Pulsed electromagnetic fields for postmenopausal osteoporosis and concomitant lumbar osteoarthritis in southwest China using proximal femur bone mineral density as the primary endpoint: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis (OP) and osteoarthritis (OA) are prevalent skeletal disorders among postmenopausal women. Coexistence is common especially that of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) and lumbar OA. An hypothesis has been raised that OP and OA might share the same pathogenic mechanism, and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) were reported to have anti-osteoporosis and anti-osteoarthritis properties, but this suggestion was based primarily on biomarker data. Therefore, whether these two effects could take place simultaneously has not yet been investigated. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) is designed to explore the effect of PEMFs for PMO and concomitant lumbar OA. METHODS/DESIGN: The study will include PMO patients (postmenopausal women; aged between 50 and 70 years; have been postmenopausal for at least 5 years and diagnosed with OP using proximal femur T-score) with concomitant lumbar OA (patients with confounding disorders like diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and previous fracture history, etcetera, will be excluded) will be randomly assigned to two arms: PEMFs group and sham PEMFs group. There will be 25 participants in each arm (50 in total) and the outcome assessment, including the primary endpoint (proximal femur bone mineral density), will be performed at 5 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after enrollment. DISCUSSION: PMO and lumbar OA are prominent public health problem, especially for postmenopausal women. We hope this RCT will provide scientific evidence to primary care of the postmenopausal women regarding the use of these nonpharmaceutical, noninvasive modalities, PEMFs, in managing PMO and lumbar OA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-TRC-14005156 (28 August 2014).

[The effect of low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields on balance ability of patients with post-menopausal osteoporosis].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs)on balance ability of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. METHODS: 43 eligible patients were randomly divided into experimental (n = 24) and control (n = 19) groups. Patients in both groups received conventional drug therapy. Meanwhile, patients in the experimental group were given PEMFs once a day for 30 days. RESULTS: The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores increased and the timed upand to test (TUG) scores, sway index (forward-backward), rectangle area and sway path decreased in the patients in the experimental group (P < 0.05). In the patients in the control group, only changes in BBS scores and sway path were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The decrease of sway index (forward-backward) in the experimental group was greater than that of the control group (P < 0 01). CONCLUSION: PEMFs can improve the balance ability of patients with post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields on postmenopausal osteoporosis in Southwest China: a randomized, active-controlled clinical trial.

A randomized, active-controlled clinical trial was conducted to examine the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) in southwest China. Forty-four participants were randomly assigned to receive alendronate or one course of PEMFs treatment. The primary endpoint was the mean percentage change in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (BMDL), and secondary endpoints were the mean percentage changes in left proximal femur bone mineral density (BMDF), serum 25OH vitamin D3 (25(OH)D) concentrations, total lower-extremity manual muscle test (LE MMT) score, and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score. The BMDL, BMDF, total LE MMT score and BBS score were recorded at baseline, 5, 12, and 24 weeks. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were measured at baseline and 5 weeks. Using a mixed linear model, there was no significant treatment difference between the two groups in the BMDL, BMDF, total LE MMT score, and BBS score (P ≥ 0.05). For 25(OH)D concentrations, the effects were also comparable between the two groups (P ≥ 0.05) with the Mann-Whitney's U-test. These results suggested that a course of PEMFs treatment with specific parameters was as effective as alendronate in treating PMO within 24 weeks.

Correlation between obesity and female hyperostosis.

BACKGROUND: Hyperostosis is a common pathological change among people more than 50 years old; it is connected with many risk factors, which are all indefinite. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the correlation between obesity and female hyperostosis. METHODS: Totally 4326 females were included in this study and their basic information including their age, stature, body weight, course of disease, symptoms, medical complications, frequency of exercise and smoking, and X-ray and bone mineral density (BMD) examination results, was carefully collected for a statistical analysis. The t test or chi(2) test was used to evaluate the differences between two groups; an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the differences among several groups; the relationship between hyperostosis and body mass index (BMI), age, medical complications, exercise, average BMD was analyzed using Logistic regression. RESULTS: The incidence rate of hyperostosis in obese patients was higher than that in patients with normal weight (P = 0.000). Obesity was relevant to hyperostotic sites (P = 0.000), and the incidence of hyperostosis in one or several sites of the lumbar vertebrae, knee joints, and other sites was higher in obese patients than in patients with normal weight. There was also a difference in the extent of hyperostosis between these two groups. BMI had positive effects on the incidence and degree of hyperostosis, which were also relative to the sites of hyperostosis, and the BMI of patients without hyperostosis were much lower than those of the patients with hyperostosis in their lumbar vertebrae, knee joints, or multiple sites. Obesity, age, and exercise had positive effects on the incidence of hyperostosis (P = 0.002, 0.000, 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is a significant potential stimulant of hyperostosis, especially hyperostosis in knee joints and multiple sites; keeping fit might be an important way to prevent it.

[Association of physical activities and bone mass density of lumbar spines in men].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of physical activities and bone mineral density of lumbar vertebrae in men. METHODS: A total of 1169 men who sought medical attentions in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from August, 2003 to December, 2005 because of ostealgia and arthralgia were given a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for the L2-L4 bone mineral density. The height, weight, smoking history, and diseases (eg. diabetes and hypertension) of the participants were recorded. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to assess the physical activities of the participants. The participants were classified into group A (frequent exercise), B (occasional exercise) and C (no exercise) according to the frequencies of physical activities. The bone mass densities of lumbar vertebrae of the three groups were compared. RESULTS: Group A had greater bone mineral density and mineral content in L2-L4, greater average bone mineral density, and greater all bone mineral content and T-score than group C (P<0.05 or P<0.01), although Group A had similar body mass index as Group C, was older and had greater prevalence of smoking and hypertension than Group C (P<0.01). Group B had similar age and body mass index as Group C and greater smoking rate and prevalence of diabetes and hypertension than Group C (P>0.05). But the differences of bone mineral density and mineral content of L2-L4, average bone mineral density, and all bone mineral content and T-score between Group B and C were not statistical significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical activities can increase bone mineral density of lumbar vertebrae in men. But frequent and persistent exercises are needed to prevent decreasing mineral densities due to ageing, smoking and diseases.