Schoolchildren's Musculoskeletal Pain and Backpack Weight Impact on Posture: A Short-Term Study.

Background: Research indicates heavy backpacks can cause students to adjust their posture, potentially harming their spine and shoulders. This study focuses on musculoskeletal pain in schoolchildren in Bangalore, attributed to backpack weight, and examines postural impacts in both urban and rural settings. Methodology: With consent, 500 students from various schools underwent physical measurements, including backpack weight, and provided data through questionnaires. Postural angles were assessed without backpacks to determine the impact of weight. Findings: On average, students carried backpacks weighing 6.53 kg, about 13.53% of their body weight. Pain was reported by 50.9% of boys and 63.9% of girls, with a higher incidence among girls from private schools (88.2%) compared to boys from government schools (51.6%). Conclusion: A significant link was found between heavier backpacks and decreased craniovertebral angle, head on neck (HON), and head and neck on trunk (HNOT) angles, aligning with increased pain prevalence. This underscores the health risks of heavy school backpacks and the need for weight management.

Examining the Backpack Weight Relative to Students' Body Weight Among Urban and Rural Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Schoolbags or backpacks have been an essential part of the education system for a long time. However, a hefty backpack causes the child to arch the back excessively or bend their head and trunk forward to withstand the weight of the schoolbag. If the student carries the backpack on one shoulder, he/she bends to the opposite side to compensate for the extra weight, which may damage the shoulders and spine. Considering these factors, the main aim of this study was to investigate the percentage of backpack weight in proportion to the student's body weight regarding the new guidelines among urban and rural schoolchildren aged 12 to 15 years in Bangalore, Karnataka. Methodology In southern India, over a year, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 500 students who voluntarily participated after providing written consent. They completed a questionnaire, underwent vital and anthropometric measurements, and had their weights measured, including the weights of their backpacks. Sample bags were inspected to determine contributing weight factors and evaluate adherence to timetables. Results The average weight carried by children of all ages was 6.53 kg, averaging 13.53% of their body weight. Among males, the percentage carrying backpacks weighing over 10% of their body weight was 80.9%, while among females, it was 85.7%. Of all the males carrying bags weighing more than 10% of their body weight, 67.7% attended government schools, while 32.3% attended private schools. Among females studying in government schools, 63.6% carried backpacks weighing more than 10% of their body weight, while among those in private schools, 36.4% carried bags exceeding that weight. Conclusions The study concluded that despite regulations being implemented on backpack weight for children, a significant number still carry bags exceeding 10% of their body weight among both urban and rural school children. This could elevate pressure on neck and back muscles, leading to excessive fatigue and potential damage to the skeletal system, ultimately contributing to spinal deformities.

Comparison of the Glenoid Index by Computed Tomography With Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Introduction Anterior shoulder instability results in labral and osseous glenoid injuries. With a large osseous defect, there is a risk of recurrent dislocation of the joint, and therefore the patient has to undergo surgical correction. An MRI evaluation of the patient helps to assess the soft tissue injury. Currently, the volumetric three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed CT image is the standard for measuring glenoid bone loss and the glenoid index. However, it has the disadvantage of exposing the patient to radiation and additional expenses. This study aims to compare the values of the glenoid index using MRI and CT. Methodology The present study was a two-year cross-sectional study of patients with shoulder pain, trauma, and dislocation in a tertiary hospital in Karnataka. The sagittal proton density (PD) section of the glenoid and enface 3D reconstructed images of the scapula were used to calculate glenoid bone loss and the glenoid index. The baseline data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the Chi-square test was used to test the association of various complications with selected variables of interest. Results The glenoid index calculated in the current study using 3D volumetric CT images and MR sagittal PD images was 0.95±0.01 and 0.95±0.01, respectively. The CT and MRI glenoid bone loss was 5.41±0.65% and 5.38±0.65%, respectively. When compared, the glenoid index and bone loss calculated by MRI and CT revealed a high correlation and significance with a p-value of <0.001. Conclusions The study concluded that MRI is a reliable method for glenoid measurement. The sagittal PD sequence combined with an enface glenoid makes it possible to identify osseous defects linked to glenohumeral joint damage and dislocation. The values derived from 3D CT are identical to the glenoid index and bone loss determined using the sagittal PD sequence in MRI.

A Self Inserted Unusual Foreign Body "An Entire Pencil" in a Male Urethra and Bladder: A Case Report.

The incidence of lower urinary tract foreign body insertions is low. The motives for the insertion of objects are complex to comprehend and could be a result of exotic impulses, psychometric problems, or sexual curiosity. Here we discuss a case of a 21-year-old male who came to the emergency room with complaints of a painful protrusion from the perineum and a history of insertion of an unusual foreign body in the form of an approximately 15cm long pencil that was inserted out of sexual curiosity to achieve autoerotism which was impacted in the posterior urethra and the bladder. Diagnosis in such cases can be achieved by proper history taking, conducting a thorough physical examination, and with use of appropriate imaging. The treatment options vary between minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopic removal and surgical treatment, with the former being used more often and the latter being done when the minimally invasive procedures are not able to remove the foreign body or when urethral or bladder injuries are expected in doing so. The complete case is discussed in detail to derive the proper management strategy in such rare cases.

Macrophage activation syndrome in children with systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis: clinical experience from northwest India.

The objective of this study is to describe the clinical and laboratory features of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SOJIA) at a tertiary care center in northwest India. Review of medical records of all children with SOJIA admitted during the period January 1995-December 2008 in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, was done. Six patients (5 boys and 1 girl) with SOJIA and MAS were identified. Mean age at time of disease onset was 6.5 years. MAS was the presenting manifestation of SOJIA in 4 patients. Clinical manifestations included fever (6/6), clinical shock (6/6), encephalopathy (5/6), generalized lymphadenopathy (4/6), hepatosplenomegaly (3/6), jaundice and abdominal tenderness (3/6), cardiac involvement (3/6), and meningeal irritation (2/6). Laboratory findings at onset of MAS included decreasing total leukocyte and platelet counts, coagulopathy, elevated transaminases, hyponatremia, and lipid abnormalities. Hemophagocytosis was demonstrable in the bone marrow in 4 patients and in the lymph node in 1. For treatment, we used intravenous methylprednisolone (4/6), oral prednisolone (2/6), and intravenous immunoglobulin (2/6). Outcome was favorable in all patients except one who died of rapidly progressive disease. This paper describes the experience of JIA-related macrophage activation syndrome in a tertiary Indian center. We have shown that MAS can be the early presenting manifestation of evolving SOJIA. Early diagnosis and aggressive management can have a significant impact on the mortality associated with this syndrome. We stress on the role of glucocorticoids in the management of this condition and believe that glucocorticoids have a far more important role in the management of this condition than what has been previously reported.