Reliability and Validity of a New Method for Isometric Back Extensor Strength Evaluation Using A Hand-Held Dynamometer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the reliability and validity of a new method for isometric back extensor strength measurement using a portable dynamometer. METHODS: A chair equipped with a small portable dynamometer was designed (Power Track II Commander Muscle Tester). A total of 15 men (mean age, 34.8±7.5 years) and 15 women (mean age, 33.1±5.5 years) with no current back problems or previous history of back surgery were recruited. Subjects were asked to push the back of the chair while seated, and their isometric back extensor strength was measured by the portable dynamometer. Test-retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). For the validity assessment, isometric back extensor strength of all subjects was measured by a widely used physical performance evaluation instrument, BTE PrimusRS system. The limit of agreement (LoA) from the Bland-Altman plot was evaluated between two methods. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC=0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.91). The Bland-Altman plots demonstrated acceptable agreement between the two methods: the lower 95% LoA was -63.1 N and the upper 95% LoA was 61.1 N. CONCLUSION: This study shows that isometric back extensor strength measurement using a portable dynamometer has good reliability and validity.

Incidence of Pneumonia After Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study and Associated Factors.

Pneumonia after videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) is sometimes considered to be caused by aspiration during VFSS; however, to our knowledge, a relationship between these events has not been clearly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of VFSS-related pneumonia and related factors. Overall, 696 VFSS cases were retrospectively reviewed. Cases in which blood culture was performed within 3 days after VFSS due to newly developed infectious signs were considered as post-VFSS infection cases. Pneumonia was suspected when there was some evidence of respiratory infectious signs in clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings. The underlying disease, clinical signs, and VFSS findings of the pneumonia group were assessed. Among 696 cases, pneumonia was diagnosed in 15 patients. The patients in the pneumonia group tended to be older and had higher aspiration rate on VFSS than those in the non-pneumonia group. In the pneumonia group, 2 patients showed no aspiration during VFSS. In 6 patients, pneumonia developed after massive aspiration of gastric content in 5 patients and inappropriate oral feeding with risk of aspiration before VFSS in 1 patient. Only 7 patients (1.0 %) were finally determined as having VFSS-related pneumonia. In conclusion, the 72-h incidence of VFSS-related pneumonia was 1.0 %. Old age and severity of swallowing difficulty are associated with occurrence of pneumonia.

Severe, persistent, painful neuropathy relieved immediately after surgical release: case of neurostenalgia of the radial nerve.

Neurostenalgia is a neuropathic pain that results from continuing irritation of an anatomically intact nerve by a noxious agent. The pain resolves promptly after surgical release of the nerve. The authors report a case of neurostenalgia of the radial nerve in which the posterior interosseous branch was compressed at the arcade of Frohse, presenting with severe arm and elbow pain. The pain was immediately relieved after surgical release of the nerve.