Effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation for treatment of plantar fasciitis.

ABSTRACT: Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. Pain can be persistent in some patients and interrupt daily activities and sportive activities. There are a lot of treatment options available for plantar fasciitis. We hypothesized that patients with chronic persistent plantar fasciitis can be successfully treated with radiofrequency nerve ablation (RFNA).Two hundred sixty-one patients with plantar fasciitis (378 feet) treated with RFNA from February 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively assessed. All the patients had plantar heel pain for at least 6months. Based on their body mass index (BMI), the enrolled patients were divided into obese (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2) and non-obese (BMI < 30kg/m2) groups. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire just before and after the procedure and during the final follow-up. The BNS Radiofrequency Lesion Generator was used during a single session. The patients' information, including their visual analogue scale (VAS) score and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, was assessed. During their final follow-up, the patients were asked to rate the success of their treatment by choosing one of the following options: completely successful, very successful, moderately successful, marginally successful, or not successful.The VAS and AOFAS scores of all the patients were evaluated pre-procedure, in the first month after procedure, and during the final follow-up (8-24 months). There was a statistically significant difference between the pre-procedure and postprocedure VAS scores (P < .001), there was no statistically significant difference between the VAS scores in the first month postprocedure and during the final follow-up.There was a statistically significant difference between the pre-procedure and postprocedure AOFAS scores (P < .001), there was no statistically significant difference between the AOFAS scores in the first month postprocedure and during the final follow-up.RFNA can be used as an alternative method to surgical procedures for treating plantar fasciitis because it is safe and effective. The advantages of RFNA are that patients can quickly return to their work and resume weight-bearing activities.

A comparison of double single suture-button fixation, suture-button fixation, and screw fixation for ankle syndesmosis injury: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Different methods have been used throughout the years for syndesmotic injury but there is no consensus on the ideal treatment. Some methods are expensive and some have more complications. The aim of this study is to compare single suture endobutton with double suture endobutton and screw fixation for syndesmotic injury.Sixty nine patients with syndesmotic injury with fibular fractures whom were treated with a single interosseous suture endobutton system (ZipTightTM, Zimmer Biomet), a double interosseous suture endobutton system (ZipTightTM, Zimmer Biomet) and 1 syndesmotic screw (TST, Istanbul, Turkey) were included in this study. Functional and radiological results from patient records between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively evaluated.Twenty patients were treated with the double interosseous suture endobutton, 23 were treated with the single interosseous suture endobutton, and 26 were treated with traditional AO screw fixation. Three patients from the screw fixation group (11.5%) required revision surgery (P < .05). All the radiologic and clinical outcomes were statistical similar in all 3 groups.Our findings showed that the interosseous suture endobutton system is at least as safe as the screw fixation technique for treatment of syndesmosis joint injuries and can be used as an alternative to the screw method. The interosseous suture endobutton system eliminates the need for a second surgery to remove the hardware, which minimizes the probability of re-diastasis. Since our results showed no statistical difference between single and double interosseous suture endobutton systems, the less costly single endobutton system may be the better alternative.

Does the ZipTightTM effective to maintain reduction after the treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation?

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluated the functional and radiographic outcomes of acute acromioclavicular (AC) joint reconstruction performed using the mini-open technique and a knotless suspensory loop device METHODS:: A total of 25 patients (20 male and 5 female patients; mean age, 30.7 years; standard deviation, 10 years; range, 17-57 years) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study. A functional assessment was performed using the Constant and University of California Los Angeles score. The radiologic assessment included standard anterior-posterior views of the AC and coracoclavicular (CC) distances. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 18.6 months (range, 12-23 months). The mean Constant score was 87.2 ±â€Š3.2, and the mean University of California Los Angeles score was 30.1 ±â€Š2.4 at the final follow-up. Radiological evaluation at the last follow-up of the patients: Although there was no statistically significant increase in the AC and CC values of the patients () at the last follow-up, the average CC value in 6 (24%) of the 25 patients was greater than 50% compared with the unaffected side CC and early postoperative CC values. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the Constant and UCLA scores between the 6 patients with reduction loss and the 19 patients with reduction maintenance (P = .86). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical results of fixation of acute AC joint dislocations using the ZipTight knotless suspensory loop device system and mini-open technique were favorable in terms of functional recovery and pain relief. However, the major disadvantage of this method was radiological loss of AC joint reduction when compared to the contralateral shoulder.

Comparison of an epicondylitis bandage with a wrist orthosis in patients with lateral epicondylitis.

BACKGROUND:: Lateral epicondylitis is one of the most common causes of elbow pain. It is generally observed in people between the ages of 40 and 50 years, and the dominant extremity is more frequently affected. Various noninvasive methods are frequently used; however, studies investigating the effectiveness of the orthoses are limited and with controversial outcomes. OBJECTIVE:: To investigate the effectiveness of a hand-wrist resting orthosis and an epicondylitis bandage in lateral epicondylitis. STUDY DESIGN:: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS:: In total, 82 patients diagnosed with unilateral lateral epicondylitis were enrolled into the study. Hand-wrist resting orthosis was applied to 45 patients and epicondylitis bandage was applied to 41 patients. Patients were evaluated before treatment and at 6 weeks after treatment with a Visual Analogue Scale; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire; the Short Form 36; and a determination of hand grasping force. RESULTS:: Both groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index, gender, frequency of lateral epicondylitis on the dominant side, dominant extremity, and duration of complaints ( p > 0.05). A statistically significant recovery was detected in both groups between the pre-therapy values and the values at the sixth week in terms of Visual Analogue Scale scores; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnarie scores; hand grasping forces; and the Short Form 36 mental and physical component scores ( p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences detected between the two therapy methods before the therapy and at the sixth week of treatment in all parameter values ( p > 0.05). CONCLUSION:: Our results suggest that both epicondylitis bandage and hand-wrist resting orthosis are effective treatment options for lateral epicondylitis-induced pain, functional status, muscle strength, and quality of life. Furthermore, neither treatment option was superior to the other. Large, randomized studies are necessary for more clear statements. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Epicondylitis bandage and hand-wrist resting orthosis are equally effective treatment options for lateral epicondylitis-induced pain, functional status, muscle strength, and quality of life.

Poly(3-Methylthiophene) Thin Films Deposited Electrochemically on QCMs for the Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds.

Poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT) thin films were electrochemically deposited on quartz crystal microbalance QCM transducers to investigate their volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing properties depending on ambient conditions. Twelve different VOCs including alcohols, ketones, chlorinated compounds, amines, and the organosphosphate dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) were used as analytes. The responses of the chemical sensors against DMMP were the highest among the tested analytes; thus, fabricated chemical sensors based on PMeT can be evaluated as potential candidates for selectively detecting DMMP. Generally, detection limits in the low ppm range could be achieved. The gas sensing measurements were recorded at various humid air conditions to investigate the effects of the humidity on the gas sensing properties. The sensing performance of the chemical sensors was slightly reduced in the presence of humidity in ambient conditions. While a decrease in sensitivity was observed for humidity levels up to 50% r.h., the sensitivity was nearly unaffected for higher humidity levels and a reliable detection of the VOCs and DMMP was possible with detection limits in the low ppm range.

Comparison of High Intensity Laser and Epicondylitis Bandage in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) and epicondylitis bandage treatment in patients with lateral epicondylitis (LE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients with unilateral LE (18 males, 47 females; mean age 46.5±8.1 years; range 30 to 61 years) with unilateral complaints were included. Patients were randomly assigned into two treatment groups. The first group (n=31) was treated with HILT for 10 sessions, while the second group (n=34) used only LE bandage for treatment. The patients were assessed for handgrip strength, pain, disability, and quality of life at baseline and sixth week after treatment by using visual analog scale, the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, and Short-Form 36 (SF-36). RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvement in all evaluated parameters including pain scores, hand grip strength, disability, and SF-36 scores at sixth week after the treatment (all p<0.05). A comparison of percentage changes in parameters between treatment groups did not show a significant difference, except for resting visual analog scale (p=0.036) and SF-36 physical component subscale (p=0.049) scores which indicated better improvement in HILT group. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed significant improvement in handgrip strength, pain, disability, and quality of life parameters in both groups. However, HILT produced better resting visual analog scale and SF-36 physical component subscale scores compared to LE bandage.