How to initiate and develop Fracture Liaison Services (FLS). Recommendations from the IOF Capture the Fracture® FLS Mentors in Brazil.

Expected number of fragility fractures in Brazil, raising the healthcare prioritization for interventions that reduce fracture risk. An FLS is dedicated to managing patient with fragility fracture to reduce risk of another fracture. We review FLSs cost-effectiveness and describe key components to effectively set up FLS in Brazil. PURPOSE: To create a guideline to show health professionals, hospital managers, and stakeholders in Brazil the importance of secondary fracture prevention and how to implement a Fracture Liaison Service. METHODS: We review the cost-effectiveness for FLSs in Brazil. We describe the key components needed to set up an effective FLS including methods for identification, investigation, treatment indication, including bone drugs, supplementation, physical activity, fall prevention, and monitoring. The staffing of FLSs, value of regional clinical networks and quality improvement are also described as a guide for healthcare professionals and decision makers in Brazil. RESULTS: An FLS is a service dedicated to identifying, assessing, recommending treatment, and monitoring patient who present with a fragility fracture reducing the risk of another fracture. FLS has been implemented in Brazil since 2012 overcoming a large geography and a complex health system. Even the limitations, restrictions, differences, and characteristics of each region, it is possible for health institutions to initiate an FLS, adapted to own available resources and meet the stages of identification, investigation, treatment, and monitoring. CONCLUSION: The peculiarity of the Brazilian healthcare system means FLS implementation needs to be tailored to local reality. However, even with limitations, any attempt to capture patients who suffer a fracture due to bone fragility is effective and reduces the risk of further fractures.

Motor cortex transcranial direct current stimulation effects on knee osteoarthritis pain in elderly subjects with dysfunctional descending pain inhibitory system: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although evidence has indicated a positive effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on reducing pain, few studies have focused on the elderly population with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether tDCS reduces KOA pain in elderly individuals with a dysfunctional descending pain inhibitory system (DPIS). METHODS: In a double-blind trial, individuals ≥ 60 years with KOA pain and a dysfunctional DPIS, we randomly assigned patients to receive 15 daily sessions of 2 mA tDCS over the primary motor cortex (anode) and contralateral supraorbital area (cathode) (M1-SO) for 20 min or sham tDCS. Change in pain perception indexed by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) at the end of intervention was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included: disability, quantitative sensory testing, pain pressure threshold and conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Subjects were followed-up for 2 months. RESULTS: Of the 104 enrolled subjects, with mean (SD) age of 73.9 (8.01) years and 88 (84.6%) female, 102 finished the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the active tDCS group had a significantly greater reduction in BPI compared to the sham group (difference, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.95 to 2.23; P < 0.001; Cohen's d, 0.58); and, also a significantly greater improvement in CPM-pressure in the knee (P = 0.01) and CPM-pain in the hand (P = 0.01). These effects were not sustained at follow-up. The intervention was well tolerated, with no severe adverse effects. CONCLUSION: M1-SO tDCS is associated with a moderate effect size in reducing pain in elderly patients with KOA after 15 daily sessions of stimulation. This intervention has also shown to modulate the DPIS.

Risk factors of pain, physical function, and health-related quality of life in elderly people with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional study.

Data on the precise mechanisms of the complex interactions of factors related to clinical impact of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in the elderly population remain limited. To find predictors that explain pain intensity, physical function, and quality of life in elderly KOA subjects, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline data from a randomized trial. The trial included 104 subjects (aged ≥60) with KOA pain and dysfunctional endogenous pain-inhibitory system activity assessed by conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Three multiple linear regression models were performed to understand the independent predictors of Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), WOMAC function subscale (WOMACFunc), and SF-12 physical subscale (SF12-PCS). Model 1 showed that BPI pain score was predicted by low CPM response, high von-Frey light touch threshold, worse radiological severity as indexed by Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KL), high von-Frey punctate pain intensity and high levels of anxiety (adjusted R2 = 27.1%, F (6,95) = 7.27, P < 0.0001). In model 2, von-Frey light touch threshold, KL, depressive symptoms indexed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), level of sleepiness and pain pressure threshold were risk factors for SF12-PCS (adjusted R2 = 31.9%, F (5,96) = 10.5, P < 0.0001). Finally, model 3 showed that WOMACFunc was predicted by BDI, KL and BPI (adjusted R2 = 41%, F (3,98) = 24.42, P < 0.0001). Our data provides an interesting framework to understand the predictors of KOA pain in the elderly and highlights how its related outcomes are affected by disease-specific factors, somatosensory dysfunction and emotional factors.

Queda em idosos: tradução, adaptação transcultural e validação do teste de rastreio Q22-p / Falls in the elderly: translation, transcultural adaptation and validation of the test Q22-p

Traduzir, adaptar transculturalmente para o Brasil e analisar as propriedades psicométricas da versão brasileira do "Teste de rastreio do risco de queda no idoso" (Simple screening test for risk of falls in the elderly - "Q22").Métodos: Realizada a tradução e adaptação transcultural do "Q22". Selecionados idosos da comunidade, 60 anos ou mais, e apurados dados sociodemográficos, uso de medicações e queda no ultimo ano. Aplicada a versão brasileira do instrumento; Q22-p, visando a sua validação e análise de suas propriedades de medidas. Dois entrevistadores o aplicaram num mesmo dia e, após 15 dias, realizada nova aplicação por um dos entrevistadores. O TUGT e FRT também foram obtidos.Resultado: Amostra composta por 51 indivíduos, idade média 74,5 anos, principalmente mulheres, brancas, casadas e com baixa escolaridade. A frequência de queda no último ano foi 33%. Obteve-se uma ótima confiabilidade do Q22-p no Teste ANOVA de medidas repetidas (p=0,938) e no Índice de Correlação Intraclasses (96%; p<0.001). Na validação, apuradas correlações significativas do Q22-p com o TUGT e o FRT, segundo o Coeficiente de Correlação de Pearson, sendo regulares as correlações em ambos os testes, respectivamente, 38,2% (regular/baixa; p<0,001) e 55,1% (p=0,006). Obteve-se a curva ROC para o Q22-p e o escore 6,5 foi visto como o melhor ponto de corte no diagnóstico do risco de queda no idoso...