Voluntary step execution in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Symptomatic vs. non-symptomatic legs.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with osteoarthritis fall at a greater rate than the general population, likely as a result of weakness, pain, movement limitations, and a decline in balance. Due to the high prevalence of osteoarthritis in the population, understanding the mechanisms leading to greater fall risk is an important issue to better understand. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the influence of unilateral knee osteoarthritis on the characteristics of performing a voluntary step (i.e., similar to that performed to avoid a fall after a perturbation), compared to healthy age-matched controls? METHODS: Case-control study performed in a Health maintenance organization physical therapy clinic. The research group consisted of a referred sample of 21 patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis. The control group consisted of 22 age-matched healthy individuals. All participants were over 65 years of age. Participants were excluded if they had a surgical procedure to back or lower limb within one year before testing, oncological or neurological disease or a deficit in tactile sense. Movements were performed with and without dual tasking. MEASUREMENTS: Duration of the initiation phase (cue to step initiation), preparatory phase (step initiation to foot off) and swing phase (foot off to foot contact). RESULTS: In the preparatory phase and swing phase, the osteoarthritis group moved more slowly than the control group, and these differences were larger for forward compared to backward movements. Dual-tasking slowed responses in the pre-movement initiation stage across groups. SIGNIFICANCE: The differences in basic parameters, and the slower movements in the osteoarthritis group, are consistent with known features of osteoarthritis, being a disease commonly regarded as primarily "mechanical", and are likely to increase fall risk. These response deficits suggest we should take advantage of advanced rehabilitation techniques, including cognitive loading, to help prevent falls in older adults with osteoarthritis.

A Retrospective Feasibility Study of Salvage Pelvic Nodal Radiation in 6 Patients With Biochemical Failure Following Prostate Fossa Radiation: An Alternative to Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT).

PURPOSE: To evaluate salvage pelvic nodal radiation as an alternative to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with biochemical failure and lymph node recurrence following salvage prostate fossa radiation. METHODS: Six patients with biochemical failure and lymph node recurrence following prostate fossa radiation were treated with salvage pelvic nodal radiation therapy. A gross target volume was contoured using Choline PET/CT, CT, or MRI imaging. The clinical target volume included pelvic nodes. Avoidance structures were created using isodose lines from previous prostate fossa radiation plans. Radiation was delivered using IMRT or VMAT techniques. Failure was defined as a confirmed rise of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) over 0.2 ng/mL. RESULTS: Four patients had presalvage PSA values <1 and 2 patients had PSAs >1. Dose to the clinical target volume was 54 to 60 Gy. The gross target volume dose was 60 to 73.6 Gy. One of the 2 patients with a high PSA received 6 months of concomitant ADT. Mean follow-up after RT for all patients was 24.9 months (range, 18.1 to 33.0 mo). All 5 patients with no ADT had significant PSA responses. PSA reduction was 80% (62% to 100%) of pre-RT PSA. At last follow-up, 2 patients with initial PSA<1 ng/mL remain free of biochemical progression at 33 and 20 months. Four patients have had PSA rise and meet criteria for failure. This included both patients with initial PSA values > 1. Duration of response before failure was 18.1 to 30.7 months. ADT for failure has been started in 1 patient. There was no grade ≥2 GI or GU toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage lymph node irradiation for patients with early biochemical recurrence and radiologic evidence of pelvic nodal metastases is well tolerated and associated with a durable biochemical response and may be an alternative to or may delay the need for ADT in some patients.