Risk of Cervical Dizziness in Patients With Cervical Spondylosis.

Importance: The dizziness associated with cervical spondylosis is a controversial topic given that many experts believe that cervical spondylosis is a common cause of dizziness, whereas others do not believe it exists. Objective: To compare the risk of dizziness between patients with cervical spondylosis and matched controls (ie, patients with lumbar spondylosis after propensity score matching [PSM]). Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used medical claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan for patients 60 years or older with cervical or lumbar spondylosis newly diagnosed in any outpatient department between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015. Patients diagnosed with cervical spondylosis were included as the study cohort, and those diagnosed with lumbar spondylosis who were matched to the study cohort via PSM were selected as the control cohort. Both cohorts were followed up for 1 year unless they were diagnosed with dizziness, censored by death, or withdrew from the health insurance program. Data analysis was performed from August 9 to September 20, 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the date of outpatient diagnosis of dizziness. The risks of dizziness were compared between groups. The relative risk and incidence rate difference were calculated. Results: A total of 3638 patients with cervical spondylosis (mean [SD] age, 67.9 [7.1] years; 2024 [55.6%] male) and 3638 patients with lumbar spondylosis (mean [SD] age, 68.0 [7.1] years; 2024 [55.6%] male) after PSM were selected as the study and control cohorts, respectively. The patients with cervical spondylosis had higher risk of dizziness than matched controls, with a 1-year relative risk of 1.20 (95% CI, 1.03-1.39). The 1-year incidence of dizziness was 10.2% (95% CI, 9.2%-11.2%) in patients with cervical spondylosis and 8.6% (95% CI, 7.7%-9.5%) in the matched group of lumbar spondylosis. The incidence rate difference between the groups was 1.6% (95% CI, 0.3%-3.0%). Conclusions and Relevance: These data support the association between dizziness and cervical spondylosis, but the small difference between groups reveals that dizziness associated with cervical spondylosis is uncommon. Clinicians should be wary of diagnosing a cervical cause for dizziness based on an actual history of cervical spondylosis.

Medial calcaneal neuropathy is associated with plantar fasciitis.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a method of sensory nerve conduction study (NCS) for the medial calcaneal nerve (MCN) and confirm the medial calcaneal neuropathy in patients with plantar fasciitis (PF). METHODS: Twenty-six patients with clinical and ultrasonographic diagnosis of PF participated in the present study. An antidromic method for sensory NCS of MCN was performed in each patient and in 30 controls. The conduction latency, sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and amplitude of the sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) were measured and the correlation of the SNCV of MCN with both body weight and body mass index (BMI) was studied. RESULTS: The mean conduction latency obtained in the MCN was greater in the PF patients than in the normal controls. Mean SNCV and SNAP amplitude of the MCN were significantly less in the PF patients than in the normal controls. Body weight and BMI were greater in PF patients than in controls. Six patients were identified as having a medial calcaneal neuropathy by using the criteria of the lowest normal values of the NCS of MCN from the normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: Medial calcaneal neuropathy is associated with PF. The present method of sensory NCS is useful and objective in the diagnosis of the medial calcaneal neuropathy. SIGNIFICANCE: Medial calcaneal neuropathy was confirmed by the sensory NCS of MCN and shown to be associated with PF.

A single therapy for all subtypes of horizontal canal positional vertigo.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that a single therapy is effective for treating all subtypes of horizontal canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (HC-BPPV). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: Patients with HC-BPPV (n = 89) were diagnosed when the supine to the head-lateral test resulted in geotropic or ageotropic bilateral horizontal nystagmus. Three subtypes of HC-BPPV were defined by their characteristic patterns of nystagmus as well as by their speculative mechanism. Canalolithiasis (Can) denotes geotropic nystagmus induced by free-moving otoliths in the HC. Two forms of cupulolithiasis, characterized by otoliths attached either on the utricle-sided (Cup-U) or the canal-sided (Cup-C) cupula, were identified by whether ageotropic nystagmus resolved or changed to geotropic nystagmus on follow-up tests. Forced prolonged position (FPP), lying on the healthy side for 12 hours to easily move free otoliths to the utricle, has proven successful in treating Can. Although Cup-U and contralateral Cup-C were associated with the same positional nystagmus pattern, FPP with lying on the side of the weaker nystagmus was found to be effective treatment, as well as consistent with the speculated underlying mechanism. RESULTS: All HC-BPPV patients including 49 with Can, 11 with Cup-C and 29 with Cup-U had complete resolution of symptoms and positional nystagmus after less than four treatment sessions. CONCLUSIONS: FPP with lying on the side of the weaker nystagmus, combined with careful observation of nystagmus evolvement, was found to be effective treatment for all subtypes of HC-BPPV in this series.

Optimum position of metatarsal pad in metatarsalgia for pressure relief.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the optimum position of a metatarsal (MT) pad to treat metatarsalgia. DESIGN: We used a sensing mat with 16 x 16 sensors, 4.4 x 4.4 mm each, to measure plantar pressure in ten metatarsalgia patients walking with an MT pad in various positions. Peak pressures of the MT head and MT pad were analyzed. RESULTS: Walking without MT pads, the peak pressure of the MT head was 678 +/- 227 and 687 +/- 228 kPa in one proximal and one distal row of three sensors. Placement of the MT pad resulting in peak pressure two sensors proximal to the peak pressure of the MT head did not significantly reduce peak pressure on the MT head. In contrast, placement of the MT pad resulting in peak pressure just proximal to the peak pressures of the MT head reduced the proximal and distal peak pressures on the MT head to 427 +/- 97 and 431 +/- 92 kPa (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Optimum pressure reduction on the MT head is attained when the peak pressure generated by the MT pad is just proximal to the MT head.