Comprehensive Assessment of Lower Limb Function and Muscle Strength in Sarcopenia: Insights from the Sit-to-Stand Test.

The sit-to-stand test is an essential tool used to assess lower limb function and muscle strength in older adults and various patient populations, and also plays a role in sarcopenia screening. Among its forms, the five-time sit-to-stand test (FTSST) is widely used, with previous studies suggesting cutoff values of >10 seconds and >11 seconds for the sitting-to-standing and standing-to-sitting transitions, respectively. The 30-second and 1-minute sit-to-stand tests (30STS and 1MSTS, respectively) also provide comprehensive assessments. While much of the current research on sarcopenia focuses on the FTSST, there is a burgeoning need for an in-depth exploration of the 30STS and 1MSTS. Studies on these tests are vital to refine the criteria for sarcopenia, establish accurate cutoff values, and enhance diagnostic precision and treatment effectiveness. This need highlights the importance of further research into the 30STS and 1MSTS for refining the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia.

A new balance assessment tool for quantifying balance impairment in patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury: Pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantitatively and objectively evaluate the balance impairment in patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) using a new evaluation tool for balance and to assess its role in comprehensive balance assessment. DESIGN: Retrospective pilot study. SETTING: Rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 14 patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury. INTERVENTIONS: None. OUTCOME MEASURES: We retrospectively compared and analyzed the results of 14 patients with motor incomplete SCI who underwent various balance assessments, including the FRA510S test, using correlation. RESULTS: The agreement between the FRA510S and existing balance assessment was confirmed through Bland-Altman plots; moreover, high degree of agreement was observed in Berg Balance Scale in the eye closed state and in Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test in the eye open state. CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed that the FRA510S equipment provides quantitative values for balance function. Balance assessment using the FRA510S, along with neurological, electrophysiological, and clinical tests, may provide comprehensive additional information related to falls and gait rehabilitation in patients with SCI.

Complications and Resource Use Associated With Surgery for Chiari Malformation Type 1 in Adults: A Population Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes research on Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) is impeded by a reliance on small, single-center cohorts. OBJECTIVE: To study the complications and resource use associated with adult CM-1 surgery using administrative data. METHODS: We used a recently validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code algorithm to retrospectively study adult CM-1 surgeries from 2004 to 2010 in California, Florida, and New York using State Inpatient Databases. Outcomes included complications and resource use within 30 and 90 days of treatment. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for morbidity and negative binomial models to determine risk-adjusted costs. RESULTS: We identified 1947 CM-1 operations. Surgical complications were more common than medical complications at both 30 days (14.3% vs 4.4%) and 90 days (18.7% vs 5.0%) postoperatively. Certain comorbidities were associated with increased morbidity; for example, hydrocephalus increased the risk for surgical (odds ratio [OR] = 4.51) and medical (OR = 3.98) complications. Medical but not surgical complications were also more common in older patients (OR = 5.57 for oldest vs youngest age category) and male patients (OR = 3.19). Risk-adjusted hospital costs were $22530 at 30 days and $24852 at 90 days postoperatively. Risk-adjusted 90-day costs were more than twice as high for patients experiencing surgical ($46264) or medical ($65679) complications than for patients without complications ($18880). CONCLUSION: Complications after CM-1 surgery are common, and surgical complications are more frequent than medical complications. Certain comorbidities and demographic characteristics are associated with increased risk for complications. Beyond harming patients, complications are also associated with substantially higher hospital costs. These results may help guide patient management and inform decision making for patients considering surgery.

Use of rapid-sequence magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of hydrocephalus in children.

OBJECT: The authors examine the use of rapid-sequence magnetic resonance (rsMR) imaging to make the diagnosis of malfunctioning and/or infected shunts in patients with hydrocephalus. Computerized tomography (CT) scanning is usually used in this context because it rapidly acquires high-quality images, yet it exposes pediatric patients to particularly high levels of radiation. Standard MR imaging requires longer image acquisition time, is associated with movement artifact, and, in children, usually requires sedation. Standard MR imaging provides greater structural resolution, yet visualization of ventricular catheters is relatively poor. METHODS: The authors analyzed a series of 67 rsMR imaging examinations performed without sedation in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus whose mean age was 4 years at the time of the examination. The mean study duration was 22 minutes. Catheter visualization was good or excellent in more than 75% of studies reviewed, and image quality was good or excellent in more than 60% of studies reviewed. The authors analyzed cancer risk with a model used for atomic bomb survivors. Fifty percent of their patients with hydrocephalus had undergone more than four brain imaging studies (CT or MR imaging) in their lifetimes. For the many patients who had undergone more than 15 studies, the total estimated lifetime attributable cancer mortality risk was calculated to be at least 0.35%. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid-sequence MR imaging yields reliable visualization of the ventricular catheter and offers superior anatomical detail while limiting radiation exposure. The authors' protocol is rapid and each image is acquired separately; therefore, motion artifact is reduced and the need for sedation is eliminated. They recommend the use of rsMR imaging for nonemergent evaluation of pediatric hydrocephalus.