Procidentia of the rectum

Conclusions There are many procedures which can be utilized in the treatment of procidentia of the rectum. The age and physical condition of the patient are important factors to be considered when making the choice of the procedure. The abdominal approach is favored by us in treatment of healthy, young adults. The perineal approach is favored in the feeble and aged patients. Read at the meeting of the American Proctologic Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 24 to 27, 1957.     

Morphology of the articular processes of the sixth cervical vertebra in humans

With the exception of the 7th vertebra, both past and recent literature describe the lower cervical vertebrae as possessing similar morphological characteristics (Soemmering, 1794; Cruveilhier, 1862; Luschka, 1862; Henle, 1871; Braus-Elze, 1954; Romanes, 1981; Williams et al. 1989; Benninghof, 1994). Gross anatomical differences from the 3rd to the 7th cervical vertebrae comprise the shapes of the vertebral body and uncinate and spinous processes (Putz, 1976; Penning, 1988; Lang, 1990) and the more developed anterior tubercle and anterior root of the transverse process of the 6th cervical vertebra (C6) (Paturet, 1951). During routine examination of a series of dried skeletons, the articular processes (AP) of C6 were found to be distinct from the rest of the cervical vertebrae. The aim of this study was to confirm this unusual appearance of the C6 process by inspecting a sample of dried skeletons. We report the morphology of the AP of C6 in 76 well preserved complete adult skeletons (58 males, 18 females; age 31–77 y) and 5 young specimens from the Anatomical Institutes of Alicante, Valencia and Murcia (Spain) and Munich (Germany). Another 12 skeletons were excluded from the study due to arthritic changes in their cervical APs.     

Effect of an ergonomic intervention involving workstation adjustments on musculoskeletal pain in office workers—a randomized controlled clinical trial

Office workers remain in a awkward position for long periods, which can lead to musculoskeletal symptoms. Ergonomic guidelines are recommended to avoid such problems. Evidence of the long-term effectiveness of ergonomic interventions is scarce. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to compare pain intensity among office workers who received an ergonomic intervention and a control group before as well as 12, 24, and 36 wk after the intervention. Workers were randomly allocated to a control group (CG) and experimental group (EG). The EG received an ergonomic workstation intervention. Furniture measurements were related to individual anthropometric measurements to identify mismatches. The outcome was pain intensity, which was determined using a numerical pain scale and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. A linear mixed model was created with pain intensity as the dependent variable. Group and time were the independent variables. No significant interactions were found between group and time. Significant differences between groups were found for the pain intensity in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and wrist/hand (p<0.05), with lower intensity in the EG. The intervention reduced pain intensity in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and wrist/hand. However, no reduction in pain intensity was found for the lower back or elbow.     

Association between sleep duration and all‐cause mortality in old age: 9‐year follow‐up of the Bambuí Cohort Study,Brazil

This study investigates the association of sleep duration with risk of all‐cause mortality among elderly Brazilians using data from a 9‐year population‐based cohort study and applying a multivariable longitudinal categorical and continuous analysis using Cox’s proportional hazards models. This analysis used data from the Bambui Health and Ageing Study (BHAS), conducted in Bambuí city (approximately 15 000 inhabitants) in southeastern Brazil. The study population comprised 1512 (86.8%) of all eligible 1742 elderly residents. In multivariable analysis, using sleep duration as categorical variable and controlling for multiple measures of sociodemographic and health status, those who slept 9 h or more per night were found to be at higher risk of mortality than those who slept 7 h [hazard ratio (HR): 1.53; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–2.09]. Excluding those whose deaths occurred within 2 years after entry, this association remained significant (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.12–2.18). In analyses using sleep duration as a continuous variable, a linear correlation was found between sleep duration and mortality in all adjusted models in the whole sample (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02–1.15) and following exclusion of those whose deaths occurred within 2 years after entry (HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.06–1.21). Both linear and quadratic terms were significant, reflecting a predicted relationship, with mortality predominantly increasing in association with long sleep duration but with the addition of a slight decrease in association with shorter sleep duration. In conclusion, long rather than short sleep duration was associated principally with all‐cause mortality in this sample. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that clinicians should be aware of the potential adverse prognosis associated with prolonged sleep.