Severity of rotator cuff disorders and additional load affect fluoroscopy-based shoulder kinematics during arm abduction.

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff disorders, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, may result in abnormal shoulder kinematics (scapular rotation and glenohumeral translation). This study aimed to investigate the effect of rotator cuff tears on in vivo shoulder kinematics during a 30° loaded abduction test using single-plane fluoroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 25 younger controls, 25 older controls and 25 patients with unilateral symptomatic rotator cuff tears participated in this study. Both shoulders of each participant were analysed and grouped on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging into healthy, rotator cuff tendinopathy, asymptomatic and symptomatic rotator cuff tears. All participants performed a bilateral 30° arm abduction and adduction movement in the scapular plane with handheld weights (0, 2 and 4 kg) during fluoroscopy acquisition. The range of upward-downward scapular rotation and superior-inferior glenohumeral translation were measured and analysed during abduction and adduction using a linear mixed model (loads, shoulder types) with random effects (shoulder ID). RESULTS: Scapular rotation was greater in shoulders with rotator cuff tendinopathy and asymptomatic rotator cuff tears than in healthy shoulders. Additional load increased upward during abduction and downward during adduction scapular rotation (P < 0.001 in all groups but rotator cuff tendinopathy). In healthy shoulders, upward scapular rotation during 30° abduction increased from 2.3° with 0-kg load to 4.1° with 4-kg load and on shoulders with symptomatic rotator cuff tears from 3.6° with 0-kg load to 6.5° with 4-kg load. Glenohumeral translation was influenced by the handheld weights only in shoulders with rotator cuff tendinopathy (P ≤ 0.020). Overall, superior glenohumeral translation during 30° abduction was approximately 1.0 mm with all loads. CONCLUSIONS: The results of glenohumeral translation comparable to control but greater scapular rotations during 30° abduction in the scapular plane in rotator cuff tears indicate that the scapula compensates for rotator cuff deficiency by rotating. Further analysis of load-dependent joint stability is needed to better understand glenohumeral and scapula motion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the regional ethics committee (Ethics Committee Northwest Switzerland EKNZ 2021-00182), and the study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov on 29 March 2021 (trial registration number NCT04819724, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04819724 ).

The influence of rotator cuff tear type and weight bearing on shoulder biomechanics in an ex vivo simulator experiment.

Glenohumeral biomechanics after rotator cuff (RC) tears have not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the muscle compensatory mechanism in weight-bearing shoulders with RC tears and asses the induced pathomechanics (i.e., glenohumeral translation, joint instability, center of force (CoF), joint reaction force). An experimental, glenohumeral simulator with muscle-mimicking cable system was used to simulate 30° scaption motion. Eight fresh-frozen shoulders were prepared and mounted in the simulator. Specimen-specific scapular anthropometry was used to test six RC tear types, with intact RC serving as the control, and three weight-bearing loads, with the non-weight-bearing condition serving as the control. Glenohumeral translation was calculated using instantaneous helical axis. CoF, muscle forces, and joint reaction forces were measured using force sensors integrated into the simulator. Linear mixed effects models (RC tear type and weight-bearing) with random effects (specimen and sex) were used to assess differences in glenohumeral biomechanics. RC tears did not change the glenohumeral translation (p > 0.05) but shifted the CoF superiorly (p ≤ 0.005). Glenohumeral translation and joint reaction forces increased with increasing weight bearing (p < 0.001). RC and deltoid muscle forces increased with the presence of RC tears (p ≤ 0.046) and increased weight bearing (p ≤ 0.042). The synergistic muscles compensated for the torn RC tendons, and the glenohumeral translation remained comparable to that for the intact RC tendons. However, in RC tears, the more superior CoF was close to where glenoid erosion occurs in RC tear patients with secondary osteoarthritis. These findings underscore the importance of early detection and precise management of RC tears.

Fully automatic algorithm for detecting and tracking anatomical shoulder landmarks on fluoroscopy images with artificial intelligence.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with rotator cuff tears present often with glenohumeral joint instability. Assessing anatomic angles and shoulder kinematics from fluoroscopy requires labelling of specific landmarks in each image. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence model for automatic landmark detection from fluoroscopic images for motion tracking of the scapula and humeral head. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fluoroscopic images were acquired for both shoulders of 25 participants (N = 12 patients with unilateral rotator cuff tear, 6 men, mean (standard deviation) age: 63.7 ± 9.7 years; 13 asymptomatic subjects, 7 men, 58.2 ± 8.9 years) during a 30° arm abduction and adduction movement in the scapular plane with and without handheld weights of 2 and 4 kg. A 3D full-resolution convolutional neural network (nnU-Net) was trained to automatically locate five landmarks (glenohumeral joint centre, humeral shaft, inferior and superior edges of the glenoid and most lateral point of the acromion) and a calibration sphere. RESULTS: The nnU-Net was trained with ground-truth data from 6021 fluoroscopic images of 40 shoulders and tested with 1925 fluoroscopic images of 10 shoulders. The automatic landmark detection algorithm achieved an accuracy above inter-rater variability and slightly below intra-rater variability. All landmarks and the calibration sphere were located within 1.5 mm, except the humeral landmark within 9.6 mm, but differences in abduction angles were within 1°. CONCLUSION: The proposed algorithm detects the desired landmarks on fluoroscopic images with sufficient accuracy and can therefore be applied to automatically assess shoulder motion, scapular rotation or glenohumeral translation in the scapular plane. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This nnU-net algorithm facilitates efficient and objective identification and tracking of anatomical landmarks on fluoroscopic images necessary for measuring clinically relevant anatomical configuration (e.g. critical shoulder angle) and enables investigation of dynamic glenohumeral joint stability in pathological shoulders. KEY POINTS: • Anatomical configuration and glenohumeral joint stability are often a concern after rotator cuff tears. • Artificial intelligence applied to fluoroscopic images helps to identify and track anatomical landmarks during dynamic movements. • The developed automatic landmark detection algorithm optimised the labelling procedures and is suitable for clinical application.

Health professionals who have worked in COVID-19 immunization centers suffer the effects of violence.

Background: The phenomenon violence against health professionals has received increasing attention in recent years because of its frequency and significant impact on victims' mental health and disruption of health services. Despite this attention, little is known about the incidence of workplace violence in the highly politicized immunization services. Therefore, we decided to examine the prevalence of workplace violence in the COVID-19 immunization campaign, the risk and protective factors, and the impact on victims' mental health. Methods: Between March and April 2022, we conducted an anonymous online survey among health professionals working in COVID-19 vaccination centers in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region (Italy). We used the Questionnaire for Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Results: Of the 200 participants, 93 (46.5%) reported being victims of an act of violence during the vaccination campaign, 60 of them verbally and 7 physically. In 35.5% of cases, the IES score indicated a possible post-traumatic stress reaction in the victim. Opinions on measures to prevent violence and support workers in the workplace differed according to the sex of the health professional, with women emphasizing the need for self-defense training and improvement of security arrangements (p < 0.001). Conclusion: One-third of health professionals involved in the COVID-19 immunization campaign reported that their mental health was affected by workplace violence. Public health professionals dealing with politicized and debated issues such as immunization should receive more attention, as should the implementation of a more structured and multidisciplinary approach to the problem within healthcare organizations.

Load-induced increase in muscle activity during 30° abduction in patients with rotator cuff tears and control subjects.

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff muscles stabilise the glenohumeral joint and contribute to the initial abduction phase with other shoulder muscles. This study aimed to determine if the load-induced increase in shoulder muscle activity during a 30° abduction test is influenced by asymptomatic or symptomatic rotator cuff pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with unilateral rotator cuff tears (age, 64.3 ± 10.2 years), 25 older control subjects (55.4 ± 8.2 years) and 25 younger control subjects (26.1 ± 2.3 years) participated in this study. Participants performed a bilateral 30° arm abduction and adduction movement in the scapular plane with handheld weights (0-4 kg). Activity of the deltoid, infraspinatus, biceps brachii, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and upper trapezius muscles was analysed at maximum abduction angle after normalisation to maximum voluntary contraction. Shoulders were classified into rotator cuff tendinopathy, asymptomatic and symptomatic rotator cuff tears, and healthy based on magnetic resonance images. A linear mixed model (loads, shoulder types) with random effects (shoulder identification) was applied to the log-transformed muscle activities. RESULTS: Muscle activity increased with increasing load in all muscles and shoulder types (P < 0.001), and 1-kg increments in additional weights were significant (P < 0.001). Significant effects of rotator cuff pathologies were found for all muscles analysed (P < 0.05). In all muscles, activity was at least 20% higher in symptomatic rotator cuff tears than in healthy shoulders (P < 0.001). Symptomatic rotator cuff tears showed 20-32% higher posterior deltoid (P < 0.05) and 19-25% higher pectoralis major (P < 0.01) activity when compared with asymptomatic tears. CONCLUSIONS: Rotator cuff pathologies are associated with greater relative activity of shoulder muscles, even with low levels of additional load. Therefore, the inclusion of loaded shoulder tests in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of rotator cuff pathologies can provide important insight into the functional status of shoulders and can be used to guide treatment decisions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the regional ethics committee (Ethics Committee Northwest Switzerland EKNZ 2021-00182), and the study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov on 29 March 2021 (trial registration number NCT04819724, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04819724 ).

Ex vivo experimental strategies for assessing unconstrained shoulder biomechanics: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Biomechanical studies of the shoulder often choose an ex vivo approach, especially when investigating the active and passive contribution of individual muscles. Although various simulators of the glenohumeral joint and its muscles have been developed, to date a testing standard has not been established. The objective of this scoping review was to present an overview of methodological and experimental studies describing ex vivo simulators that assess unconstrained, muscular driven shoulder biomechanics. METHODS: All studies with ex vivo or mechanical simulation experiments using an unconstrained glenohumeral joint simulator and active components mimicking the muscles were included in this scoping review. Static experiments and humeral motion imposed through an external guide, e.g., a robotic device, were excluded. RESULTS: Nine different glenohumeral simulators were identified in 51 studies after the screening process. We identified four control strategies characterized by: (a) using a primary loader to determine the secondary loaders with constant force ratios; (b) using variable muscle force ratios according to electromyography; (c) calibrating the muscle path profile and control each motor according to this profile; or (d) using muscle optimization. CONCLUSION: The simulators with the control strategy (b) (n = 1) or (d) (n = 2) appear most promising due to its capability to mimic physiological muscle loads.

Test-retest reliability of isometric shoulder muscle strength during abduction and rotation tasks measured using the Biodex dynamometer.

BACKGROUND: The Constant score (CS) is often used clinically to assess shoulder function and includes a muscle strength assessment only for abduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of isometric shoulder muscle strength during various positions of abduction and rotation with the Biodex dynamometer and to determine their correlation with the strength assessment of the CS. METHODS: Ten young healthy subjects participated in this study. Isometric shoulder muscle strength was measured during 3 repetitions for abduction at 10° and 30° abduction in the scapular plane (with extended elbow and hand in neutral position) and for internal and external rotation (with the arm at 15° abduction in the scapular plane and elbow flexed at 90°). Muscle strength tests with the Biodex dynamometer were measured in 2 different sessions. The CS was acquired only in the first session. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence interval, limits of agreement, and paired t tests for repeated tests of each abduction and rotation task were calculated. Pearson's correlation between the strength parameter of the CS and isometric muscle strength was investigated. RESULTS: Muscle strength did not differ between tests (P > .05) with good to very good reliabilities for abduction at 10° and 30°, external rotation and internal rotation (ICC >0.7 for all). A moderate correlation of the strength parameter of the CS with all isometric shoulder strength parameters was observed (r > 0.5 for all). CONCLUSION: Shoulder muscle strength for abduction and rotation measured with the Biodex dynamometer are reproducible and correlate with the strength assessment of the CS. Therefore, these isometric muscle strength tests can be further employed to investigate the effect of different shoulder joint pathology on muscle strength. These measurements consider a more comprehensive functionality of the rotator cuff than the single strength evaluation in abduction within the CS as both abduction and rotation are assessed. Potentially, this would allow for a more precise differentiation between the various outcomes of rotator cuff tears.

Load-Induced Glenohumeral Translation After Rotator Cuff Tears: Protocol for an In Vivo Study.

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tears are a common shoulder injury, but they sometimes remain undiagnosed, as symptoms can be limited. Altered shoulder biomechanics can lead to secondary damage and degeneration. In biomechanical analyses, the shoulder (ie, the glenohumeral joint) is normally idealized as a ball-and-socket joint, even though a translation is often observed clinically. To date, no conclusive changes in glenohumeral translation have been reported in patients with rotator cuff tears, and it is unknown how an additional handheld weight that is comparable to those used during daily activities will affect glenohumeral translations in patients with rotator cuff tears. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the load-induced glenohumeral translation (liTr) in patients with rotator cuff tears and its association with the load-induced changes in muscle activation (liMA). METHODS: Patients and asymptomatic controls will be recruited. Participants will fill out health questionnaires and perform 30° arm abduction and adduction trials, during which they will hold different handheld weights of a maximum of 4 kg while motion capture and electromyographic data are collected. In addition, fluoroscopic images of the shoulders will be taken for the same movements. Isometric shoulder muscle strength for abduction and rotation will be assessed with a dynamometer. Finally, shoulder magnetic resonance images will be acquired to assess muscle status and injury presence. The dose-response relationship between additional weight, liTr, and liMA will be evaluated. RESULTS: Recruitment and data collection began in May 2021, and they will last until the recruitment target is achieved. Data collection is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. As of November 2022, data processing and analysis are in progress, and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2023. CONCLUSIONS: This study will aid our understanding of biological variations in liTr, the influence of disease pathology on liTr, the potential compensation of rotator cuff tears by muscle activation and size, and the association between liTr and patient outcomes. The outcomes will be relevant for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation planning in patients with rotator cuff tears. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04819724; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04819724. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/43769.

Reliability of the Fluoroscopic Assessment of Load-Induced Glenohumeral Translation during a 30° Shoulder Abduction Test.

Rotator cuff tears are often linked to superior translational instability, but a thorough understanding of glenohumeral motion is lacking. This study aimed to assess the reliability of fluoroscopically measured glenohumeral translation during a shoulder abduction test. Ten patients with rotator cuff tears participated in this study. Fluoroscopic images were acquired during 30° abduction and adduction in the scapular plane with and without handheld weights of 2 kg and 4 kg. Images were labelled by two raters, and inferior-superior glenohumeral translation was calculated. During abduction, glenohumeral translation (mean (standard deviation)) ranged from 3.3 (2.2) mm for 0 kg to 4.1 (1.8) mm for 4 kg, and from 2.3 (1.5) mm for 0 kg to 3.8 (2.2) mm for 4 kg for the asymptomatic and symptomatic sides, respectively. For the translation range, moderate to good interrater (intra-class correlation coefficient ICC [95% confidence interval (CI)]; abduction: 0.803 [0.691; 0.877]; adduction: 0.705 [0.551; 0.813]) and intrarater reliabilities (ICC [95% CI]; abduction: 0.817 [0.712; 0.887]; adduction: 0.688 [0.529; 0.801]) were found. Differences in the translation range between the repeated measurements were not statistically significant (mean difference, interrater: abduction, -0.1 mm, p = 0.686; adduction, -0.1 mm, p = 0.466; intrarater: abduction 0.0 mm, p = 0.888; adduction, 0.2 mm, p = 0.275). This method is suitable for measuring inferior-superior glenohumeral translation in the scapular plane.

Ex-vivo experimental strategies for assessing unconstrained shoulder biomechanics: a scoping review protocol.

Background: Shoulder biomechanics cannot be measured directly in living persons. While different glenohumeral joint simulators have been developed to investigate the role of the glenohumeral muscles in shoulder biomechanics, a standard for these simulators has not been defined. With this scoping review we want to describe available ex-vivo experimental strategies for assessing unconstrained shoulder biomechanics. Objective: The scoping review aims at identifying methodological and/or experimental studies describing or involving ex-vivo simulators that assess unconstrained shoulder biomechanics and synthesizing their strengths and limitations. Inclusion criteria: All unconstrained glenohumeral joint simulators published in connection with ex-vivo or mechanical simulation experiments will be included. Studies on glenohumeral simulators with active components to mimic the muscles will be included. We will exclude studies where the experiment is static or the motion is induced through an external guide, e.g., a robotic device. Methods: We will perform database searching in PubMed, Embase via Elsevier and Web of Science. Two reviewers will independently assess full texts of selected abstracts. Direct backward and forward citation tracking on included articles will be conducted. We will narratively synthesize the results and derive recommendations for designing ex-vivo simulators for assessing unconstrained shoulder biomechanics.

Individualized prediction of pedicle screw fixation strength with a finite element model.

Pedicle screws are used for the treatment of a wide variety of spinal pathologies. A good screw holding power in bone is required for treatment success, but has so far not been predictable computationally. The goal of this study was to develop an automated tool able to predict patient-specific screw fixation strength through finite element simulation. We compared the simulation results with results from biomechanical pull-out tests performed on animal lumbar specimens. Experimental and simulation pull-out strengths were highly correlated [Formula: see text] and the mean error was 20.25%. The fixation strength was also associated to great extent with pull-out stiffness and strain energy, as well as the screw size and mean vertebral density.

Group A streptococcal meningitis: a case report.

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus, GAS) is a rare cause of bacterial meningitis, accounting for less than 1% of cases. GAS meningitis has rarely been reported in children, and is associated with a high (46%) rate of morbidity and a high (10-17%) case fatality rate. This paper describes a case of meningitis caused by GAS in a previously healthy child; M protein genotyping demonstrated an emm type 12. Although not common, GAS meningitis must be considered in children vaccinated for other invasive pathogens. Continuous monitoring of the molecular epidemiology of circulating invasive GAS strains is of crucial importance for planning intervention policies.

Association between the JC polyomavirus infection and male infertility.

In recent years the incidence of male infertility has increased. Many risk factors have been taken into consideration, including viral infections. Investigations into viral agents and male infertility have mainly been focused on human papillomaviruses, while no reports have been published on polyomaviruses and male infertility. The aim of this study was to verify whether JC virus and BK virus are associated with male infertility. Matched semen and urine samples from 106 infertile males and 100 fertile males, as controls, were analyzed. Specific PCR analyses were carried out to detect and quantify large T (Tag) coding sequences of JCV and BKV. DNA sequencing, carried out in Tag JCV-positive samples, was addressed to viral protein 1 (VP1) coding sequences. The prevalence of JCV Tag sequences in semen and urine samples from infertile males was 34% (72/212), whereas the BKV prevalence was 0.94% (2/212). Specifically, JCV Tag sequences were detected in 24.5% (26/106) of semen and 43.4% (46/106) of urine samples from infertile men. In semen and urine samples from controls the prevalence was 11% and 28%, respectively. A statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in JCV prevalence was disclosed in semen and urine samples of cases vs. controls. A higher JC viral DNA load was detected in samples from infertile males than in controls. In samples from infertile males the JC virus type 2 strain, subtype 2b, was more prevalent than ubiquitous type 1. JCV type 2 strain infection has been found to be associated with male infertility. These data suggest that the JC virus should be taken into consideration as an infectious agent which is responsible for male infertility.