Metabolic Bone Disease in Children With Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to detect metabolic bone disease and endocrinopathies in a cohort of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT). METHODS: This prospective study was conducted between March 2020 - August 2021. Children with TDT older than 5 years, receiving regular blood transfusion, underwent comprehensive endocrine and metabolic bone disease evaluation, which included screening for short stature, delayed puberty, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency and hypoparathyroidism. Children older than 10 years also underwent. X-ray of thoracolumbar spine, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning. RESULTS: Out of 37 patients (19 males), with mean (SD) age 15 (6) years, hypogonadism was the commonest endocrine deficiency seen in 15 (62%), followed by short stature, abnormal glucose metabolism, subclinical adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, and hypoparathyroidism. Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency was seen in 12 (60%) and hypocalcemia in 2 patients. Low bone mass was seen in 8, and osteoporosis, as evidenced by vertebral fractures, in 4 patients. Of the four patients with vertebral fracture, three were aged ≤18 years, one was symptomatic, two each had grade 1 and grade 2 fractures, one had multiple vertebral fractures, and all four had hypogonadism and multiple endocrine deficiencies. CONCLUSION: Vertebral fractures occur even in the second decade among patients with TDT, and are often associated with endocrinopathies, most commonly hypogonadism. Early screening and prevention of vertebral fractures is necessary.

Intra-articular steroid for adhesive capsulitis: does hydrodilatation give any additional benefit? A randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefit offered by capsular hydrodilatation in addition to intra-articular steroid injections in cases of adhesive capsulitis, assess outcomes in diabetic patients with capsular hydrodilatation as compared to non-diabetics and correlate duration of symptoms with outcome based on the type of intervention given. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective double-blinded randomized control trial included patients presenting with clinical features of adhesive capsulitis with no evidence of rotator cuff pathology and randomized them into two groups-intra-articular steroid with hydrodilatation (distension group) and only intra-articular steroid (non-distension group) with intervention being performed as per the group allotted. Primary outcome measure was Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) scores which were taken pre-intervention, at 1.5, 3 and 6 months post-intervention, which were assessed by generalized linear model statistics and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: Although there was statistically significant drop in SPADI in both groups over time [F(1.9, 137.6) = 112.2; p < 0.001], mean difference in SPADI between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (1.53; CI:-3.7 to 6.8; p = 0.56). There was no significant difference between both groups among diabetics [F(1,38) = 0.04; p = 0.95] and no significant difference between diabetic and non-diabetic patients who received hydrodilatation [F(1.8, 60) = 2.26; p = 0.12]. There was no significant correlation between the reduction in SPADI scores and duration of symptoms in any subset of the study population. CONCLUSION: Shoulder joint hydrodilatation offered no additional benefit compared to intra-articular steroid injections for shoulder adhesive capsulitis. Outcome for diabetics and non-diabetics were similar and there was no correlation between duration of symptoms and outcome.