Management and outcomes of pilonidal patients with secondary sinuses-a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pilonidal disease (PD) can present with concurrent draining secondary sinus at the superior gluteal cleft. The natural disease course in the setting of this severe phenotype is poorly characterized. We present the largest cohort of patients with PD and concurrent secondary sinus. METHODS: Patients with PD and concurrent secondary sinus who underwent Gips procedure with secondary sinus excision from 2019 to 2023 were prospectively followed. Patient demographics, drainage recurrence, symptom resolution, treatment, and follow-up period were recorded. Recurrent drainage from previous secondary sinus site was defined as isolated painless serous drainage after the wound had closed for > 3 weeks; recurrent PD was characterized as recurrent pain and bloody drainage after excision. RESULTS: One hundred and five patients (seventy-one males) with a median age of 17.2 years [interquartile range (IQR):15.4-19.0] underwent excision of their disease and were followed for a median of 367.0 days (IQR: 173.2-658.8). Without regular epilation, six patients (5.7%, five males, one female) had recurrent PD. With regular epilation, three patients (2.8%, three males) had recurrent PD. Eight patients (7.5%, six males, two females) had recurrent secondary sinus site drainage. Median time to recurrent drainage was 75.5 days (IQR: 65.2-216.2) after excision and for recurrent drainage to resolve was 72 days (IQR: 49-81). Recurrent secondary sinus site drainage was treated with antibiotics, silver nitrate, debridement, or no treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients who present with PD in the setting of concurrent secondary sinus have a unique, more severe disease phenotype. Excision can be complicated by recurrent drainage from the secondary sinus site that can resolve without repeat surgical excision.

Pre-operative gluteus medius tendon degeneration and its impact on strength and functional ability one year after total hip replacement.

OBJECTIVE: Hip osteoarthritis is a common cause of disability and surgery is often unavoidable. Patient satisfaction is high and functional ability improves after surgery. However, residual impairment and pain are common. Degenerative changes in tendons and muscles are probable causes. The aim of this study is to investigate gluteus medius (GMED) tendon degeneration in relation to muscle strength, physical function and walking distance before and one year after total hip replacement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 18 patients were examined pre- and post-operatively, of whom 15 were available in the final analysis. Muscle strength, physical function and walking distance were assessed. Tendon biopsies were assessed microscopically, and the total degeneration score (TDS) was calculated. RESULTS: A correlation between the TDS and muscle strength was found for the hamstrings, GMED and quadriceps pre- or post-operatively. No correlations were found between the TDS and functional ability. Functional ability and muscle strength improved significantly after surgery. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a correlation between tendon degeneration and the muscle strength of the hip and knee in patients with hip OA and one year after THR. To minimise post-operative residual discomfort, rehabilitation programs should probably be modified over time to match the pre- and post-operative needs. Further studies are needed.This study was registered at https://www.researchweb.org/is/vgr/project/279039 (in Swedish).

There are negative correlations, which suggest patterns between degeneration in the GMED tendon and muscle strength in the muscles acting around the hip in patients with hip OA, before and after THR.The strength training of muscles acting around the hip joint may need to be adjusted before and after THR.

Total management of hemangiopericytoma/solitary fibrous tumor of the buttock: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Solitary fibrous tumors can manifest at various anatomical sites, predominantly occurring at extrapleural sites with a peak incidence between 40 and 70 years. SFT necessitates long-term follow-up owing to its tumor characteristics. However, comprehensive reports covering the period from initial diagnosis to the patient's demise are lacking. Herein, we present a case of a malignant SFT of the buttocks that was treated at our hospital from the time of initial diagnosis to the end of life, with a literature review. METHODS: A 54-year-old woman had a T1 low-to-isobaric and T2 isobaric-to-hyperintense mass in the psoas muscle on magnetic resonance imaging, diagnosed as an SFT. Wide excision was performed, followed by postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Multiple lung metastases were treated, while bone metastases appeared in the left femur. Multiple spinal metastases developed, causing respiratory distress due to pleural effusion. Best support care was initiated; however, a thrombus appeared in the inferior vena cava. Despite anticoagulant therapy, the patient died 11 years and 6 months after the initial surgery. Herein, marginal resection resulted in a relatively short operative time and average blood loss. The radiotherapy dose was 66 Gy; no complications occurred, and local recurrence was prevented. Tumor arthroplasty was performed to stabilize the affected limbs, and the patient required careful follow-up. RESULTS: Despite the poor prognosis, the patient survived >11 years after surgery and had a favorable outcome. CONCLUSION: Long-term monitoring for potential complications remains necessary.

Smart Cushions with Machine Learning-Enhanced Force Sensors for Pressure Injury Risk Assessment.

Prolonged sitting can easily result in pressure injury (PI) for certain people who have had strokes or spinal cord injuries. There are not many methods available for tracking contact surface pressure and shear force to evaluate the PI risk. Here, we propose a smart cushion that uses two-dimensional force sensors (2D-FSs) to measure the pressure and shear force in the buttocks. A machine learning algorithm is then used to compute the shear stresses in the gluteal muscles, which helps to determine the PI risk. The 2D-FS consists of a ferroelectret coaxial sensor (FCS) unit placed atop a ferroelectret film sensor (FFS) unit, allowing it to detect both vertical and horizontal forces simultaneously. To characterize and calibrate, two experimental approaches are applied: one involves simultaneously applying two perpendicular forces, and one involves applying a single force. To separate the two forces, the 2D-FS is decoupled using a deep neural network technique. Multiple FCSs are embedded to form a smart cushion, and a genetic algorithm-optimized backpropagation neural network is proposed and trained to predict the shear strain in the buttocks to prevent PI. By tracking the danger of PI, the smart cushion based on 2D-FSs may be further connected with home-based intelligent care platforms to increase patient equality for spinal cord injury patients and lower the expense of nursing or rehabilitation care.

Delayed diagnosis of perirectal horseshoe abscess and patient's perspective.

This is a case of a woman in her 50s with HIV and uncontrolled diabetes who presented to the emergency department with urinary retention and a painful gluteal cleft lesion, admitted for cellulitis. Since initial CT and soft tissue ultrasound (US) were negative for fluid collection, the care team was surprised to find her symptoms continued to progress despite intravenous antibiotics. Finally, MRI 9 days into her admission demonstrated a 12-cm perirectal horseshoe abscess. The patient was ultimately treated with incision and drainage with Penrose drain placement. This case demonstrates the importance of maintaining a high suspicion for horseshoe abscess, a complex form of ischiorectal fossa abscess which can be missed on CT and US imaging, and which may expand rapidly in immunosuppressed patients.

Does a Hip Muscle Activation Home Exercise Program Change Movement Patterns on the Forward Step-Down Test?

CONTEXT: Poor knee biomechanics contribute to knee joint injuries. Neuromuscular control over knee position is partially derived from the hip. It is unknown whether isolated activation training of the gluteal muscles improves lower-extremity frontal plane mechanics. This study examined if a home-based hip muscle activation program improves performance on the Forward Step-Down Test as well as increases surface electromyography (sEMG) activation of the gluteal muscles. DESIGN: The study utilized a single-group repeated-measures design. METHODS: Thirty-five participants (24 females, mean age = 23.17 [SD 1.36] years) completed an 8-week hip muscle activation program. The Forward Step-Down Test score and sEMG of gluteus maximus and medius were assessed preintervention and postintervention. RESULTS: Forward Step-Down Test scores improved significantly from preintervention (Mdn = 3.5) to postintervention (Mdn = 3.0, T = 109, P = .010, r = .31.), but this result did not meet clinical significance. sEMG analysis revealed a significant increase in mean gluteus maximus activation (P = .028, d = 1.19). No significant dose-response relationship existed between compliance and the Forward Step-Down Test scores or sEMG results. CONCLUSIONS: A home-based hip activation program increases gluteus maximus activation without clinically significant changes in frontal plane movement quality. Future studies may find clinical relevance by adding motor learning to the activation training program to improve functional muscle use.

Effect of exercise on cluneal nerve entrapment neuropathy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is an important disability problem frequently encountered in the clinic. In the literature, it has been shown that neuropathic pain in chronic low back pain is quite common in patients. Although superior cluneal nerve entrapment syndrome is an underdiagnosed cause of low back and leg pain, differential diagnosis is very important anatomically and clinically. The superior cluneal nerves are pure sensory nerves that innervate the skin of the upper part of the buttocks. In the literature, methods such as surgery, nerve blockade, prolotherapy, and acupuncture have been used in the treatment of cluneal nerve entrapment syndrome, but there are no studies on exercise. In this case report, our aim is to explain the importance of differential diagnosis in cluneal nerve entrapment syndrome, which is one of the common causes of low back pain in the clinic, and the effects of exercise in this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old, Turkish-ethnicity, male patient with complaints of low back pain, neck-back pain, and weakness did not use alcohol or cigarettes. In his family history, there was a history of diabetes in the mother and diabetes and heart failure in the father. He had a history of osteoporosis, epilepsy, asthma, sarcoidosis, and cardiac arrhythmia. The patient reported that he suffered from constipation three to four times a month. As a result of the detailed evaluation, the planned exercise prescription was taught to the patient, and after it was confirmed that the patient did the exercises correctly for 3 days, the exercise brochure was given and followed as a home exercise program for 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar stabilization exercises, gluteal muscle strengthening exercises, thoracolumbar fascia mobilization, and stretching exercises, which will be given in accordance with the clinical anatomy of the disease after the correct diagnosis in cluneal nerve entrapment syndrome, have been beneficial for the patient. However, we think that randomized controlled studies with a large sample will contribute to the literature.

Injection, hematoma, abscess, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, stairway to hell: Case report.

RATIONALE: Intramuscular injections are routine outpatient procedure performed at healthcare institutions worldwide. In the current literature, there have been very few reports of gluteal superior artery injuries due to incorrect injection techniques. However, no one has ever reported a healthy middle-aged man with systemic inflammatory response syndrome with possible injection-related bleeding from the gluteus superior artery, followed by a hematoma, and then a deep abscess after 3 weeks of not receiving treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 40-year-old man presented with pain in his buttock, a fever of 40°, and a lump after a dorso-gluteal injection. (November, 2022) The patient was diagnosed with systemic inflammatory response syndrome due to a deep abscess related to a hematoma caused by a possible superior gluteal artery branch injury. DIAGNOSES: He was admitted to our institution with a lump, pain in his buttock, and a fever of 40° after a dorso-gluteal injection. The patient had diffuse swelling and tenderness in the upper-posterior aspect of the gluteal region. Systemic examination revealed yellow sclera and icteric skin appearance. Blood tests showed low hemoglobin levels and increased pre-sepsis parameters (procalcitonin and indirect bilirubin). Pelvic MRI and ultrasonography revealed a gluteal abscess. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was transferred to the operating theater, where a curved incision was made behind the trochanter. The gluteus maximus was bluntly dissected, and abscess fluid was drained from the muscle. Continuous bleeding was detected, suggesting iatrogenic superior gluteal artery branch injury at the time of the injection. OUTCOME: After drainage and antibiotic treatment, the patient's parameters normalized within 5 days, and the patient was discharged. The patient's weekly follow-up examinations were normal, and he was able to walk without a limp. A postoperative visit to the outpatient clinic 2 months after the operation and a telephone call 17 months later showed that the patient was completely healthy and able to work. LESSONS: The dorso-gluteal technique has potential risks, including possible injury to the sciatic nerve and superior gluteal artery and irritation of the subcutaneous adipose tissue. This article aims to highlight the potential risks of a particular technique and advocate the use of the ventrogluteal technique instead of the traditional dorso-gluteal technique.

Early postoperative infection in patient with IgM deficiency.

Selective IgM deficiency is a rare immunological disorder, with patients presenting with recurrent infections and allergic manifestations. However, the association with early postoperative infection has not been widely reported in the literature. We describe a rare case of a patient who had an early wound infection 1 day after excision of a Merkel cell carcinoma from his right buttock and was later found to have decreased IgM levels. Selective IgM deficiency should therefore be considered in patients presenting with recurrent infections or in patients who have previously undergone surgery and subsequently developed early infection postoperatively. In this subset of patients, extra precautions may need to be taken pre- and postoperatively to reduce the risk of developing a postoperative infection.

Recovery of muscular tissue and functional results of patients treated with a gluteus maximus flap transfer due to chronic abductor deficiency after total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the function of the abductor mechanism after a gluteus maximus flap transfer due to a degeneration of the muscles after hip arthroplasty, we analyzed the post-operative functional outcome as well as radiographic effects in muscle tissue. METHODS: This present study included six consecutive patients operatively treated with a gluteus maximus flap due to chronic gluteal deficiency after total hip arthroplasty. All patients presented a preoperative severe limp, hip abductor deficiency and a history of conservative treatment without the relief of symptoms. MRI scans were performed pre- and postoperatively to evaluate the muscle volume and grade of degeneration of the abductor mechanism. For clinical evaluation, the Harris hip score (HHS) was applied pre- and postoperatively. Moreover, the intensity of pain, the Trendelenburg sign, the internal rotation lag sign and the abductor muscle force were measured before and after surgery. RESULTS: Overall, the evaluation of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed no significant changes in total muscle volume during the follow-up period. Separate measurements presented a significant growth of muscle volume for the gluteus minimus and tensor fascia lata compared to preoperative imaging during the follow-up period. The amount of fat volume decreased for all the measured muscles with statistical significance for the gluteus minimus, the gluteus medius and the tensor fascia lata. No further muscle degeneration and no flap necrosis were measured. The postoperative HHS results were not statistically significant compared to the preoperative results. CONCLUSIONS: Besides fair clinical results, the radiological measurements indicate that the flap transfer enables functional muscular tissue recovery and prevents further degeneration. Given these conditions, the gluteus maximus muscle flap transfer represents a viable treatment option for patients with chronic gluteal deficiency in selected patients.

Effects of Gluteal Muscle Strengthening Exercise-Based Core Stabilization Training on Pain and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.

Background: The World Health Organization reports that back pain is a major cause of disorder worldwide. It is the most common musculoskeletal disorder with limited pain, muscle tension, and stiffness, and 70-80% of all individuals experience it once in their lifetime, with higher prevalence in women than in men. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gluteal muscle strengthening exercise- based core stabilization training (GSE-based CST) on pain, function, fear-avoidance patterns, and quality of life in patients with chronic back pain. Methods: This study included 34 patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. Seventeen individuals each were included in GSE-based CST and control groups. The GSE-based CST group performed GSE and CST for 15 min, three times a week for four weeks, and the control group performed CST for 30 min a day, three times a week for four weeks. The numeric pain rating scale was used to evaluate pain before and after treatment, Roland-Morris disability questionnaire was used to evaluate function, fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire was used to evaluate fear-avoidance patterns, and quality of life was measured using the short form-36. Results: In this study, pain, function, and fear-avoidance pattern decreased significantly in both groups (All p < 0.05). During the evaluation of quality of life, both groups showed significant increase in physical and mental factors (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in pain and quality of life (p < 0.05) between the GSE-based CST and control groups. Conclusions: Therefore, GSE-based CST can be used as a basis for effective intervention to enhance pain, function, fear-avoidance patterns, and quality of life, emphasizing the need for gluteal muscle strengthening exercises in patients with non-specific chronic back pain in the future.

Comparison of erector spinae and gluteus medius muscle thickness and activation in individuals with and without low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional patterns of the erector spinae (ES) and gluteus medius (GM) muscles often accompany episodes of low back pain (LBP). Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) has been used to measure ES and GM muscle thickness, however such measurements have not been compared in individuals with and without LBP. OBJECTIVES: To compare ES and GM muscle thickness and change in thickness utilizing RUSI in individuals with and without LBP. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparison. METHODS: A volunteer sample of 60 adults with (n = 30) and without (n = 30) LBP was examined. Thickness measurements of the ES and GM at rest and during contraction were obtained by using RUSI during a single session. Statistical comparison was performed using ANCOVA. The demographic variable age was used as a covariate in the primary comparative analysis. RESULTS: Mean difference for age between groups was 5.4 years (95% CI: 1.85, 8.94, p = 0.004). Average ODI score was 32.33±6.58 and pain level of 5.39±0.73 over the last 24 h in the symptomatic group. There was a statistically significant difference in the percent thickness change in both the ES, mean difference = -3.46 (95% CI: -6.71, -0.21, p = 0.039) and GM, mean difference = -1.93 (95% CI: -3.85, -0.01, p = 0.049) muscles between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with LBP may have reduced percent thickness change of the ES and GM muscles when compared to asymptomatic individuals.

Gluteus Maximus Distal Myotendinous Junction Tear in a Pickleball Player: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT: A 72-year-old male presented for evaluation of a 2-wk history left buttock pain that began while playing pickleball. He sustained a left inversion ankle sprain while in a squatted position and landed on his left buttock. Four days after his injury, he developed extensive bruising involving his lower back, buttock, and left thigh. On examination, he had tenderness to palpation at the left side of the sacrum and in the region of the deep external rotators. Left hip range of motion was full in extension but limited to 90° of flexion, which reproduced left-sided buttock pain. External rotation provoked pain, but internal rotation was full and pain free. MRI of the pelvis demonstrated a grade 2 partial thickness tear of the left gluteus maximus muscle at its distal myotendinous junction with associated retraction and intramuscular hematoma. He was managed with compression with biking shorts, icing, acetaminophen, and physical therapy. He returned to pickleball approximately 4 wk after his injury, and at his 4-wk follow-up, he reported 99% improvement in his symptoms with the only remaining complaint being minimal discomfort with gluteal stretching.

Introducing an innovative surgical technique: gluteal turnover flap for posterior vaginal wall reconstruction: a case series.

Four patients with rectal cancer required reconstruction of a defect of the posterior vaginal wall. All patients received neoadjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy, followed by an en bloc (abdomino)perineal resection of the rectum and posterior vaginal wall. The extent of the vaginal defect necessitated closure using a tissue flap with skin island. The gluteal turnover flap was used for this purpose as an alternative to conventional more invasive myocutaneous flaps (gracilis, gluteus, or rectus abdominis). The gluteal turnover flap was created through a curved incision at a maximum width of 2.5 cm from the edge of the perineal wound, thereby creating a half-moon shape skin island. The subcutaneous fat was dissected toward the gluteal muscle, and the gluteal fascia was incised. Thereafter, the flap was rotated into the defect and the skin island was sutured into the vaginal wall defect. The contralateral subcutaneous fat was mobilized for perineal closure in the midline, after which no donor site was visible.The duration of surgery varied from 77 to 392 min, and the hospital stay ranged between 3 and 16 days. A perineal wound dehiscence occurred in two patients, requiring an additional VY gluteal plasty in one patient. Complete vaginal and perineal wound healing was achieved in all patients. The gluteal turnover flap is a promising least invasive technique to reconstruct posterior vaginal wall defects after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer.

[Combined surgeries for secondary chest wall lesions]. / Kombinirovannye operatsii pri vtorichnom porazhenii grudnoi stenki.

The authors present treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma of the gluteal region with secondary lesion of the lung and chest wall. Features of chest wall defect closure are analyzed.

Anatomical Proximity Between Sciatic Nerve and Ischial Spine and its Relationship to the Development of Deep Gluteal Pain Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Deep gluteal syndrome (DGS) is a medical diagnosis in which the pathoanatomy of the subgluteal space contributes to pain. The growing recognition that gluteal neuropathies can be associated with the presence of a bone-neural conflict with irritation or compression may allow us to shed some light on this pathology. This study aims to determine whether the location of the sciatic nerve (SN) in relation to the ischial spine (IS) contributes to the development of DGS. METHODS: The SN - IS relationship was analyzed based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 15 surgical patients (SPs), who underwent piriformis release, and in 30 control patients who underwent MRI of the pelvis for reasons unrelated to sciatica. The SN exit from the greater sciatic foramen was classified as either zone A (medial to the IS); zone B (on the IS); or zone C (lateral to the IS). RESULTS: The SN was significantly closer to the IS in SPs than in MRI controls (P = 0.014). When analyzing patients of similar age, SNs in SPs were significantly closer (P = 0.0061) to the IS, and located in zone B significantly more (P = 0.0216) as compared to MRI controls. Patients who underwent surgery for piriformis release showed a significant decrease in pain postoperatively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study suggest that the relationship between the IS and SN may play a role in the development of DGS. This may also help establish which patients would benefit more from surgical intervention.

Aggressive angiomyxoma of female pelvis and perineum: Retrospective study of 17 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Aggressive angiomyxoma is an uncommon mesenchymal neoplasm characterized by a high recurrence rate, usually observed in the lower genital tract of women during their reproductive age. STUDY DESIGN: Seventeen cases of aggressive angiomyxoma confirmed by pathology from January 2007 to December 2021 in Beijing Chao-yang Hospital were included. We collected clinical data and summarized the clinical and immunohistochemical features. RESULTS: All seventeen included patients were females, aged between 23 and 57 years (mean, 37.7 years; median, 42 years). Fourteen patients were newly diagnosed and three were recurrent. The tumors were located in vulva (58.8 %), vagina (23.5 %), buttock (11.8 %), and cervix (5.9 %). The tumors size were 2 to 15 cm in greatest dimension (mean 8 ± 4.4 cm, median 6 cm). Follow-up data was available for nine patients, which ranged from 25 to 124 months (mean, 82 months; median, 80 months). At the end of follow-up, no other recurrence or metastasis was reported. Immunohistochemical analysis showed immunoreactive for estrogen (10/11) and progesterone (8/11) receptor, desmin (6/8), smooth muscle actin (4/10), and vimentin (4/4), S-100 (1/8) and CD34 (1/7). The Ki67 level was less than 5 % in five cases. CONCLUSIONS: AAM is a hormone-sensitive, distinct rare mesenchymal neoplasm with high incidence of local recurrence. Surgery is the preferred treatment, with complete resection being an essential prerequisite for minimizing the risk of recurrence.