Efficacy of Transcutaneous 4.4 MHz Radiofrequency Diathermy versus Therapeutic Ultrasound for Pain Relief and Functional Recovery in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent common cause of disability and pain among adults. Transcutaneous radiofrequency (RF) diathermy and therapeutic ultrasound (US) are commonly employed treatments for addressing musculoskeletal conditions. This study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical effectiveness of transcutaneous 4.4 MHz RF diathermy and therapeutic US therapy in individuals diagnosed with KOA. A total of 108 patients with KOA were randomly assigned to either the RF or US groups. Each participant underwent a series of 10 treatment sessions over four weeks and was evaluated at different time points. The assessments included physical evaluations, vital sign measurements, the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, the Lequesne index, gait analysis, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and analysis of adverse responses. Both groups showed significant differences in NRS, WOMAC scores, and Lequesne index compared to baseline values at both the 10th treatment session and the one-month follow-up assessment. However, no significant disparities were observed between the two groups at each assessment point. In the gait analysis, following the 10th treatment, the RF group showed significant changes in stride length and stride velocity compared to baseline. Four weeks after the completion of treatment, both groups exhibited significant alterations in stride length and stride velocity when compared to baseline measurements. However, regarding cadence, only the RF group exhibited a significant difference compared to baseline. The findings suggest that transcutaneous 4.4 MHz RF diathermy displays a comparable effectiveness to therapeutic US in reducing pain and enhancing functional capacity among individuals with KOA. Further research endeavors are warranted to advance the efficacy of noninvasive treatments for KOA.

A New Role for Epidurography: A Simple Method for Assessing the Adequacy of Decompression during Percutaneous Plasma Disc Decompression.

Percutaneous plasma disc decompression (PPDD) is a minimally invasive treatment for discogenic low back pain and herniated disc-related symptoms. However, there are no known outcome predictive variables during the procedure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate epidurography as an intra-procedure outcome predictor. We retrospectively enrolled 60 consecutive patients who did not respond to conventional treatments. In the next stage of treatment, PPDD was performed, and the epidurography was conducted before and after the PPDD. We analyzed the relationship between epidurographic improvement and the success rate. The Numerical Rating Scale and the Oswestry Disability Index were used to assess pain and functional capacity, respectively, before the procedure and 1 month after the procedure. The pain reduction and the success rate in the epidurographic improvement group were significantly higher than in the epidurographic non-improvement group. Both the Numerical Rating Scale and the Oswestry Disability Index scores were significantly reduced in both groups, but there was no significant difference in Oswestry Disability Index scores. This study's results showed that PPDD is an effective treatment method. We also suggested that epidurography may be a potential outcome predictor for ensuring successful outcomes and determining the endpoint of the procedure.

Comparison of the Effect of Balloon Catheter vs Nucleoplasty vs Balloon Catheter and Nucleoplasty in Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Nucleoplasty and neuroplasty are often performed in patients with refractory lower back pain when conservative treatment is ineffective. Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is caused by multiple factors; in some cases, a single procedure of nucleoplasty or neuroplasty alone does not provide sufficient treatment effect. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate and compare the pain relief and pain-free interval among patients with LSS who underwent nucleoplasty, neuroplasty, and combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: In-ha University hospital pain clinic. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of the medical records and survey of 98 patients with LSS who visited a pain clinic between 2019 and 2020 and underwent nucleoplasty, neuroplasty, and combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty. Patients with disc height < 50% of the adjacent disc on magnetic resonance imaging and those with moderate and severe extraforaminal stenosis were excluded. Thus, 60 patients who underwent nucleoplasty (n = 20), neuroplasty (n = 20), and combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty (n = 20) for LSS were analyzed. The patients were instructed to rate their pain intensity via an 11-point numeric rating score (NRS) before and after the procedure. The Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire was checked before and after the procedure. RESULTS: The pain intensity decreased to NRS 3 ± 0.14 and 1.85 ± 0.19 in the nucleoplasty and combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty groups, respectively, indicating a significant difference (P = 0.003). ODI was significantly decreased after the procedure compared with that before the procedure in all groups. After the procedure, ODI decreased to 13.89 ± 0.20 and 11.21 ± 0.33 in the nucleoplasty and combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty groups, respectively, with a significant difference between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). The patients in the nucleoplasty group achieved pain relief for 4.93 ± 1.22 months after the procedure, whereas those in the balloon neuroplasty group achieved pain relief for 5 ± 1.37 months. In the combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty group, pain relief was maintained for 10.2 ± 1.11 months (P = 0.003). LIMITATIONS: The pain was assessed with NRS without considering the patients' pain medication. There may be differences in the outcome of the procedure depending on the surgeon. CONCLUSION: The pain reduction effect was greater and was retained for a longer period with combined balloon neuroplasty and nucleoplasty than with nucleoplasty or neuroplasty alone.

Comparison of Temperature and Pain Changes between the Drip and Topical Methods of Administering the Transnasal Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block.

The objective of this study was to compare facial temperatures and the visual analogue scale (VAS) between the drip method and the topical method of transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB). The transnasal SPGB is administered to patients with facial or head and neck pain. In the transnasal approach, the drip and topical methods are frequently used. We compared facial temperatures and VAS after transnasal SPGB. Medical records of 74 patients who visited the pain clinic and underwent transnasal SPGB were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 156 transnasal SPGB were performed. The patients were divided into the drip-method and topical-method groups. Facial temperatures were measured in six areas of the right and left forehead, maxilla, and mandible before and 30 min after completion of the transnasal SPGB. Temperatures were compared before and 30 min after SPGB in each group and between the two groups. VAS scores were compared at the same times of SPGB in each group and between the two groups. In the drip-method group, there were significant increases at four areas of the face in temperature changes at 30 min after SPGB. In the topical-method group, there was no significant difference in the temperature changes at 30 min after SPGB. There were statistically significant differences in the facial temperature changes between the two groups in the right forehead (p = 0.001), left forehead (p = 0.015), and right maxillary area (p = 0.046). In herpes zoster, there were statistically significant differences in the VAS scores between before and 30 min after SPGB in both groups (p < 0.001, p = 0.008) and between two groups (p < 0.001). In migraine, there were statistically significant differences in VAS scores between before and 30 min after SPGB in both groups (p < 0.001, p = 0.004) and between two groups (p = 0.014). Transnasal SPGB using two methods showed different temperature changes and VAS scores.

Impact of Increased End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide on Continuous Noninvasive Hemoglobin Monitoring during Laparoscopic Gastrectomy: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The pulse CO-Oximetry allows continuous, noninvasive monitoring of hemoglobin (SpHb). We assessed the impact of increased end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) on the accuracy and trending ability of SpHb in laparoscopic surgery. Participants (n = 64) were randomly allocated to the low carbon dioxide (CO2) group (EtCO2: 30-35 mmHg) or the high CO2 group (EtCO2: 40-45 mmHg). The SpHb and laboratory hemoglobin (tHb) were obtained during surgery. The correlation coefficient (r) between SpHb and tHb showed greater tendency in the low CO2 group (r = 0.68) than in the high CO2 group (r = 0.43). The bias (precision) was -1.18 (1.09) with a limit of agreement (LOA) of -3.31 to 0.95 in low CO2 group and -1.02 (1.24) with a LOA of -3.45 to 1.42 in high CO2 group; they did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.246). The low CO2 group showed a high concordance rate of 95.9% and a moderate correlation between ΔSpHb and ΔtHb (r = 0.53). However, the high CO2 group showed a concordance rate of 77.8% and no correlation between ΔSpHb and ΔtHb (r = 0.11). In conclusion, increased EtCO2 significantly reduced the trending ability of SpHb during laparoscopic surgery. Caution should be executed when interpreting SpHb values during laparoscopic surgery in patients with hypercapnia.

Creation of a three-dimensional printed spine model for training in pain procedures.

OBJECTIVE: Technological developments have made it possible to create simulation models to educate clinicians on surgical techniques and patient preparation. In this study, we created an inexpensive lumbar spine phantom using patient data and analyzed its usefulness in clinical education. METHODS: This randomized comparative study used computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging data from a single patient to print a three-dimensional (3D) bone framework and create a mold. The printed bones and structures made from the mold were placed in a simulation model that was used to train residents. The residents were divided into two groups: Group L, which received only an audiovisual lecture, and Group P, which received an additional 1 hour of training using the 3D phantom. The performance of both groups was evaluated using pretest and post-test analyses. RESULTS: Both the checklist and global rating scores increased after training in both groups. However, some variables improved significantly only in Group P. The overall satisfaction score was also higher in Group P than in Group L. CONCLUSIONS: We have described a method by which medical doctors can create a spine simulation phantom and have demonstrated its efficiency for procedural education.

Effects of smoking on the optimal effect-site concentration of remifentanil required for preventing cough during anesthetic emergence in male patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic cholecystectomy.

ABSTRACT: Target-controlled infusion of remifentanil is known to reduce cough effectively during emergence from general anesthesia. The effect of smoking on emergence cough remains controversial. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect-site concentration (Ce) of remifentanil in the male patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic cholecystectomy for suppressing emergence cough in smokers and non-smokers.Twenty smokers and 24 non-smokers (sex, male; age range, 20-65 years) were enrolled in this study. Anesthesia was maintained using sevoflurane and remifentanil. The Ce of remifentanil in 50% (EC50) and 95% (EC95) of the patients required for suppressing emergence cough were determined for each group (smokers and non-smokers) using Dixon up-and-down method and isotonic regression method with a bootstrapping approach.Dixon up-and-down method revealed that the EC50 value was significantly higher in smokers (3.51 ±â€Š0.60 ng/mL) than in non-smokers (2.71 ±â€Š0.30 ng/mL) (P < 0.001). In smokers and non-smokers, isotonic regression revealed EC50 to be 4.40 (83% CI, 4.17-4.58) ng/mL and 2.58 (83% CI, 2.31-2.87) ng/mL, respectively, and EC95 to be 4.76 (95% CI, 4.73-4.78) ng/mL and 3.15 (95% CI, 3.04-3.18) ng/mL, respectively.The Ces of remifentanil required to prevent cough during emergence were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Therefore, clinicians should pay attention to the smoking history of a patient to prevent cough during emergence.

Beneficial Effects of Intravenous Magnesium Administration During Robotic Radical Prostatectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Robotic radical prostatectomy requires prolonged pneumoperitoneum and a steep Trendelenburg position. Magnesium can attenuate the stress response and hemodynamic perturbations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of intravenous magnesium administration on hemodynamics and the stress response in patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy. METHODS: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study, 52 patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy were randomized into two groups: 26 in the magnesium group and 26 in the control group. The patients in the magnesium group received magnesium sulfate 50 mg/kg intravenously, followed by infusion at a rate of 10 mg/kg/h during surgery. The patients in the control group received an equal volume of 0.9% saline. The primary outcomes were the changes in heart rate and mean arterial pressure (MAP) during surgery. The serum stress hormones (adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine) were also measured. RESULTS: MAP showed a significant intergroup difference over time (Pgroup*time = 0.017); it increased significantly at 5 min after Trendelenburg position in the control group and decreased significantly at 30 min after Trendelenburg position in the magnesium group. The intergroup difference in the change in cortisol concentrations was significant over time (Pgroup*time = 0.006). The cortisol concentration decreased significantly from baseline to 24 h after surgery in the magnesium group but did not change significantly in the control group. The requirement for intraoperative remifentanil was 35% lower in the magnesium group (P = 0.011), and the severity of postoperative pain at 30 min and 6 h after surgery was also lower in the magnesium group (P = 0.024 and P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: There is a possibility that intravenous magnesium administration during robotic radical prostatectomy reduces the increases in arterial pressure, cortisol concentrations, opioid requirements, and postoperative pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02833038.

A randomized clinical trial on the effect of a lidocaine patch on shoulder pain relief in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The incidence of laparoscopy-related shoulder pain reaches 90% in women. We evaluated the effect of lidocaine patch 5% on the shoulder pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in female patients. Total 63 female patients were randomly allocated to patch group (n = 31) and control group (n = 32). Patch group received lidocaine patch 5% and dressing retention tape on both shoulder, and control group received only dressing retention tape. Abdominal and shoulder pains were evaluated with rating on numeric rating scale (0 = no pain and 10 = the worst pain) at baseline and at 30 min, 6 h, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics and operation details. The overall incidence of shoulder pain was significantly lower in patch group than in control group (42% vs. 78%, P = 0.005). The severity of shoulder pain also was significantly reduced in patch group compared to control group at 24 h and 48 h after surgery (P = 0.01 and P = 0.015, respectively). Complications related to lidocaine patch were not found except nausea. Lidocaine patch 5% reduced the incidence and severity of postoperative shoulder pain in female patients undergoing LC without complications.

No fibrous cap and pannus formation in an On-X mechanical aortic valve.

Mechanical cardiac valves placed in the aortic position can show different amounts of pannus under the aortic ring. A 68-year-old patient had undergone mitral annuloplasty with a 30-mm rigid ring and aortic valve replacement with a 21-mm On-X mechanical valve for mitral regurgitation and aortic valve stenosis 10 years and 3 months previously. In the second cardiac surgery for mitral valve replacement to treat mitral stenosis, the previously replaced On-X mechanical valve revealed no fibrous cap on the sewing cuff and no pannus on the lower border of the valve ring. These characteristic findings can be attributed to the unique design elements of this valve.

Efficacy of the bispectral index and Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale in monitoring sedation during spinal anesthesia: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The bispectral index (BIS) has been used to monitor sedation during spinal anesthesia. We evaluated the correlation between BIS and the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale (OAA/S) in patients sedated with dexmedetomidine, propofol, or midazolam. METHODS: This prospective, randomized study included 46 patients scheduled for knee arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia with sedation. The patients were randomized to receive sedation with dexmedetomidine (n = 15), propofol (n = 15), or midazolam (n = 16). Correlation between BIS and OAA/S was assessed during sedation in the three groups. RESULTS: A linear correlation was observed between BIS and OAA/S, and there was no significant difference in BIS score between the groups during mild to moderate sedation status (OAA/S 3-5). During deep sedation (OAA/S 1-2), the BIS score in the midazolam group was significantly higher than that in the propofol and dexmedetomidine groups (74.4 ± 11.9 vs 67.7 ± 9.5 vs 62.6 ± 12.2). CONCLUSIONS: BIS values differed at the same level of sedation between different sedative agents. Objective sedation scores should therefore be used in combination with BIS values for the assessment of sedation levels during spinal anesthesia.

The effect of additional transforaminal epidural blocks on percutaneous epidural neuroplasty with a wire-type catheter: A retrospective observational study.

Percutaneous epidural neuroplasty (PEN) is an effective interventional treatment for radicular pain. However, in some cases, contrast runoff to the spinal nerve root does not occur. We investigated whether contrast runoff to the spinal nerve root affects the success rate of PEN and whether additional transforaminal epidural blocks for intentional contrast runoff affect the success rate of PEN in cases in which contrast runoff is absent.This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03867630) in March 2019. We reviewed the medical records of 112 patients who underwent PEN with a wire-type catheter from May 2016 to August 2018. Patients were divided in 3 groups (Runoff group, Non-runoff group, Transforaminal group).Patients with low back pain and leg radicular pain who did not respond to lumbar epidural steroid injectionsPEN was performed in 112 patients with a wire-type catheter in target segment. We compared the success rate of PEN betweenThe success rate was significantly different between the Runoff group and the Non-runoff group (P < .0007) and between the Non-runoff group and the Transforaminal group (P = .0047), but not between the Runoff group and the Transforaminal group (P = .57).Contrast runoff influenced the success rate of PEN. In cases without contrast runoff, additional transforaminal epidural blocks for intentional contrast runoff increased the success rate of PEN with a wire-type catheter.

A Novel Application of Buprenorphine Transdermal Patch to Relieve Pain in the Knee Joint of Knee Osteoarthritis Patients: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered to be one of the most disabling diseases. The intra-articular opioid injection has been widely studied for its simplicity, safety, and efficacy in OA. In this study, however, we suggest a novel method of buprenorphine transdermal patch (BTDP) to painful knee joints of OA patients, instead of intra-articular opioid injection, and subsequently compared the knee application with conventional chest application. We retrospectively enrolled 213 patients with knee OA who did not respond to conventional therapy. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), adverse effects, and compliance were recorded before and after the application of the BTDP. All parameters were compared between the knee applied group and the chest applied group. After the BTDP application, the NRS score in the knee applied group was lower than that of the chest applied group (p = 0.007). NRS scores after buprenorphine patch decreased to 2.21 ± 0.77, and 2.55 ± 0.71 in the chest applied group and the knee applied group, respectively. The adverse effects were 19.32% in the knee applied group, and 64.00% in the chest applied group. The compliances were 82.95% and 37.60% in the knee applied group and chest applied group, respectively. This novel application of BTDP directly to the painful knee joint of knee OA patients led to a decrease in the NRS score, adverse effects, and an increase in compliance compared with the chest application method.

Aortic Arch Endarterectomy Associated with On-Pump Cardiac Surgery in Patients with a Mobile Arch Atheroma.

We describe aortic arch endarterectomy performed concomitantly with on-pump cardiac surgery in 2 patients with grade V arch atherosclerosis. In both patients, transesophageal echocardiographic findings led to the diagnosis of severe arch atherosclerosis associated with a mobile atheromatous plaque in the aortic arch. The severe arch atherosclerosis was managed with endarterectomy under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. In patients with severe grade V atherosclerosis in the aortic arch, performing endarterectomy simultaneously with primary cardiac surgery may be justified as a way to reduce the risk of peripheral embolism, including cerebrovascular accidents, with minimal additional surgical risk.

Changes in facial temperature measured by digital infrared thermal imaging in patients after transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block: Retrospective observational study.

Sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) is a technique developed in the 1990s for the management of head and neck pain patients. Recently, transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block (TN-SPGB) has been widely used for these patients; however, no objective methods exist for validating the success of TN-SPGB. In this study, we measured the changes in facial temperature before and 30 minutes after TN-SPGB by using digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) to validate its success.The medical records of patients, who underwent TN-SPGB and facial DITI between January 2016 and December 2017, were reviewed. TN-SPGB and facial DITI were performed 36 times in 32 patients. The changes in facial temperatures measured at the forehead (V1), maxillary area (V2), and mandibular area (V3) by using DITI before and 30 minutes after TN-SPGB were recorded and compared. The temperatures on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of these areas were also compared. The comparison between pain relief group and pain maintenance group was analyzed.After TN-SPGB, the temperature decreased significantly on both sides of V1 (P = .0208, 0.0181). No significant differences were observed between the ipsilateral and contralateral sides (P > .05). There was no correlation between changes in temperature and changes in pain score in the pain regions after the procedure (P > .05).The temperature decreased significantly in V1 area at 30 minutes after TN-SPGB compared with the temperature before TN-SPGB. Based on these results, we propose using DITI to measure temperature changes as an objective method for verifying the success of TN-SPGB.