Association of handgrip strength with patient-reported outcome measures after total hip and knee arthroplasty.

About 33% patients with osteoarthritis undergoing total hip/knee arthroplasty are not satisfied with the outcome, warranting the need to improve patient selection. Handgrip strength (HGS) has been suggested as a proxy for overall muscle strength and may be associated with post-arthroplasty function. This study aims to assess the association of pre-operative HGS with change in hip/knee function and quality of life in patients with arthroplasty. 226 hip (THA) and 246 knee (TKA) arthroplasty patients were included in this prospective cohort study. Pre-operative HGS was assessed by means of a dynamometer and the HOOS/KOOS and SF-36 questionnaires were collected before arthroplasty and 1 year thereafter. The association of HGS with score change on each sub-domain of the included questionnaires was assessed by linear regression models, adjusting for sex, body mass index and baseline score. Mean pre-operative HGS was 26 kg for patients undergoing THA and 24 kg for those undergoing TKA. HGS was positively associated with an increased improvement score on "function in sport and recreation"-domain in hip (ß = 0.68, P = 0.005) and knee (ß = 0.52, P = 0.049) and "symptoms"-domain in hip (ß = 0.56, P = 0.001). For patients with THA, HGS was associated with the "quality of life" domain (ß = 0.33, P = 0.033). In patients with TKA, HGS was associated with the physical component score (ß = 0.31, P = 0.001). All statistically significant effects were positive, indicating that with greater pre-operative HGS, an increased gain in 1-year post-surgery score was observed. HGS can be used as a tool to inform patients with OA who are future candidates for a prosthesis about the possible improvements of certain aspects of life after arthroplasty.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treating acute ankle sprains in adults: benefits outweigh adverse events.

PURPOSE: In the recent clinical guideline for acute lateral ankle sprain, the current best evidence for diagnosis, treatment and prevention strategies was evaluated. Key findings for treatment included the use of ice and compression in the initial phase of treatment, in combination with rest and elevation. A short period of taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may facilitate a rapid decrease in pain and swelling can also be helpful in the acute phase. The objective was to assess the effectiveness and safety of oral and topical NSAID in the treatment for acute ankle sprains. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials comparing oral or topic NSAID treatment with placebo or each other were included. Primary outcome measures were pain at rest or at mobilisation and adverse events. Trials were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included, and 22 were available for meta-analysis. Superior results were reported for oral NSAIDs when compared with placebo, concerning pain on weight bearing on short term, pain at rest on the short term, and less swelling on short- and intermediate term. For topical NSAIDs, superior results compared with placebo were found for pain at rest (short term), persistent pain (intermediate term), pain on weight bearing (short- and intermediate term) and for swelling (short and intermediate term). No trials were included comparing oral with topic NSAIDs, so conclusions regarding this comparison are not realistic. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence is limited due to the low number of studies, lack of methodological quality of the included studies as well as the small sample size of the included studies. Nevertheless, the findings from this review support the use of NSAIDs for the initial treatment for acute ankle sprains. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Meta-analysis of RCTs, Level I.

[A woman with a duodenal prolapse]. / Een vrouw met een perineale dunnedarmprolaps.

A 83-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer s disease, was admitted to the hospital because of a rectal prolapse for which she underwent a perineal rectosigmoidectomy (Altemeier's procedure). In less then three months the patient was readmitted because of a massive small intestinal prolapse through a rectal perforation at the site of the previous anastomosis.