Reducing Shoulder Complaints in Employees with High Occupational Shoulder Exposures: A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Study (The Shoulder-Café Study).

PURPOSE: To evaluate if a group-based Shoulder-Café intervention could reduce shoulder complaints more effectively than an individual-based control intervention in employees with shoulder complaints and high occupational shoulder exposures. METHODS: A cluster-randomised controlled study of 109 participants from 60 companies in Central Denmark Region. Companies were randomised and allocated to either Shoulder-Café or control intervention. Participants in both interventions received a pamphlet on home-based shoulder exercises and a pamphlet with general information on reducing occupational shoulder exposures. They also had their occupational shoulder exposures assessed. Shoulder-Café participants additionally received three café-meetings with casual discussion, clinical shoulder evaluation, education about shoulder anatomy and occupational shoulder exposures, supervised exercises, workplace-oriented counselling, and an optional workplace visit. The primary outcome measure was the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures were the OSS at 12 months, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire - Physical Activity at 6 and 12 months, and Patients' Global Impression of Change at 6 months. The study also included seven supplementary outcome measures. RESULTS: Both groups improved from baseline to 6 months with respect to the primary outcome (P < 0.01). No group differences were found for the primary outcome (mean difference (MD) [95% confidence interval]: 0.3 [- 1.6; 2.2]) or secondary outcomes. The supplementary outcomes "felt informed about handling shoulder complaints" and "felt informed about reducing occupational exposures" at 6 months, and "Patients' Global Impression of Change" and "overall satisfaction" at 12 months favoured the Shoulder-Café intervention. CONCLUSION: The Shoulder-Café intervention did not reduce shoulder complaints more effectively than the control intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov on 19 May 2017 (ID: NCT03159910).

Effect of extended scope physiotherapists assessments in orthopaedic diagnostic setting: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Patients with musculoskeletal diseases can potentially be assessed by an extended scope physiotherapist (ESP) instead of by an orthopaedic surgeon (OS). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of the diagnostic musculoskeletal assessment performed by ESP compared to OS. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro and reference lists of included studies and previous reviews were searched in November 2015. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies were included if they evaluated adults with a musculoskeletal disease referred to an outpatient orthopaedic clinic where a diagnostic assessment had been conducted by an ESP. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted using a customised data extraction sheet. Two reviewers using checklists evaluated methodological independently. RESULTS: We included one randomised controlled trial and 31 observational studies. Diagnostic agreement between ESPs and OSs was 65 to 100% across studies. Health care cost savings for diagnostic assessments performed by ESPs were 27 to 49% compared to OSs. Overall, 77 to 100% of the patients were satisfied with the ESP assessment. Results were comparable on diagnostic agreement, cost and satisfaction in studies with high, moderate and low risk of bias. LIMITATIONS: Risk of bias in the included studies. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION OF KEY FINDINGS: Diagnostic assessments performed by ESP may be as beneficial as or even better than assessment performed by OSs in terms diagnostic agreement, costs and satisfaction. However, the methodological quality was generally too low to determine the clear effectiveness of ESP assessment, and more high quality studies are needed. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42014014229.

Effect of early supervised progressive resistance training compared to unsupervised home-based exercise after fast-track total hip replacement applied to patients with preoperative functional limitations. A single-blinded randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine if 2 weekly sessions of supervised progressive resistance training (PRT) in combination with 5 weekly sessions of unsupervised home-based exercise is more effective than 7 weekly sessions of unsupervised home-based exercise in improving leg-extension power of the operated leg 10 weeks after total hip replacement (THR) in patients with lower pre-operative function. METHOD: A total of 73 patients scheduled for THR were randomised (1:1) to intervention group (IG, home based exercise 5 days/week and PRT 2 days/week) or control group (CG, home based exercise 7 days/week). The primary endpoint was change in leg extension power at 10 week follow up. Secondary outcomes were isometric hip muscle strength, sit-to-stand test, stair climb test, 20 m walking speed and patient-reported outcome (HOOS). RESULTS: Sixty-two completed the trial (85%). Leg extension power increased from baseline to the 10 week follow up in both groups; mean [95% CI] IG: 0.29 [0.13; 0.45] and CG: 0.26 [0.10; 0.42] W/kg, with no between-group difference (primary outcome) (P = 0.79). Maximal walking speed (P = 0.008) and stair climb performance (P = 0.04) improved more in the IG compared to CG, no other between-group differences existed. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, supervised PRT twice a week in addition to 5 weekly sessions of unsupervised exercise for 10 weeks was not superior to 7 weekly sessions of unsupervised home-based exercise for 10 weeks in improving the primary outcome, leg-extension power of the operated leg, at the primary endpoint 10 weeks after surgery in THR patients with lower pre-operative function. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01214954.

Does reduced movement restrictions and use of assistive devices affect rehabilitation outcome after total hip replacement? A non-randomized, controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Improvements in surgical techniques and increase of femoral head size might have changed the rationale for movement restrictions after total hip replacement (THR). AIM: To evaluate the influence of movement restrictions and assistive devices on rehabilitation after fast track THR. DESIGN: Non-randomized, controlled study. SETTING: Inpatient. POPULATION: 365 consecutively included THR patients. METHODS: Patients included the 3 initial month of the study underwent rehabilitation with restrictions in hip movement and a standard package of assistive devices (restricted group). This group was compared to patients included the following 3 months with less restricted hip movement and use of assistive devices according to individual needs (unrestricted group). Questionnaires on function, pain, quality of life (HOOS), anxiety (HADS), working status and patient satisfaction were completed before THR, 3 and 6 weeks after. RESULTS: The HOOS function score at the 3 measurement times was (mean ± SD); unrestricted group: 46 ± 17 - 76 ± 9 - 83 ± 14 compared to restricted group: 43 ± 16 - 81 ± 14 - 83 ± 13. Changes over time was significantly higher in the restricted group (P=0.004). Return to work 6 weeks after THR for the unrestricted group compared to restricted group was: 53% versus 32% (P=0.045). No significant differences between groups in pain, symptoms, quality of life, anxiety/depression, hip dislocations and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: This study showed slightly slower recovery in patient-reported function after reduction in movement restrictions and use of assistive devices, but the difference was eliminated after 6 weeks. Reduced movement restrictions did not affect the other patient-reported outcomes and led to earlier return to work. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: It is possible to reduce movement restrictions and use of assistive devices considerably. More research on safety issues is needed to elucidate the effect of unrestricted rehabilitation on hip dislocation.

[A case of pulmonary edema after intravenous administration of iohexol (Omnipaque) 300 mg I/ml in cerebral CT]. / Et tilfaelde af lungeødem efter i.v. administration af iohexol (Omnipaque) 300 mg I/ml i forbindelse med cerebral CT.

A case of acute pulmonary oedema which developed in connection with intravenous administration of a conventional dose of nonionic radio-opaque agent (RKM) prior to computed tomographic scanning of the posterior cranial fossa is presented. The potentially pathogenetic mechanisms of pulmonary oedema induced by radio-opaque agents are discussed.