Toxicity Evaluation of a Non-Pain Pharmacopuncture Extract Using a Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the genotoxicity of a no-pain pharmacopuncture (NPP) extract developed in 2022 using a bacterial reverse mutation assay, aiming to further substantiate the safety profile of NPP. Methods: The genotoxicity evaluation involved a bacterial reverse mutation assay to assess the mutagenic potential of NPP extracts with and without metabolic activation. Histidine-requiring Salmonella typhimurium strains (TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537) and tryptophan-requiring Escherichia coli strains (WP2uvrA) were used in the assay. Results: The NPP extract did not induce a revertant colony count exceeding two times that of the negative control at any dose level in any of the tested strains, both with and without metabolic activation. Additionally, no growth inhibition or precipitation was observed in the presence of NPP. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the NPP extract exhibited no mutagenic potential in the in vitro genotoxicity tests conducted.

Responsiveness and Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure Among Patients With Frozen Shoulder.

IMPORTANCE: Patient-reported outcome measures provide insights into intervention effects on patients. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) emphasizes identifying priorities in daily activity engagement and evaluating an individual's perception of changes over time. OBJECTIVE: To assess the responsiveness of the COPM and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) among patients with frozen shoulders. DESIGN: Prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Two physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-four patients with frozen shoulders enrolled in a previous study. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Baseline and 3-mo evaluations of the COPM and other measures. Responsiveness was assessed using effect size (ES) and standardized response mean (SRM). The MCID values were determined through a distribution-based approach, which used the 0.5 standard deviation and ES methods, and an anchor-based approach, which used the receiver operating characteristic curve method. RESULTS: The ES and SRM results indicated that the COPM had high responsiveness. The distribution-based MCID values for COPM Performance and COPM Satisfaction were 1.17 and 1.44, respectively. The anchor-based MCID values were 2.5 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.64-0.91]) and 2.1 (AUC = 0.76, 95% CI [0.60-0.91]), respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings suggest that the COPM is a responsive outcome measure for patients with frozen shoulder. The established MCID values for the COPM can be valuable for interpreting changes in patient performance and satisfaction, thus aiding clinical interventions and research planning. Plain-Language Summary: This is the first study to review the effectiveness of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to determine the success of occupational therapy interventions for people with a frozen shoulder. The findings suggest that the COPM is an effective and valuable tool for clients with a frozen shoulder to understand their experiences and treatment priorities and to detect meaningful changes in their performance and satisfaction after an occupational therapy intervention.

Clinical use and efficacy of Chinese patent medicines for external use containing pyritum, a mineral medicine mainly used for oral administration: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pyritum, a mineral drug, has been used primarily orally in traditional medicine to treat traumatic injuries, broken tendons, and fractures. Due to growing concerns about the accumulation of heavy metals in the body, this systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicine containing pyritum for external use (CPMPE) to determine the effectiveness of external use of pyritum. METHODS: A literature search was performed through China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PubMed from inception to February 2023. "Pyrite," "pyritum," "zirantong," "traditional medicine," "oriental medicine," etc, were the keywords from the database. In this systematic review, RCTs and case reports were referred to analyze the efficacy rate and clinical status of CPMPE. RESULTS: About 36 studies were reviewed. Of 36 studies, 23 were RCTs and 13 were case reports. The total effective rate in 34 studies was used to evaluate the efficacy of CPMPE for various disease classifications. The effectiveness of CPMPE was confirmed in case reports, and RCTs showed that using CPMPE as a single or combined treatment had a more significant effect than not using CPMPE in anorectal diseases, orthopedic diseases, obstetrics and gynecology diseases, and skin diseases. CONCLUSIONS: This review concluded that CPMPE might be a safe and effective alternative treatment method for various diseases and has potential benefits in preventing postoperative complications, reducing pain, relieving symptoms, and accelerating healing compared to the control group, which employs unused CPMPE.

Toxicity Assessment of a No-Pain Pharmacopuncture Extract Using a Standard Battery of In Vitro Chromosome Aberration Tests.

Objectives: Genotoxicity is evaluated through a chromosomal aberration test using cultured mammalian cells to determine the toxicity of no-pain pharmacopuncture (NPP), which has recently been used to treat musculoskeletal pain disorders in Korean medical clinical practice. Methods: An initial test was performed to determine the dosage range of the NPP, followed by the main test. In this study, NPP doses of 10.0, 5.0, and 2.5%, and negative and positive controls were tested. An in vitro chromosome aberration test was performed using Chinese hamster lung cells under short-term treatment with or without metabolic activation and under continuous treatment without metabolic activation. Results: Compared with the saline negative control group, NPP did not significantly increase the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in Chinese hamster lung cells, regardless of the presence or absence of metabolic activation. Additionally, the number of cells with structural chromosomal abnormalities was significantly higher in the positive control group than that in the negative control group that received saline. Conclusion: Based on the above results, the chromosomal abnormality-producing effect of NPP was determined to be negative under these test conditions.

Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic, Functional Improvement, and Chondroprotective Effects of Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. Extract in Osteoarthritis: An In Vivo and In Vitro Study.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative bone disease characterized by inflammation as a primary pathology and currently lacks therapeutic interventions to impede its progression. Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. (EB) is an east Asian herbal medicine with a long history of use and a wide range of confirmed efficacy against cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether EB is worthy of further investigation as a treatment for OA based on anti-inflammatory activity. This study aims to assess the potential of EB as a treatment for OA, focusing on its anti-inflammatory properties. Analgesic effects, functional improvements, and inhibition of cartilage destruction induced by EB were evaluated in acetic acid-induced peripheral pain mice and monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA rat models. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effect of EB was assessed in serum and cartilage tissue in vivo, as well as in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. EB demonstrated a significant alleviation of pain, functional impairment, and cartilage degradation in OA along with a notable inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, matrix metalloproteinases 13, and nitric oxide synthase 2, both in vitro and in vivo, in a dose-dependent manner compared to the active control. Accordingly, EB merits further exploration as a potential disease-modifying drug for OA, capable of mitigating the multifaceted pathology of osteoarthritis through its anti-inflammatory properties. Nonetheless, additional validation through a broader experimental design is essential to substantiate the findings of this study.

Clinical Outcomes of MOK Pharmacopuncture in an Elderly Male Patient with Hypothyroidism-A Case Report and Literature Review.

Hypothyroidism is more common in women and individuals between 30 and 50 years old. This case report depicts the clinical outcomes of MOK pharmacopuncture, a type of Korean medicine treatment, for an elderly male patient with hypothyroidism who was on long-term L-thyroxine (LT4) therapy but still felt chronically lethargic and tired and was generally in poor health. A 72-year-old Korean man has been on LT4 since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism 16 years ago and has tried to discontinue hormone supplements in the past. The patient was treated with MOK pharmacopuncture, mainly at the ST10 acupoint, twice a week for four months. Following the treatment, the T3, free-T4, and TPO Ab levels and thyroiditis status on ultrasound showed improvement. Additionally, there were a normalization of ESR levels, an enhancement in the quality of life, a reduction in depression scores, an improvement in the antioxidant status, and an alleviation of major symptoms when compared to pre-treatment conditions. This case report demonstrates the potential of MOK pharmacopuncture as a complementary treatment for an elderly man with hypothyroidism who had a poor quality of life due to fatigue and lethargy despite LT4 treatment.

Acupotomy combined with Korean medicine treatment in a patient with acute sacroiliac pain unresponsive to conventional therapy: A case report.

RATIONALE: Acute injury to the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) can result from high-energy external forces that cause a combination of axial loading and sudden rotational movements, resulting in severe pain that cannot be relieved by regular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The treatment includes injections of steroids and local anesthetics to reduce pain and promote healing. Here, we report the case of a patient with acute sacroiliac pain who did not respond to conventional injection therapy. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 58-year-old male patient who did not exercise regularly experienced pain in his left groin and difficulty walking while kicking on his right leg. He received two injections and manual therapy at a local orthopedic clinic; however, his symptoms did not improve despite taking painkillers. DIAGNOSES: Radiographic images showed no abnormalities. After confirming the cause of onset, pain pattern, physical examination, and tenderness, the patient was diagnosed with an acute SIJ sprain (static blood). INTERVENTIONS: At the first visit, a single acupotomy was performed on the seven treatment points identified during the physical examination, and immediate improvement in symptoms was confirmed. From then on, Korean medicine (KM) treatments, such as acupuncture, cupping, chuna, and bee venom pharmacopuncture, were performed. OUTCOMES: Immediately after acupotomy, groin pain improved by 80 %, gait immediately normalized, and the patient showed no symptoms at the 9th visit. LESSONS: For SIJ-type groin pain that does not respond to existing treatments, immediate relief is achieved after a single acupotomy at the exact treatment point. Therefore, in the future, the importance of identifying a precise treatment point for SIJ pain should be recognized, and the use of Korean medicine treatment techniques, including acupotomy, should be considered.

Infant sleep interventions with sleep measurements using actigraphy: A systematic review.

AIM: This review investigated the outcomes and methodological quality of infant sleep intervention studies utilizing actigraphy. BACKGROUND: Parents need appropriate support for infant sleep from nurses. There are few methodological reports of actigraphy in infant sleep intervention studies that objectively measure infant sleep in a natural setting. DESIGN: This was a systematic review study. DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from database establishment to 30 December 2021. REVIEW METHODS: This systematic review utilized the Cochrane Collaboration review guidelines. RESULTS: Eleven sleep intervention studies were reviewed. Three used extinction-based behavioural interventions, and eight included parental education programs. The infant sleep interventions positively affected the sleep outcomes of both infants and parents. Fairly consistent effects were found on infants' number of awakenings and sleep onset latency. However, parental psychosocial outcomes were inconsistent. All studies reported device placement, the algorithm for analysis, the use of a sleep diary and number of days/nights, but external movements affecting infants' sleep records were insufficiently reported. Only two studies had a low risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: The infant sleep interventions had positive effects on both infants and their parents. Comprehensive methodological considerations are required for more standardized assessments using actigraphy for infant sleep evaluation.

Incidence of and Influencing Factors for Arm Lymphedema After Salvage Treatment for an Isolated Locoregional Recurrence of Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Data on subsequent arm lymphedema (SAL) after salvage treatment for locoregional recurrence (LRR) of breast cancer are limited. We conducted a study to evaluate the risk of SAL in patients with LRR. METHODS: We reviewed the data of patients with breast cancer who had LRR and were initially diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2017. Among the 214 patients who received curative salvage treatment, most had local (n = 125, 57.9%), followed by regional (n = 73, 34.1%), and locoregional (n = 16, 7.9%) recurrences. A competing risk analysis considering the factors of death and a second LRR were performed to exclude potential malignant lymphedema. We used the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazards model to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for comparing the risk of SAL. RESULTS: With a median follow-up duration of 41.4 months (interquartile range, 25.6-65.1), 51 patients (23.8%) experienced SAL with a median interval of 9.9 months after treatment. The two-year cumulative incidence of SAL was 12.7%. Among the 18 patients with initial lymphedema, nine (50.0%) developed SAL. Multivariate analysis revealed that a history of lymphedema (HR, 4.61; p < 0.001) and taxane-based salvage chemotherapy (HR, 2.38; p = 0.009) were significantly associated with SAL development. CONCLUSION: Salvage treatment for LRR-induced SAL was performed in 24% of the patients. A history of initial lymphedema and salvage taxane-based chemotherapy increases the risk of developing SAL. Therefore, close surveillance for the incidence of SAL is required in patients opting for salvage treatment for LRR.

Association of clinical manifestations of secondary lymphedema and lymph node dissection sites in the lower extremities of patients with melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is a chronic, debilitating disease that often requires life-long management. Predicting clinical manifestations and prognosis is crucial in clinical practice because the treatment of lymphedema should be individualized for best clinical outcome. The aim of this study is to explore the location and severity of lymphedema secondary to inguinal and/or iliac lymph node dissection (LND) in patients with melanoma. METHODS: Patients with melanoma who received LND at a single tertiary medical center between 1 January 2010 and 31 September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient who received inguinal LND only were designate as the inguinal group while those who received both ilioinguinal LND were included in the ilioinguinal group. Volumetric measurement was used to objectify the severity and location of lymphedema. Clinical data was acquired for 12-15 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Among 81 patients, 43 (53%) had developed lymphedema in the lower extremities at an average of 33 days after the surgery. Initially, patients manifested with medial thigh lymphedema in the inguinal group while patients were presented with whole leg lymphedema in the ilioinguinal group. Lower leg volume of the ilioinguinal group was significantly higher than the inguinal group. After more than 12 months of lymphedema treatment, upper leg volume was higher in the ilioinguinal group than the inguinal group (12.7% vs 5.4%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lymphedema developed in early post-op period. The ilioinguinal group presented with a larger volume of lymphedema in the distal area of the legs. Even after sufficient treatment, predominant lymphedema remained in the proximal leg for the ilioinguinal group. Patients with both inguinal and iliac LND were associated with more severe lymphedema. Based on the dissection sites, the clinical manifestations and prognosis of leg lymphedema can vary widely. Thus, clinicians should consider the dissection site when approaching melanoma patients with lymphedema.

Efficacy and Key Materials of East Asian Herbal Medicine Combined with Conventional Medicine on Inflammatory Skin Lesion in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris: A Meta-Analysis, Integrated Data Mining, and Network Pharmacology.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that places a great burden on both individuals and society. The use of East Asian herbal medicine (EAHM) in combination with conventional medications is emerging as an effective strategy to control the complex immune-mediated inflammation of this disease from an integrative medicine (IM) perspective. The safety and efficacy of IM compared to conventional medicine (CM) were evaluated by collecting randomized controlled trial literature from ten multinational research databases. We then searched for important key materials based on integrated drug data mining. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect. Data from 126 randomized clinical trials involving 11,139 patients were used. Compared with CM, IM using EAHM showed significant improvement in the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 60 (RR: 1.4280; 95% CI: 1.3783-1.4794; p < 0.0001), PASI score (MD: -3.3544; 95% CI: -3.7608 to -2.9481; p < 0.0001), inflammatory skin lesion outcome, quality of life, serum inflammatory indicators, and safety index of psoriasis. Through integrated data mining of intervention data, we identified four herbs that were considered to be representative of the overall clinical effects of IM: Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC., Isatis tinctoria subsp. athoa (Boiss.) Papan., Paeonia × suffruticosa Andrews, and Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. They were found to have mechanisms to inhibit pathological keratinocyte proliferation and immune-mediated inflammation, which are major pathologies of psoriasis, through multiple pharmacological actions on 19 gene targets and 8 pathways in network pharmacology analysis. However, the quality of the clinical trial design and pharmaceutical quality control data included in this study is still not optimal; therefore, more high-quality clinical and non-clinical studies are needed to firmly validate the information explored in this study. This study is informative in that it presents a focused hypothesis and methodology for the value and direction of such follow-up studies.

Effectiveness of a personalized digital exercise and nutrition-based rehab program for patients with gastric cancer after surgery: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Patients with gastric cancer often encounter impaired quality of life and reduced tolerability to adjuvant treatments after surgery. Weight preservation is crucial for the overall prognosis of these patients, and exercise and supplemental nutrition play the main role. This study is the first randomized clinical trial to apply personalized, treatment stage-adjusted digital intervention with wearable devices in gastric cancer rehabilitation intervention for 12 months, commencing immediately after surgery. Methods: This is a prospective, multicenter, two-armed, randomized controlled trial and aims to recruit 324 patients from two hospitals. Patients will be randomly allocated to two groups for 1 year of rehabilitation, starting immediately after the operation: a personalized digital therapeutic (intervention) group and a conventional education-based rehabilitation (control) group. The primary objective is to clarify the effect of mobile applications and wearable smart bands in reducing weight loss in patients with gastric cancer. The secondary outcomes are quality of life measured by the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and STO22; nutritional status by mini nutrition assessment; physical fitness level measured by grip strength test, 30-s chair stand test and 2-min walk test; physical activity measured by IPAQ-SF; pain intensity; skeletal muscle mass; and fat mass. These measurements will be performed on enrollment and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months thereafter. Conclusions: Digital therapeutic programs include exercise and nutritional interventions modified by age, body mass index, surgery type and postoperative days. Thus, expert intervention is pivotal for precise and safe calibration of this program. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04907591 (registration date: June 11, 2020; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04907591).

Risk factors associated with death due to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in hospitalized Korean patients (2018-2022).

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has no vaccine or treatment and an extremely high fatality rate. We aimed to analyze and evaluate the risk factors for death associated with SFTS. METHODS: Among reports from 2018 to 2022, we compared and analyzed 1,034 inpatients aged 18 years or older with laboratory-confirmed SFTS who underwent complete epidemiological investigations. RESULTS: Most of the inpatients with SFTS were aged 50 years or older (average age, 67.6 years). The median time from symptom onset to death was 9 days, and the average case fatality rate was 18.5%. Risk factors for death included age of 70 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 4.82); agriculture-related occupation (OR, 2.01); underlying disease (OR, 7.20); delayed diagnosis (OR, 1.28 per day); decreased level of consciousness (OR, 5.53); fever/chills (OR, 20.52); prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (OR, 4.19); and elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (OR, 2.91), blood urea nitrogen (OR, 2.62), and creatine (OR, 3.21). CONCLUSION: The risk factors for death in patients with SFTS were old age; agriculture-related occupation; underlying disease; delayed clinical suspicion; fever/chills; decreased level of consciousness; and elevated activated partial thromboplastin time, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine levels.

External Treatment of Pyritum for Musculoskeletal Trauma: a protocol for systematic review.

Objectives: Musculoskeletal trauma is a common type of injury that can result from damage to the muscular or skeletal system and has been recognized as a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. This study aims to analyze the efficacy of Pyritum external treatment for musculoskeletal trauma. Methods: Randomized controlled trials evaluating the external treatment effect of Pyritum on various types of musculoskeletal traumatic injuries will be considered and identified in the searches of eight databases from their inception to Feb 2023. There will be no restrictions with respect to the publication status, language, or country. The experimental intervention group will be treated with external application of Pyritum alone or in combination with other therapies, and the comparator intervention group will include all types of control interventions. The primary outcome will be measured as treatment efficacy rate, and secondary outcomes will include pain reduction, pain disappearance time, swelling, joint function, and recovery period. Assessment of the methodological quality of this study will be concluded using the risk of bias assessment recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. If there are sufficient numbers of studies per group in terms of specific rating scales to compare the treatment effects of Pyrium alone and combined external treatment groups, we will consider subgroup analysis. Results: This systematic review will be conducted in compliance with the PRISMA-P statement. Conclusion: We will conduct an extensive search on the proposed topic within the available literature and provide systematic evidence for the efficacy and safety of external application of Pyritum for all types of musculoskeletal trauma. The evidence generated will help design interventions for the external use of Pyritum for this patient group.

Integrative medicine using East Asian herbal medicine for inflammatory pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis integrated with multiple data mining for core candidate discovery.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by a wide range of clinical symptoms affecting various bodily functions, including skeletal, vascular, metabolic, and cognitive functions. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of integrative medicine (East Asian herbal medicine combined with conventional medicine) used for the treatment of inflammatory pain in rheumatoid arthritis and to identify key candidate drugs based on the data. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search will be conducted in 4 core databases (PubMed, Excerpta Medica database, Cochrane Library, and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature) 4 Korean databases (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Service System, and Korea Citation Index), 2 Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database and Wanfang data), and 1 Japanese database (Citation Information by National Institute of Informatics) for randomized controlled trials from December 13, 2022. Statistical analysis will be performed using R version 4.1.2 and R Studio program. The American College of Rheumatology 20/50/70 score and rate of adverse events will be the primary outcomes. All outcomes will be analyzed using a random-effects model to produce more statistically conservative results. Sensitivity, meta-regression, and subgroup analyses will be used to identify the sources of any heterogeneity in the study. The revised tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized trials, version 2.0, will be used to evaluate methodological quality. The overall quality of evidence will be assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Pro Framework. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: There are no ethical issues, as no primary data will be collected directly from the participants. The results of this review will be reported in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023412385.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Rehabilitation Using Digital Healthcare on Musculoskeletal Pain and Quality of Life.

Rehabilitation using digital healthcare (DHC) has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of treatment for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and associated pain by improving patient outcomes, while being cost-effective, safe, and measurable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of musculoskeletal rehabilitation using DHC. We searched PubMed, Ovid-Embase, Cochrane Library, and PEDro Physiotherapy Evidence Database from inception to October 28, 2022 for controlled clinical trials comparing DHC to conventional rehabilitation. We used a random-effects model for the meta-analysis, pooling the effects of DHC on pain and quality of life (QoL) by calculating standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between DHC rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation (control). Fifty-four studies with 6240 participants met the inclusion criteria. The sample size ranged from 26 to 461, and the average age of the participants ranged from 21.9 to 71.8 years. The majority of the included studies focused on knee or hip joint MSD (n = 23), and the most frequently utilized DHC interventions were mobile applications (n = 26) and virtual or augmented reality (n = 16). Our meta-analysis of pain (n = 45) revealed that pain reduction was greater in DHC rehabilitation than in conventional rehabilitation (SMD: -0.55, 95% CI: -0.74, -0.36), indicating that rehabilitation using DHC has the potential to ameliorate MSD pain. Furthermore, DHC significantly improved health-related QoL and disease-specific QoL (SMD: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.29, 1.03; SMD: -0.44, 95% CI: -0.87, -0.01) compared to conventional rehabilitation. Our findings suggest that DHC offers a practical and flexible rehabilitation alternative for both patients with MSD and healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, further researches are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which DHC affects patient-reported outcomes, which may vary depending on the type and design of the DHC intervention.

Postoperative rehabilitation using a digital healthcare system in patients with total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Digital healthcare systems based on augmented reality (AR) show promise for postoperative rehabilitation. We compared the effectiveness of AR-based rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomly allocated 56 participants to digital healthcare rehabilitation group (DR group) and conventional rehabilitation group (CR group). Participants in the CR group performed brochure-based home exercises for 12 weeks, whereas those in the DR group performed AR-based home exercises that showed each motion on a monitor and provided real-time feedback. The primary outcome was change in 4-m gait speed. The secondary outcomes were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, health-related quality of life [assessed by the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ5D5L) questionnaire], pain [measured using a numeric rating scale (NRS)], Berg Balance Scale (BBS), range of motion (ROM), and muscle strength. Outcomes were measured at baseline (T0) and 3 (T1), 12 (T2), and 24 (T3) weeks after randomization. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics of participants between two groups, except age and body mass index. No group difference was observed in 4-m gait speed (0.37 ± 0.19 and 0.42 ± 0.28 for the DR and CR groups, respectively; p = 0.438). The generalized estimating equation model revealed no significant group by time interaction regarding for 4-m gait speed, WOMAC, EQ5D5L, NRS, BBS, ROM, and muscle strength score. All outcomes were significantly improved in both groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The use of a digital healthcare system based on AR improved the functional outcomes, pain, and quality of life of patients after TKA. AR-based rehabilitation may be useful treatment as an alternative to conventional rehabilitation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04513353). Registered on August 9, 2020. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04513353 .

A randomized controlled trial of postoperative rehabilitation using digital healthcare system after rotator cuff repair.

A digital healthcare system based on augmented reality (AR) has promising uses for postoperative rehabilitation. We compare effectiveness of AR-based and conventional rehabilitation in patients after rotator cuff repair (RCR). This study randomly allocates 115 participants who underwent RCR to digital healthcare rehabilitation group (DR group) and conventional rehabilitation group (CR group). The DR group performs AR-based home exercises using UINCARE Home+, whereas the CR group performs brochure-based home exercises. The primary outcome is a change in the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) score between baseline and 12 weeks postoperatively. The secondary outcomes are the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score; Shoulder Pain And Disability Index (SPADI) score; EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ5D5L) questionnaire score; pain; range of motion (ROM); muscle strength; and handgrip strength. The outcomes are measured at baseline, and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postoperatively. The change in SST score between baseline and 12 weeks postoperatively is significantly greater in the DR group than in the CR group (p = 0.025). The SPADI, DASH, and EQ5D5L scores demonstrate group×time interactions (p = 0.001, = 0.04, and = 0.016, respectively). However, no significant differences over time are observed between the groups in terms of pain, ROM, muscle strength, and handgrip strength. The outcomes show significant improvement in both groups (all p < 0.001). No adverse events are reported during the interventions. AR-based rehabilitation shows better improvement in terms of shoulder function after RCR compared to conventional rehabilitation. Therefore, as an alternative to the conventional rehabilitation, the digital healthcare system is effective for postoperative rehabilitation.