-onset TB (36.4% vs 11.3%, P = .048).ConclusionThis unusual early-onset TB was more common in patients with a pretransplant TB history, suggesting the possibility of missed TB or full manifestation of the indolent course of TB after LT. Therefore, LT recipients with a pretransplant TB history should undergo thorough screening for active TB and consider prophylaxis.     

Measuring patient perceptions of surgeon communication performance in the treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer using the communication assessment tool

BackgroundThyroid surgeons are offering their patients less aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic management strategies for thyroid nodules and low-risk thyroid cancer in an effort to decrease overdiagnosis and overtreatment of indolent disease. Explaining the rationale for less aggressive management plans requires physicians to be effective communicators. We aimed to assess the communication skills of thyroid surgeons with the Makoul Communication Assessment Tool and to identify risk factors for poor communication.MethodsNew adult patients with thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer presenting to a single tertiary-referral endocrine surgery clinic were enrolled from July 2018 through December 2019. Patients were administered the Communication Assessment Tool immediately after their clinical encounter. Outlier communication scores were identified, and clinical characteristics were compared between outlier and nonoutlier groups.ResultsA total of 107 patients completed the Communication Assessment Tool. Mean (standard deviation) total and top box scores were 67 (6) and 86% (29%), respectively. Twenty-five patients (23%) were in the low-outlier group, defined by a total score below 67.5/70 or top box score below 82.25%. Other race and non-Hispanic patients (versus white race) were more likely low outliers (odds ratio 3.58, P = .048). The lowest scoring Communication Assessment Tool item overall was “the doctor encouraged me to ask questions” (78.5% top box).ConclusionWe found communication to be perceived as excellent in the majority of patients; however, an opportunity for improvement was identified in 29% of participants. Significant differences in race and ethnicity between low outlier and nonoutlier communication score patients were observed, which warrants additional investigation. These findings support the utility of the Communication Assessment Tool in studying the effectiveness of communication improvement initiatives.     

A Comparison of Bone-Targeted Exercise With and Without Antiresorptive Bone Medication to Reduce Indices of Fracture Risk in Postmenopausal Women With Low Bone Mass: The MEDEX-OP Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of the MEDEX-OP trial was to compare the efficacy of a known effective high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) with a low-intensity exercise control (Buff Bones® [BB]), alone or in combination with antiresorptive bone medication, on indices of fracture risk (bone mass, body composition, muscle strength, functional performance), compliance, and safety. Primary study outcomes were 8-month change in lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (TH) bone mineral density (BMD). Healthy postmenopausal women with low bone mass (T-score ≤ −1.0) on or off stable doses (≥12 months) of antiresorptive medication were recruited. A total of 115 women (aged 63.6 ± 0.7 years; body mass index [BMI] 25.5 kg/m²; femoral neck [FN] T-score −1.8 ± 0.1) were randomly allocated to 8-month, twice-weekly, 40-minute HiRIT (5 sets of 5 repetitions, >80% to 85% 1 repetition maximum) or BB (low-intensity, Pilates-based training), stratified by medication intake, resulting in four groups: HiRIT (n = 42), BB (n = 44), HiRIT-med (n = 15), BB-med (n = 14). HiRIT improved LS BMD (1.9 ± 0.3% versus 0.1 ± 0.4%, p < 0.001) and stature (0.2 ± 0.1 cm versus −0.0 ± 0.1 cm, p = 0.004) more than BB. Both programs improved functional performance, but HiRIT effects were larger for leg and back muscle strength and the five times sit-to-stand test (p < 0.05). There was a positive relationship between maximum weight lifted and changes in LS BMD and muscle strength in the HiRIT groups. Exploratory analyses suggest antiresorptive medication may enhance exercise efficacy at the proximal femur and lumbar spine. Exercise compliance was good (82.4 ± 1.3%) and both programs were well tolerated (7 adverse events: HiRIT 4; BB 3). HiRIT improved indices of fracture risk significantly more than Buff Bones®. More trials combining bone medication and bone-targeted exercise are needed. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).     

灵宝护心丹联合参松养心胶囊治疗窦性心动过缓的临床观察

目的 探讨灵宝护心丹联合参松养心胶囊治疗窦性心动过缓的临床疗效。方法 选取2019年3月—2020年12月抚州市中医医院内科诊断为窦性心动过缓患者100例,随机分为对照组（50例）和治疗组（50例）。对照组给予参松养心胶囊（每天3次,每次4粒）,治疗组在对照组的基础上给予灵宝护心丹（每天3次,每次4粒）,治疗24周。治疗后比较两组的临床疗效、24 h动态心电图指标、心率变异性时域指标及不良反应。结果 治疗组中医证候有效率84.0%,对照组为60.0%,两组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗组动态心电图总有效率86.0%,对照组64.0%,两组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗后,两组平均心率、总心率、最快心率、最慢心率、24 h全部正常心室搏动间距（R wave-R wave,R-R）间期标准差（standard diviation of NN intervals,SDNN）、24 h连续5 min节段正常R-R间期的标准差（standard deviation of sequential five-minute R-R interval means,SDA...     

补脾和胃泄浊法联合常规西药治疗早中期慢性肾功能不全脾虚湿盛证临床研究

目的：观察补脾和胃泄浊法治疗早中期慢性肾功能不全脾虚湿盛证的临床疗效。方法：选择94例早中期慢性肾功能不全患者,按随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组各47例。对照组给予常规西药治疗,观察组在对照组基础上给予补脾和胃泄浊法治疗。评价2组临床疗效,比较2组治疗前后中医证候评分、肾功能、肾血流变化、炎症因子水平及免疫功能。结果：观察组总有效率为89.36%,高于对照组72.34%(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组各项中医证候评分低于治疗前(P<0.05),且观察组各项中医证候评分低于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组血肌酐(SCr)、尿素氮(BUN)、胱抑素C (Cys-C)、β₂-微球蛋白(β₂-MG)、白细胞介素-6 (IL-6)、C-反应蛋白(CRP)及免疫球蛋白抗体G (IgG)水平较治疗前降低,且观察组低于对照组(P<0.05);2组肾小球滤过率(e GFR)、补体C3水平较治疗前升高,且观察组高于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗后,观察组平均灌注强度(Imix)、血流速度(Vmix)高于治疗前和对照组(P<0....     

经跗骨窦入路微创锁定钢板治疗跟骨关节内骨折疗效对比研究

目的:比较经跗骨窦入路使用微创锁定钢板与解剖型锁定钢板治疗跟骨关节内骨折的临床疗效。方法:回顾性分析2016年7月至2017年6月采用跗骨窦入路治疗的48例跟骨关节内骨折患者的临床资料,根据内固定方式不同分为微创锁定钢板组和解剖型锁定钢板组,每组24例。微创锁定钢板组,男14例,女10例;年龄27～46(38.70±5.58)岁;骨折Sanders分型,Ⅱ型18例,Ⅲ型6例。解剖型锁定钢板组,男17例,女7例;年龄26～46(37.10±6.44)岁;骨折Sanders分型,Ⅱ型16例,Ⅲ型8例。观察并比较两组患者手术时间,视觉模拟评分(visual analague scale,VAS),术后并发症情况,比较术后1周及末次随访时B?hler角、Gissane角、跟骨宽度和高度变化情况,采用Maryland足部功能评分进行功能评价。结果:所有患者获得随访,时间12～18(14.10±1.94)个月。48例患者获得骨性愈合,愈合时间8～16(10.60±2.25)周。微创锁定钢板组手术时间、VAS评分、并发症分别为(69.50±7.51) min、(2.80±1.07)分、2例,解剖型锁定钢板组分别为(77.50±7.15) min、(3.80±1.09)分、8例,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组术后1周及末次随访时B?hler角、Gissane角、跟骨宽度、高度比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。两组Maryland足部功能评分比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:对于SandersⅡ、Ⅲ型跟骨关节内骨折,经跗骨窦入路使用微创锁定钢板治疗可以达到与解剖型锁定钢板相似的牢靠固定及功能恢复,其操作更简便,手术时间更短,术后早期疼痛更轻,术后并发症更少。