Predicting post treatment spinal strength and flexibility in work-disabled low back pain patients

This study examined whether posttreatment trunk strength and flexibility could be predicted from initial trunk strength and flexibility, age, gender, pain severity, diagnosis, length of work disability, return-to-work expectations, anxiety, and fear of reinjury among a group of 96 injured workers with chronic occupational low back pain who completed a multidisciplinary work rehabilitation program. The results indicate that initial average torque in trunk extension, age, gender, and average pain severity contribute significantly to prediction of final average torque in trunk extension. Initial average torque in trunk flexion, age, and gender contributed significantly to prediction of final average torque in trunk flexion, and age and initial range of motion contributed significantly to the prediction of final trunk range of motion. The results indicate that prediction of trunk strength and range of motion can be accomplished from measures of trunk strength and flexibility and pain obtained prior to the onset of rehabilitation. Psychological measures were not predictive of posttreatment trunk strength and flexibility. The ability to predict posttreatment trunk strength should facilitate clinical decision making in these complex cases.     

胜利黄岛原油深度电脱盐研究 Ⅱ.温度和电场强度的影响

在电脱盐动态模拟装置上研究了温度和电场强度对电脱盐效果的影响。结果表明，电脱盐过程中的温度和电场强度都存在最佳值；温度主要是通过影响原油的粘度来改变水滴沉降速度的，油水密度差的影响较小；温度和场强不是独立变量，随着温度的升高，最佳场强值将降低。     

The effect of strength training on 'handball goalie's elbow'- a prospective uncontrolled clinical trial

'Handball goalie's elbow' is defined as pain due to repetitive forced hyperextension of the elbow. Strength training has been suggested for prevention and rehabilitation of this injury. The present study examines the effect of a strength-training programme after 24 months in a prospective uncontrolled clinical trial in goalkeepers with 'handball goalie's elbow'. Concentric and eccentric elbow exercise loads at approximately 80% of one repetition maximum (1-RM) were carried out 8 to 10 times 3 times a day, 3 days a week. Muscle strength was measured for flexion and extension of the elbow and wrist, and pro-and supination of the forearm. Sixteen amateur goalkeepers (10 men and 6 women) with 25 (12 right and 13 left) injured elbows (16 male and 9 female) were evaluated. Their mean age was 21.0 (range 16–35) years and their elbow pain had at the time of iclusion lasted for 28.9 (range 3–54) months. The players were tested at inclusion and after 24 months. The strength tests showed improvement in all the tested motions. The subjective status of the goalkeepers was excellent in 9, good in 9, and fair in 7. The study indicates that specific strength training may be effective in rehabilitation of 'handball goalie's elbow'.     

Surface electrical stimulation of the quadriceps femoris in patients affected by haemophilia A

Eighteen sessions of surface electrical stimulation was applied to the quadriceps femoris of the left leg of ten male subjects affected by severe haemophilia A, while ten healthy subjects constituted the control group. The isometric strength, the electromyographic activity and the diameter of the rectus femoris were measured in both legs before and after a six-week treatment period. After the treatment, the people affected by haemophilia showed a gain in strength by 13.8% in the stimulated leg and by 17.1% in the non-stimulated one. No changes were detected in the electromyographic activity. On the contrary, the diameter of the rectus femoris of the stimulated leg increased in 24.34%, while no significant change was found in the nonelectrically stimulated leg. These results show for the first time that the application of electrical stimulation in haemophilic patients contributes to the gain and development of strength and trophism. The results also show that the surface electrical stimulation does not represent a threat to the patients' health, and that can be used for therapeutic purposes.     

Effects of h-PTH on cancellous bone mass, connectivity, and bone strength in ovariectomized rats with and without sciatic-neurectomy.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether h-PTH (1-34) treatment would recover cancellous bone connectivity and bone strength in ovariectomized (OVX) or ovariectomized and sciatic-neurectomized (OVX+NX) rats. Seven-month-old female Wistar rats were treated with h-PTH or vehicle (6.0 microg/kg, six times a week, subcutaneously) for four weeks beginning 4, 8, or 12 weeks after OVX or OVX+NX. These were compared to age-matched baseline and sham-operated groups. Right tibiae were used for bone histomorphometry and node-strut analysis, and left tibiae were used for mechanical testing. The bone formation rates in the OVX and OVX+NX rats treated with h-PTH were significantly higher than those in their baseline controls. h-PTH treatment increased the node numbers and failure energies in the OVX rats, compared to their baseline controls, at all time points. However, in the OVX+NX rats, the effects of h-PTH treatment on the node number and failure energy were observed only at four weeks after surgery, but not at eight weeks or 12 weeks after surgery. These results suggest that the lowest limit, at which trabecular connectivity and bone strength are able to be restored by h-PTH, occurred between four and eight weeks in OVX+NX rats, but not in OVX rats. h-PTH cannot recover trabecular connectivity and bone strength in advanced osteopenia.     

骨密度与股骨颈抗骨折能力对骨质疏松诊断价值的比较研究

目的 探索骨密度及股骨颈抗骨折能力两种骨质疏松的诊断方法在临床上应用中各自的特点。方法 用双能X线骨密度仪(DEXA)及神经-肌肉-关节-骨骼综合测量分析系统(MES)分别对118例绝经后妇女进行测量，比较两者的结果，探讨两者的差异的原因。结果 118例绝经后妇女中被DEXA诊断为骨质疏松者48人，患病率为40．67％。有24例被MES诊断为骨质疏松，患病率为20．34％。结论 研究提示DXEA测定骨密度(BMD)的方法更容易发现在正常体重者中的骨质疏松患者，而MES测定股骨颈抗骨折能力指标(FS)的方法在超体重和肥胖者中的骨质疏松诊断中占有优势。FS和BMD结合应用于骨质疏松诊断克服了骨密度(BMD)由于体重影响造成的漏诊和误诊现象。即在正常体重的患者进行诊断时选择BMD，而对于超体重和肥胖者使用FS指标则更为合理。     

外源性硫化氢对大鼠肢体爆炸伤后继发性肺损伤的作用

目的观察外源性硫化氢（H2S）对大鼠肢体爆炸伤后继发性肺损伤的作用，探讨H2S在肢体爆炸伤后继发性肺损伤防治中的临床应用价值。方法采用大鼠肢体爆炸伤模型，动物随机分为3组（n=8／组）：正常对照组（Ⅰ）、单纯致伤组（Ⅱ）和致伤＋外源性H2S组（Ⅲ）；伤后6小时取标本。测定血浆和肺组织肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、白介素-6（IL-6）、白介素-10（IL-10）浓度，肺组织髓过氧化物酶（MPO）活性和丙二醛（MDA）浓度；观察肺脏病理学变化。结果致伤后6小时大鼠血浆和肺组织TNF-α、IL-6、IL-10浓度和肺组织MDA浓度及MPO活性显著升高（P〈0．01，VSI），肺充血、水肿和炎细胞浸润明显；给予硫氢化钠（NaHS）处理后伤鼠血浆和肺组织TNF-α、IL-6、IL-10和肺组织MDA浓度及MPO活性显著降低（P〈0．05，vsⅡ），肺充血、水肿和炎细胞浸润程度较单纯致伤鼠明显减轻。结论肢体爆炸伤可引起大鼠严重的继发性肺损伤；而早期给予外源性H2S可明显抑制肺脏炎性损伤和氧化损伤，减轻肺充血、水肿和炎细胞浸润程度，从而减轻继发性肺损伤。     

Brief communication. Hind limb extensor response: a method for assessing motor dysfunction in rats.

A cost-effective, time-efficient technique for measuring neuromuscular dysfunction localized in the hind limbs of rats is described.     

Correlations of radiographic analysis of healing fractures with strength: a statistical analysis of experimental osteotomies

The assessment of fracture healing strength using routine roentgenograms is difficult and controversial. There are few experimental data that correlate radiographic appearance with the actual quantitative strength of healing fractures. However, this method is widely used in clinical practice. A study is presented in which transversely osteotomized rabbit tibiae were allowed to heal for 3 to 8 weeks. A pair of orthogonal roentgenograms was taken of each bone and the bones were tested for strength in a dynamic torsion testing machine. Statistical analyses were done to study the correlations between the roentgenographic and strength parameters. Cortical continuity was found to be the best single predictor of strength of a healing fracture (correlation coefficient r = 0.80). The least important predictor was the callus area (r = 0.17). Fracture displacement, callus thickness, and callus diameter had negative correlations. From these experimental findings in an animal model, we conclude that even under laboratory conditions the information gained from plain radiographs is not sufficient to accurately predict the strength of a healing fracture.