Factors affecting orthosis adherence after acute traumatic hand tendon repairs: A prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Custom-made orthoses are used to prevent contractures and reinjury of tissues such as tendon rupture after traumatic tendon repairs. Despite their wide usage in hand rehabilitation, orthosis adherence is usually an overlooked problem. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This study aims to evaluate the possible factors affecting the orthosis adherence in patients with acute traumatic tendon repairs. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study. METHODS: Two hundred twelve patients with acute traumatic hand tendon repair were included in this prospective cohort study. Patients were evaluated on the third day postoperatively and at three weeks. All patients were told to wear their orthosis 24 h a day for three weeks and allowed to take it off to wash the hand carefully once a day. Adherence was measured as fully adherent, partially adherent, and nonadherent. Factors that may affect orthosis adherence were evaluated according to the five dimensions of the multidimensional adherence model including socioeconomic, condition-related, treatment-related, patient-related, and health-care system-related factors. The Modified Hand Injury Severity Scale was used to assess the severity of the injury. Depression and anxiety symptoms were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed for orthosis adherence. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-three patients were analyzed. Forty-four (33.1%) patients were fully adherent with the prescribed orthosis, whereas 67 (50.4%) were partially adherent and 22 (16.5%) were nonadherent. Higher depression symptoms caused orthosis nonadherence [odds ratio = 1.2 (95% confidence interval = 1.1-1.3), P = .001] and partial adherence [odds ratio = 1.1 (95% confidence interval = 1.0-1.2), P = .01]. CONCLUSIONS: Among our patients with acute traumatic tendon repair, only one-third of the patients were fully adherent with the orthosis wear program. Depression in the very acute period of injury impaired orthosis adherence.

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in subscapularis tendon abnormalities and the importance of operator experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the reasons behind the compliance, diagnostic success, and failure of ultrasound (US) examinations of two radiologists with reference to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the abnormalities of subscapularis (SSC) tendon, including tendinosis. METHODS: One less experienced radiologist (operator-1) and one senior radiologist, experienced in the musculoskeletal US (operator-2), performed the shoulder US on 78 patients (mean age: 53.18 ± 10.89 [22-73] years), who had undergone MRI for routine reasons except malignancy, within 1-4 weeks of MRI. Tendinopathy, partial (PT), or full-thickness (FT) tears were recorded in the subscapularis. The thickness of the anterior and lateral soft tissues in the shoulder girdle was measured by MRI. The inter-operator agreement on the US results, the US-MRI compliance for each operator, and the relationship between the US-MRI compliance and tissue thickness were investigated. RESULTS: The inter-operator agreement on the US findings was moderate. The US-MRI compliance was fair for operator-1, but substantial for operator-2. The circumferential soft tissue thickness and US-MRI compliance were not correlated (p>0.05). The interobserver agreement in US was moderate (K: 0.415). The US-MRI compliance was fair for operator-1 (K: 0.344) and substantial for operator-2 (K: 0.616). The accuracy rates for the differentiation of normal tendon, tendinosis, PT, and FT were 59%, 75%, 72%, and 100%, respectively, for operator-1 and 87%, 83%, 85%, and 100%, respectively, for operator-2. However, the respective sensitivity of operator-1 was 46%, 19%, 44%, and 100%; and operator-2 was 91%, 67%, 82%, and 100%. The diagnostic performance of operator-1 was lower, except for FT. CONCLUSION: The thickness of the surrounding tissue does not affect the US results. The differentiation between tendinosis and PT tear is difficult (more prominent in less experienced user); however, because this would not change the treatment choice, shoulder US is recommended after basic training in subscapularis pathologies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, Diagnostic.

A rare case of spondyloarthropathy: Iatrogenic hypoparathyroidism.

Hypoparathyroidism is an endocrinopathy that can develop idiopathically, as well as due to reasons associated with genetics, autoimmunity, surgery and radiotherapy. It usually presents with neuromuscular signs and symptoms, including enthesopathy caused by calcification of the ligament and enthesis sites, soft tissue calcification, hypertension, cataract and extrapyramidal findings due to basal ganglia calcification. Hypoparathyroidism-associated spondyloarthropathy (SpA) is a rarely seen clinical entity. Hypoparathyroidism-associated SpA differs from other inflammatory SpAs in that the results for human leukocyte antigen B27 and inflammatory markers are negative and bone density is normal. The symptoms are relieved by calcium and vitamin D, rather than anti-inflammatory drugs. Due to this difference in treatment modalities, the diagnosis of this type of SpA is important. This article presents the case report of a 52-year-old female patient with iatrogenic hypoparathyroidism accompanied by asymptomatic hypocalcemia and SpA clinic.

Premenstrual syndrome and fibromyalgia: the frequency of the coexistence and their effects on quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association between Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), to assess common symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of them. METHODS: Patients with PMS formed the PMS group and age-matched healthy normal controls were included in the control group. The diagnosis of the FMS and PMS were based on new American College of Rheumatology FMS criteria and DSM-IV PMS criteria. FMS-related symptoms assessed by visual analog scale and number of tender points (TePs) were analyzed. QOL, PMS severity and FMS severity were assessed with SF-36, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and premenstrual assessment form (PAF), respectively. Patients with PMS were divided into two subgroups according to coexistence of FMS or not. RESULTS: The frequency of FMS in PMS and control group were 20 and 0%, respectively (p = 0.002). FMS-related symptoms, number of TePs in the PMS group were higher than those in the control group. The mean mental component summary (MCS) score of SF-36 was low in the PMS group. The mean PAF score in PMS with FMS subgroup was higher than those in without FMS subgroup. The mean physical component summary of SF-36 was low in the PMS patient with FMS. There was correlation between PAF score and FIQ score (r = 0.476, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: FMS was common among the patients with PMS and frequently seen in the PMS patients having severe premenstrual complaints. Mental QOL was distressed in the patients with PMS but while FMS accompanied to PMS, the physical QOL was decreased.