A rehabilitation protocol for patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease treated with lumbar total disk replacement.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of the rehabilitation protocol designed by the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department on the patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease after lumbar disk replacement surgery. DESIGN: Open prospective auto-controlled trial. SETTING: Physical medicine and rehabilitation department, neurosurgery department, and anesthesiology and pain management department. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=20) with single level lumbar degenerative disk disease were recruited for this study. INTERVENTIONS: Lumbar disk prosthesis surgery with metal on metal lumbar disk prosthesis; preoperative, provocative, diskography; and a postoperative rehabilitation program were used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in the functional status and pain intensity in patients was evaluated by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) during rest and movement. The ODI and VAS during rest and movement were primary outcome criteria, while return to work and duration of hospital stay were secondary outcome criteria. The results for the various scoring systems were statistically analyzed using the t test. RESULTS: Preoperative mean VAS scores ± SD at rest and movement were initially in the range of 6.00±2.47 and 8.65±1.08, respectively. The scores decreased to 1.70±1.12 and 2.60±1.72 at 3 months postsurgery, respectively (P<0.01). The scores decreased to 1.20±0.69 and 1.90±1.07 at 12 months postsurgery, respectively (P<0.01). The mean preoperative ODI score was 73.3±15.5; the postoperative scores were 35.0±15.5 and 20.4±12.9 at 3 and 12 months, respectively (P<0.01). The mean duration of hospital stay ± SD was 3.5±1.6 days, and return to work was achieved after a mean ± SD period of 14.1± 4.3 days with no complications related to surgery or the rehabilitation protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The protocol was designed for postoperative rehabilitation program after artificial lumbar disk replacement surgery for degenerative disk disease patients. The good outcomes are the result of a combination of very careful and restrictive patient selection, surgical technique, and presented rehabilitation program. These parameters provide early pain relief and return to activities of daily living after surgery.

Conservative treatment of Charcot artroparthy in a series of spina bifida patients: the experience of one center and review of the literature.

The present study was performed to evaluate the use of patellar tendon-bearing ankle foot orthesis for the treatment of Charcot arthropathy in a series of patients with spina bifida. A cohort of 350 spina bifida patients, ages ranging between 12 months and 22 years were evaluated in our clinic between June 1993 and March 2004. Charcot arthropathy was seen in five of these children. Treatment was initiated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oral bisphosphonates and immobilization. No change was observed in the patients' symptoms after a month of treatment. At this time, a patellar tendon-bearing ankle foot orthesis was prescribed and used for a period of 6 to 24 months. All patients improved within 2 months. At the end of 2 years of follow-up, three patients are still using the brace without any complaints. One patient still has symptoms, although she is wearing her brace, but she has had significant improvement compared with the initiation of therapy. Non-weight-bearing, immobilization and surgery are the known treatment choices in Charcot arthropathy. Little experience exists about this entity and its treatment. Our experience reveals that the patellar tendon-bearing ankle foot orthesis leads to significant improvement in children with Charcot arthropathy without surgery and immobilization.

Pedobarographic findings in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate pedobarographic findings and balance in knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN: A total of 48 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 30 controls were included in this study. Pedobarographic measures were obtained from all patients and controls. Pain intensity of patients was measured using the Visual Analog Scale. The percentage of pressure on forefoot and hindfoot was measured using static pedobarography, and the peak pressures at forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot were measured using dynamic pedobarography. The center-of-pressure sway length and width were measured for evaluation of balance. RESULTS: The percentage of right hindfoot pressure (P < 0.05) and peak pressure of the right forefoot during walking were lower in the osteoarthritic group than in the controls (P < 0.05). The sway width in the patient group was higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). The Visual Analog Scale score at rest was negatively correlated with peak pressures of both right and left hindfeet in the osteoarthritic group (P < 0.05). The grade of osteoarthritis was positively correlated with sway length and sway width (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pedobarography may become a useful technique to determine foot pressures that change because of disturbed weightbearing and balance problems in knee osteoarthritis.

Evaluation of the neurosensory function of the medial meniscus in humans.

PURPOSE: Menisci are known to have receptors mainly concentrated at the anterior and posterior horns. Although they are purported to send afferent impulses to the central nervous system, this function has not been thoroughly evaluated. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether stimulation of the menisci initiates a cortical response. The reaction of the end organ to the reflex arc is also evaluated. TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective case series. METHODS: Fourteen patients with normal medial menisci were included in the study. Different parts of the knee joint (the posterior horn and the body of the medial meniscus, the medial femoral condyle, the capsule, and the joint space) were electrically stimulated by a probe during arthroscopy. The cortical response was monitored with somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs). The compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) of the semimembranosus, quadriceps, and biceps femoris muscles were also monitored with electroneuromyography (ENMG). RESULTS: Among the stimulated parts, only the posterior horn of the meniscus produced cortical responses. No response was obtained with stimulation of the medial femoral condyle, the body of the medial meniscus, the capsule, or the joint space. Stimulation of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus produced a measurable amount of CMAP latency for the semimembranosus muscle, but not for the quadriceps and biceps femoris muscles. CONCLUSIONS: Stimulation of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus produces reproducible cortical SEPs and results in ENMG-verified response of the semimembranosus muscle where no response of the semimembranosus muscle is detected with stimulation of the other parts of the knee. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The knowledge that only the horns of the medial meniscus have mechanoreceptors in the medial compartment of the knee helps to understand patients' signs and symptoms in medial compartment disease.

[Talectomy for the treatment of neglected pes equinovarus deformity in patients with neuromuscular involvement]. / Nöromusküler tutulumlu hastalarda ihmal edilmis pes ekinovarus deformitesinin talektomi ile tedavisi.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated talectomy operations performed for the correction of neglected pes equinovarus deformity of the foot in patients with neuromuscular involvement. METHODS: Eleven patients (2 females, 9 males; mean age 9.5 years; range 3 to 20 years) with various neurological disorders underwent 17 talectomy operations for the correction of neglected pes equinovarus deformity. Diagnoses were spina bifida in seven patients, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita in two patients, and spinal muscular atrophy and poliomyelitis in two patients, respectively. None of the patients had a previous surgery for pes equinovarus deformity. Preoperatively, three patients and one patient could walk in home settings with and without support, respectively, whereas seven patients could not walk at all. A protective orthosis was used in all the patients postoperatively. Achillotomy and posterior capsulotomy were performed prior to talectomy when needed. The results were evaluated with the use of a functional rating system and radiographs. The mean follow-up was 50 months (range 24 to 108 months). RESULTS: The results were good in 12 feet and fair in five feet. Seven patients could walk without support, and three patients could walk with support. One patient required re-operation for residual deformity of the foot and skin wounds due to poor compliance with the protective orthosis. One patient could not ambulate despite a plantigrade foot. CONCLUSION: Talectomy is a limb-saving procedure for the treatment of neglected pes equinovarus deformity. Its success relies not only on obtaining a plantigrade foot but also on a proper postoperative orthotic control.

[Surgical management of orthopedic problems in adult patients with cerebral palsy]. / Beyin felçli eriskin hastalardaki ortopedik sorunlarin cerrahi tedavisi.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the results of surgical treatment for orthopedic problems in adult patients with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Nine adult patients with cerebral palsy (4 females, 5 males; mean age 22 years; range 19 to 29 years) were managed surgically to lessen pain, correct deformities and contractures, and enhance their mobilization potential. Seven patients underwent bilateral multiple-level tendinous and/or musculotendinous release procedures involving the lower extremities, of whom two patients underwent additional triple arthrodesis, and one patient underwent extension osteotomy in the knee. One patient was treated with proximal femoral and distal tibial derotation osteotomies and bilateral hamstring release for knee flexion contractures. Finally, one patient was treated with posterior fusion with instrumentation for thoracolumbar scoliosis. Before surgery, four patients were community ambulators, and one patient could walk only with the aid of bilateral crutches. Four patients with total body involvement could not walk, but they could sit without support except for one patient with scoliosis. The mean follow-up was 25 months (range 8 to 49 months). RESULTS: On final evaluations, eight patients could walk without support, and one patient who could not sit preoperatively managed to sit without support. Three patients developed bilateral, five patients developed unilateral superficial skin wounds at the back of the heels associated with cast/brace use, and deep wound infection was encountered in the patient with scoliosis. All the wounds healed with early debridements and antibiotic therapy, together with the modifications made in cast/brace applications, without the need for implant removal. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of orthopedic problems in adult patients with cerebral palsy is of substantial importance in enhancing their sitting and walking capacities, and in restoring their community-based relations and activities.

Quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

The objective of this study was to determine and compare the quality of life (QOL) of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to assess patients' psychological and functional status in each group. This prospective study included 62 female FS patients and 60 female RA patients diagnosed by the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The Turkish translations of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale II (AIMS II) and Beck Depression Index (BDI) were given to all of the patients and they were asked to complete the two questionnaires. The scores of AIMS II, pain, and QOL were evaluated in the FS and RA groups. There were no statistically significant differences between the FS and RA groups (p>0.05) in terms of QOL. The affect subgroup scores of the AIMS II and BDI were highly correlated in the FS and RA groups (p<0.002, r=0.85 and p<0.05, r=0.80, respectively). The results show that the QOL is negatively but similarly affected in FS and RA groups.