Home therapies to improve disability, activity, and quality of life in military personnel with subacute low back pain: Secondary outcome analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is an urgent military health concern with implications for fitness, quality of life (QoL) and disability. PURPOSE: This secondary outcome analysis from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine if the addition of neuromuscular electrical stimulation core strength training (NMES) or progressive exercise (PEP)in conjunction with primary care management (PCM) was more effective than PCM alone. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial (RCT assigned 128 service members to the three intervention groups. The outcomes included changes in perceived disability (Oswestry Disability Index), health-related quality of life (SF-12v2), pain during activity (Clinical Back Pain Questionnaire), and daily steps walked in service members with subacute LBP. FINDINGS: Over a 9-week intervention, perceived disability, SF-12v2 physical component summary, and activity associated with pain improved in all groups. Home therapies were helpful to reduce perceived disability, QoL and pain during activity in service members with subacute LBP. DISCUSSION: These non-pharmacological options provide other home-managed approaches for those in the subacute LBP phase.

Electromyostimulation With Blood Flow Restriction for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in Active Duty Military Personnel: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: The high prevalence of patellofemoral pain in military service members results in strength loss, pain, and functional limitations during required physical performance tasks. Knee pain is often the limiting factor during high-intensity exercise for strengthening and functional improvement, thus limiting certain therapies. Blood flow restriction (BFR) improves muscle strength when combined with resistance or aerobic exercise and may serve as a possible alternative to high-intensity training during recovery. In our previous work, we showed that Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) improves pain, strength, and function in patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), which led us to ask whether the addition of BFR to NMES would result in further improvements. This randomized controlled trial compared knee and hip muscle strength, pain, and physical performance of service members with PFPS who received BFR-NMES (80% limb occlusion pressure [LOP]) or BFR-NMES set at 20 mmHg (active control/sham) over 9 weeks. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial randomly assigned 84 service members with PFPS to one of the two intervention groups. In-clinic BFR-NMES was performed two times per week, while at-home NMES with exercise and at-home exercise alone were performed on alternating days and omitted on in-clinic days. The outcome measures included strength testing of knee extensor/flexor and hip posterolateral stabilizers, 30-second chair stand, forward step-down, timed stair climb, and 6-minute walk. RESULTS: Improvement was observed in knee extensor (treated limb, P < .001) and hip strength (treated hip, P = .007) but not flexor over 9 weeks of treatment; however, there was no difference between high BFR (80% LOP) and BFR-sham. Physical performance and pain measures showed similar improvements over time with no differences between groups. In analyzing the relationship between the number of BFR-NMES sessions and the primary outcomes, we found significant relationships with improvements in treated knee extensor strength (0.87 kg/session, P < .0001), treated hip strength (0.23 kg/session, P = .04), and pain (-0.11/session, P < .0001). A similar set of relationships was observed for the time of NMES usage for treated knee extensor strength (0.02/min, P < .0001) and pain (-0.002/min, P = .002). CONCLUSION: NMES strength training offers moderate improvements in strength, pain, and performance; however, BFR did not provide an additive effect to NMES plus exercise. Improvements were positively related to the number of BFR-NMES treatments and NMES usage.

Non-pharmacological Home Therapies for Subacute Low Back Pain in Active Duty Military Personnel: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of visits to ambulatory care, missed duty time, and disability discharge. The subacute phase of LBP presents an opportune time to prevent chronicity and lessen recurrence. The goal of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine the relative effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training and a progressive exercise program (PEP) on improving physical performance, pain, and torso strength in U.S. service members with subacute LBP, compared to standard primary care management (PCM) alone. METHODS: This is an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol for an RCT conducted with active duty military personnel (n = 128) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, between April 2018 and March 2020. Participants were randomized to receive NMES (n = 43), PEP (n = 42), or PCM (n = 43) for 9 weeks. Outcome measures of physical performance (sit-ups, push-ups, walking, and torso endurance), torso muscle strength (flexion and extension), and pain were assessed at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Analysis was intent-to-treat using linear mixed effects models. A sensitivity analysis was performed to address the protocol deviations that occurred in response to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which required rescheduling 17 in-person study visits to home assessments at 9-week testing. RESULTS: Evidence was found for group differences in physical performance for sit-ups and push-ups, with NMES showing greater improvement than PCM. The two groups showed similar improvements in torso muscle strength, although the NMES groups may show better improvement during early treatment. No group differences in pain levels were observed during the intervention, and all groups improved during the course of the study period. The amount of NMES muscle stimulation was directly related to the level of improvement, which was not the case for the hours reported for PEP exercise. CONCLUSION: In an active duty population with subacute LBP, integrating NMES strength training into the rehabilitation therapy may offer a modest benefit for increasing sit-ups and push-ups and improving torso strength.

Clinical outcome of the metal-on-metal hybrid Corin Cormet 2000 hip resurfacing system: an up to 11-year follow-up study.

This report extends the follow-up for the largest center of the first multicenter US Food and Drug Administration investigational device exemption study on metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty up to 11 years. A single surgeon performed 373 hip resurfacing arthroplasties using the hybrid Corin Cormet 2000 system. The Kaplan-Meier survivorship at 11 years was 93% when revision for any reason was used as an end point and 91% if radiographic failures were included. The clinical results demonstrate an acceptable failure rate with use of this system. Loosening of the cemented femoral components was the most common source of failure and occurred at all follow-up intervals. A learning curve that persisted for at least 200 cases was confirmed. All femoral neck fractures occurred before 6 months postoperatively.

Intraoperative radiographs for placing acetabular components in hip resurfacing arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Various clinical and biomechanical studies suggest certain acetabular positions may be associated with higher wear and failure rates in modern metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasties. However, there are no widely available, reliable, and cost-effective surgical techniques that ensure surgeons are able to place an acetabular component within the safe range of inclination angles after hip resurfacing surgeries. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We investigated the accuracy of intraoperative radiographs to determine the acetabular inclination angle in resurfacing arthroplasty procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group included the first 100 resurfacing arthroplasties performed after we started routinely checking the intraoperative acetabular inclination angles. The acetabular component was repositioned if the intraoperative acetabular inclination angle was out of the target range of 30° to 50°. The control group included the previous 100 resurfacing arthroplasties performed without the benefit of intraoperative radiographs. A posterior minimally invasive surgical approach was used in both groups. Demographics and diagnoses were similar in both groups. RESULTS: The average (± SD) difference between the intraoperative and 6-week radiographs was 2.7° ± 2.5°. The acetabular inclination angles at 6-week followup were within the targeted range more frequently in the study group than in the control group (outliers: 4% versus 29%). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest a single intraoperative radiograph is a quick, reliable, and cost-effective method for ensuring the acetabular inclination angle is within the targeted range.

Comparison of unilateral and rapidly staged bilateral hip resurfacing arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical results and complication rates after unilateral vs. staged bilateral metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) when using a comprehensive blood management program, to determine if there was increased risk for staged HRAs. The study group included 25 consecutive bilateral patients with osteoarthritis (OA) (50 hips). The control group consisted of the first 100 consecutive patients with OA (100 hips) who had unilateral resurfacing during the same period of time by the same surgeon. All patients were enrolled in the same comprehensive blood management program. No transfusion was required in either group. No patients experienced symptomatic anaemia. There was no difference in blood loss per hip between the two groups. This study suggests that transfusion can virtually be eliminated in both unilateral and staged HRA's using an appropriate blood management strategy without collection of autologous blood preoperatively.

Antibiotic Delivery via Hickman Catheter for the Treatment of Prosthetic Joint Infection.

Infection rates for total joint arthroplasty range from 1% to 2%, and infection carries significant risk. The traditional course of treatment is irrigation and debridement, but historically, success rates have been variable. The goals of this study were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Hickman catheterization in the treatment of prosthetic joint infection and to assess its value as an alternative to irrigation and debridement. The authors retrospectively analyzed 26 Hickman catheterizations in the treatment of acute early, acute late, and chronic late infections of primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty. Initial arthroplasty procedures were performed between 2006 and 2018, with all cases followed for a minimum of 1 year postoperatively. The authors evaluated surgical data, clinical outcomes, and success rates, and they compared their success rates with reported values for cases treated with irrigation and debridement. The authors' success rate was 100% for acute early hip infection, 100% for chronic knee infection, and 80.0% for chronic hip infection. They reported a 75.0% success rate in the treatment of acute late infection for hip arthroplasty and a rate of 62.5% for knee arthroplasty. Postoperative clinical outcomes were significantly improved for both hips and knees for all infection types. The success rates for the treatment of acute early prosthetic joint infection and chronic late prosthetic knee infection were superior to available reported rates on irrigation and debridement. The authors also reported the highest success rate for the treatment of acute late infection. The current data suggest that Hickman catheterization is a promising safe and effective alternative to irrigation and debridement for the treatment of prosthetic joint infection. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(3):e395-e401.].

Electrical Stimulation Therapies for Active Duty Military with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common musculoskeletal disorder among military service members that causes knee pain, quadriceps strength loss, and impaired motor performance in otherwise healthy individuals. PFPS poses a threat to the health, fitness, and subsequent readiness of the total force. The goal of rehabilitation for military service members with PFPS is to regain physical capacity of strength and function and to reduce pain, in order to restore readiness in this population. The randomized controlled trial reported here compared an active home exercise program (HEP) alone with three different electrical stimulation treatment regimens implemented concurrently with HEP postulated improvements in lower extremity strength and physical functional performance while also reducing pain in active duty military diagnosed with PFPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After baseline testing, 130 active duty military members with PFPS were randomized to 1 of 4 treatment groups: (1) neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with HEP; (2) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with HEP; (3) combined NMES/TENS with HEP; (4) active HEP only. The primary outcome measure was degree of change in knee flexion and extension strength over 9 weeks. Secondary outcomes were physical functional performance and knee pain. The primary analyses used repeated measures, linear mixed-effects models with a random effect for subject, time as a continuous variable, group as a categorical variable, and a group and time interaction to test for differences in change over time among the groups. RESULTS: All three electrical stimulation treatment groups improved in knee extension strength in the PFPS limb to a greater extent than the HEP alone group over the 9-week treatment period. The NMES and NMES/TENS groups improved to a greater extent than the HEP alone group in knee flexion strength in the PFPS limb. The reported pain improved over time for all treatment groups with no significant group differences. All three stimulation groups performed better on the 6-min walk test than the HEP alone group. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study showed that all three electrical stimulation with HEP treatment groups showed greater improvement in strength compared to the HEP alone group. These findings could offer alternative forms of rehabilitation for AD military with PFPS as these treatment regimens can be easily implemented at home station or during deployment.

Formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: Formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates (PLAs) is increased in several inflammatory and thrombotic conditions. This may result from and enhance platelet and neutrophil activation and could contribute to the inflammatory process in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We investigated platelet-leukocyte aggregation in patients with IBD and its relation to treatment, disease activity and platelet and neutrophil activation. METHODS: PLAs, platelet activation (P-selectin expression) and neutrophil activation (L-selectin expression) were assessed 30 and 180 minutes after drawing blood into EDTA/citrate-theophylline-adenosine and dipyridamole, a novel anticoagulant, using fluorescent antibodies to CD45 (for leukocytes), CD42a (for platelets), CD62P (P-selectin) and CD62L (L-selectin) and flow cytometry. Platelet activation was also measured using the ADVIA 120 hematology analyser. RESULTS: Samples from 67 patients with IBD measured within 30 minutes had a higher platelet count (P < 0.001), more platelets expressing P-selectin (P = 0.01), and more PLAs (P < 0.01) than from 20 healthy controls and more PLAs (P < 0.05) than from 9 controls with inflammatory arthropathies. IBD patients on thiopurines had fewer PLAs than those not taking them (P < 0.05); corticosteroids and aminosalicylates had no such effects. Incubation for 180 minutes increased the number of platelets expressing P-selectin (P < 0.0001), and the number of PLAs (P < 0.0001). The PLAs correlated with the number of platelets expressing P-selectin before (r=+0.40, P < 0.001) and after (r=+0.66, P < 0.0001) incubation. CONCLUSIONS: The number of PLAs is higher in patients with IBD than in healthy and inflammatory controls, but their numbers are lowered by thiopurines. Increased PLA formation may in part be due to increased platelet activation and could be pathogenic in IBD.

Evaluation of the anticoagulants EDTA and citrate, theophylline, adenosine, and dipyridamole (CTAD) for assessing platelet activation on the ADVIA 120 hematology system.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring of platelet activation by the ADVIA 120 Hematology System requires an anticoagulant and protocol that ensures that platelets are sphered and their activation status is not altered artifactually in vitro. METHODS: Blood from healthy controls was collected into tripotassium EDTA; citrate, theophylline, adenosine, and dipyridamole (CTAD); or a combination of both (E/C) and stored at ambient temperature or at 4 degrees C (E/C only) and then analyzed between 0 and 180 min later on the ADVIA 120. In addition, immunofluorescent flow cytometry was used to identify activated platelets and platelet-leukocyte aggregates. RESULTS: In blood stored with all three anticoagulants, the platelet count changed little, but the mean platelet volume (MPV) at first decreased and then increased, whereas the mean platelet component (MPC; an indicator of activation) changed in a reciprocal manner. The changes in MPV and MPC, which reflect platelet sphering and swelling, were greatest between 30 and 60 min in blood stored at ambient temperature, irrespective of which anticoagulant was used, and between 60 and 180 min when blood anticoagulated with E/C was stored at 4 degrees C. In all anticoagulants, the percentages of platelets expressing CD62P and of leukocytes in platelet-leukocyte aggregates increased significantly (P <0.01) over 180 min at ambient temperature. Only minimal (<2%) increases occurred when blood with E/C was stored at 4 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: When determining platelet activation ex vivo on the ADVIA 120, blood should be collected into E/C, stored at 4 degrees C, and analyzed between 60 and 180 min later; these conditions ensure maximum platelet sphering without concurrent artifactual platelet activation.