Immediate effects of Kinesio taping in carpal tunnel syndrome: A randomized controlled double-blind ultrasonographic study.

BACKGROUND: The effects of Kinesio taping (KT) in carpal tunnel syndrome are controversial. PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine whether KT has any effect on the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and median nerve measurements and to compare the effects of two different KT applications. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, double-blinded, randomized trial. This study was prospectively registered on the clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05475197). A total of 34 wrists (21 patients) who were clinically and electrophysiologically diagnosed with mild/moderate carpal tunnel syndrome were randomly divided into two KT intervention groups (group 1: neural technique and area correction technique and group 2: area correction technique). METHODS: At baseline and immediately after the removal of KT (48 hours), pain was assessed with visual analog scale, hand grip strength with a hand-held dynamometer, and pinch strength using a pinch meter. Likewise, using ultrasound, skin and subcutaneous tissue thicknesses, median nerve cross-sectional area and flattening ratio, as well as median nerve depth were measured at the carpal tunnel inlet and outlet levels. RESULTS: While there was significant improvement in the pain scores (compared to the baseline) immediately after the KT in both groups (group 1: p = 0.03, ηp2 = 0.44; group 2: p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.71), there was no difference in between (p = 0.07, ηp2 = 0.10). Grip strength significantly increased only in group 2 (p = 0.01, ηp2 = 0.35). None of the sonographic measurements displayed significant difference either within or between groups at baseline and after KT (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: While pain scores improved after KT, they were not coupled with any morphologic changes assessed by ultrasound.

Ultrasound assessment of talar cartilage thickness measurements in asymptomatic subjects with pes planus and its relationship with anthropometric parameters.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with pes planus may have alterations in talar cartilage thickness due to changes in lower extremity alignment. The aim of this study was to measure the talar cartilage thickness of subjects with pes planus and compare the results with those of healthy controls. Another aim of the present study was to evaluate its relationship with anthropometric foot parameters. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 48 individuals (16 males and 32 females) in the pes planus group and 48 individuals in the healthy control group (14 males and 34 females) based on the Navicular Drop (ND) test and the Foot Posture Index (FPI). Talar cartilage thickness (TCT) was measured with ultrasound. Anthropometric foot parameters of the individuals, such as foot length and foot width, were evaluated using a podoscope. RESULTS: TCT was higher in participants with pes planus compared to the control group (dominant side, p = 0.006; non-dominant side, p = 0.002). Foot width and length were similar in both groups for the dominant and non-dominant feet (p > 0.05). TCT on the dominant foot was positively correlated with the FPI score (r = 0.205, p = 0.045), ND score (r = 0.297, p = 0.003), foot width (r = 0.244, p = 0.017) and foot length (r = 0.253, p = 0.013). On the other hand, TCT on the non-dominant side was positively correlated with the FPI score (r = 0.235, p = 0.021), ND score (r = 0.363, p < 0.001), foot width (r = 0.270, p = 0.008) and length (r = 0.303, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The talar cartilage of patients with pes planus seems to be thicker, and this is generally related to body weight, body mass index, foot anthropometrics, and posture characteristics. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic comparative study.

Pulmonary Functions in Patients With Chronic Neck Pain: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate pulmonary functions of patients with chronic neck pain and compare them with those of asymptomatic controls. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted with 25 patients with chronic neck pain (age, 26.84 ± 7.89 years) and 27 age-matched asymptomatic controls (age, 25.96 ± 7.13 years). Pulmonary function tests were performed using spirometry (Quark PFT, COSMED, Rome, Italy). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, maximum voluntary ventilation, and the FEV1/FVC ratio were measured and are expressed as (%) predicted value for patients with chronic neck pain and asymptomatic controls. RESULTS: The chronic neck pain group had lower FEV1 (P = .015), FVC (P = .029), forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% vital capacity (P = .040), and maximum voluntary ventilation (P = .042) compared with asymptomatic controls; however, FEV1/FVC (P = .470) and peak expiratory flow (P = .183) were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that dynamic lung volumes were lower in patients with chronic neck pain compared with asymptomatic controls.

Arthroscopic Bankart repair improves upper limb exercise capacity, shoulder function and quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Anterior glenohumeral instability is an important cause of shoulder disability. The aim of the present study was to investigate arm exercise capacity in patients with anterior glenohumeral instability before and after arthroscopic Bankart repair and to compare the results with those of healthy controls. METHODS: The patient group included a total of 11 males between the ages of 18 and 40 years. The control group consisted of 13 healthy males with an age range of 23 to 41 years. An incremental arm crank exercise test was performed to determine upper limb exercise capacity, as expressed by peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). The shoulder function of the patients was evaluated by the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI), and the quality of life was assessed with the Short Form-36 (SF-36). All evaluations were performed preoperatively, and at the postop 3rd and 6th months. RESULTS: The patient group had lower VO2peak and exhaustion duration at the preoperative assessment (p = 0.025 and p = 0.007, respectively). SF-36 domains were lower in patients (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in VO2peak between preoperative and postop 6th-month measurements and between postop 3rd and 6th-month measurements (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The total WOSI score increased from preoperative 50.27% to 57.77% at the postop 3rd month, and to 65.56% at the final follow-up. Although improvements were detected in all SF-36 domains at postop follow-ups, they were not statistically significant except role limitations due to the physical problems domain (p = 0.006). There were no significant differences between controls and patients at the postop 3rd and 6th months with regard to exercise test parameters except the peak rating of perceived exertion. DISCUSSION: Shoulder function, exercise capacity, and quality of life were lower in the patient group and improved after arthroscopic Bankart repair. Clinicians should use the exercise capacity assessment for the evaluation of the recovery of shoulder function after providing stabilization.

Fatty infiltration and morphology of cervical muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Changes in the fatty infiltration and/or muscle volume of neck muscles can alter cervical spine alignment and cranial load distribution, which may cause pain in the orofacial region. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the muscle volume and fatty infiltration of neck muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This case-control study included 18 patients with TMD and 18 ageand sex-matched controls. The muscle volume and fatty infiltration of the neck muscles of the participants were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ITK-SNAP software. The 3D models of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), splenius capitis (SPLC), semispinalis cervicis (SC)-semispinalis capitis (SCP), and multifidus (M) muscles within the C3-C7 range were created using ITK-SNAP, a semi-automatic segmentation software. The models were used to determine the volumes and fatty infiltration levels. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used to assess neck pain-related disability. The severity of TMD was determined using the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI), while jaw-related disability was measured with the Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-20 (JFLS-20). Pain levels were recorded at rest and during chewing using the numeric rating scale (NRS). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in total muscle volume, fatty infiltration volume and fatty infiltration percentage of the SCM, SPLC, SCP, SC, and M muscles between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). The patient group had higher NDI scores compared to the controls (p < 0.001). The NDI scores correlated positively with the JFLS-20 (r = 0.831, p < 0.001), FAI (r = 0.815, p < 0.001) and NRS scores at rest (r = 0.753, p < 0.001) and during chewing (r = 0.686, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present study did not identify any significant differences in the neck muscle volume or fatty infiltration between the TMD patients and controls. However, the severity of neck disability was found to correlate with jaw function, pain and TMD levels.

The effects of arm crank training on aerobic capacity, physical performance, quality of life, and health-related disability in patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Aerobic exercise training contributes to improvement of cardiopulmonary capacity, mobility, neurological function, and quality of life. AIMS: To investigate the effects of arm crank ergometer training on aerobic capacity, quality of life, and Parkinson's disease (PD)-related disability METHODS: Seventeen patients with PD were recruited to study. Assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of an 8-week arm crank ergometer (ACE) training program (3 days/week; 1 h per session, 50-70% VO2peak) with patients acting as their own control. Outcome measures included aerobic capacity assessment, 6-min walk test (6MWT), timed up and go test (TUG), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), Beck Depression Index (BDI), the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). RESULTS: At the end of the study, an increase of 30.49% in aerobic capacity was observed. Statistically significant improvements were found for the 6MWT (p = 0.001), TUG test (p = 0.001), UPDRS total score (p = 0.002), quality of life assessed with PDQ-39 (p = 0.006), BDI (p = 0.001), and FES scores (p = 0.002) after an 8-week ACE training. No significant effect on MoCA was found (p = 0.264). CONCLUSION: An 8-week ACE training led to significant improvement in aerobic capacity, physical performance, and PD-related disabilities.

Ultrasound assessment of distal femoral cartilage thickness measurements after walking/jogging in subjects with pes planus.

BACKGROUND: Because there is a closed kinematic chain between the lower extremity joints during weight-bearing activities, pes planus can affect knee biomechanics. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure distal femoral cartilage thickness with ultrasound after 3 different conditions (at rest, during walking and jogging) in subjects with pes planus and compare these conditions with each other and also with controls. METHOD: Sixteen participants with pes planus(5-men, 11-women; aged 18-30 years) and 16 controls(3-men, 13-women; aged 18-30 years) were enrolled. Distal femoral cartilage thickness was evaluated with ultrasound before and after three separate 30-min conditions. Preferred walking speed (PWS) was determined on the ground. Subjects walked on a treadmill for 30-min at their PWS and jogged 30-min at 30% above their PWS. The Foot Function Index and the Foot-Ankle Outcome Survey were used to evaluate the clinical and functional status of the subjects. RESULTS: Neither PWSs nor jogging speeds were statistically different between groups (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for absolute and percent change of cartilage thickness for all three conditions (p > 0.05). There were also no statistically significant differences between conditions for each intragroup (p > 0.05). The median Foot Function Index score of the subjects with pes planus was 9.78(0-44.35) for the right foot and 9.52(0-40.87) for the left foot. The median the Foot-Ankle Outcome Survey score of the subjects with pes planus was 88(65-100). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in knee joint cartilage deformations under different loading conditions, neither in subjects with pes planus nor in controls.

Temporomandibular dysfunction affects aerobic capacity in females: A preliminary study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the aerobic capacity in patients with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) and to compare the results with those of the asymptomatic individuals.Methods: The TMD group included a total of 31 females between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The control group consisted of 31 asymptomatic females with an age range of 18 to 27 years. A graded exercise test was performed using an electronically braked arm crank ergometer. An indirect calorimeter system was used to calculate the peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). In addition, peak heart rate (HRpeak) and respiratory quotient were calculated for each participant.Results: The TMD group had lower VO2peak (p= 0.017) and HRpeak (p= 0.012) in aerobic capacity tests; however, respiratory quotient was similar in both groups (p= 0.446).Discussion: The TMD group had lower aerobic capacity compared to the asymptomatic individuals.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction improves the metabolic energy cost of level walking at customary speeds.

PURPOSE: The metabolic energy cost of walking is altered by pathological changes in gait. It is thought that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency alters the energy requirement for level walking through its effect on gait pattern. In this study, it is hypothesised that the metabolic energy cost of walking would improve after ACL reconstruction. METHODS: Eight patients who were undergoing ACL reconstruction for an isolated rupture were included in this prospective study. Clinical examinations, Lysholm scores and metabolic tests were performed preoperatively and at 3, 6 and 12 months after ACL reconstruction using autologous quadruple hamstring tendons. For the metabolic evaluation, net oxygen cost was calculated while walking on a treadmill at 50-, 70- and 90-m/min velocities. A two-way factorial ANOVA was performed in order to evaluate the primary effects and interactions of the time point and velocity variables on net oxygen cost. RESULTS: All patients had positive Lachman and anterior drawer tests preoperatively that became negative postoperatively and remained negative until the last follow-up point. The mean preoperative Lysholm score was 66, whereas the mean postoperative follow-up scores were 85, 91 and 94, respectively. The interaction between follow-up time point and velocity was not significant. Regardless of the selected velocity, the net oxygen cost was lower than that at preoperative levels at each postoperative time point (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that the energy cost of level walking in chronic ACL-deficient patients improves after ACL reconstruction. Cause-effect-based studies with correlation evaluations that compare kinetic, kinematic and electromyographic data and metabolic cost calculations should facilitate more accurate analyses. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, Level 4.

An investigation of the changes in mechanical properties of the orofacial and neck muscles between patients with myogenous and mixed temporomandibular disorders.

Objective: To investigate the possible changes in the mechanical properties of the orofacial and neck muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD).Methods: The study included a total of 98 females. Females were divided into three groups as myogenous TMD, mixed TMD, and healthy controls. The frequency (indicator of muscle tone), stiffness, and decrement (related to muscle elasticity) values of the sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius, cervical extensor, and masseter muscles were measured using a portable myotonometer.Results: The frequency, stiffness, and decrement values of the masseter muscle were higher in the mixed and myogenous TMD groups than those of the control group (p < 0.017). The mixed TMD group had higher frequency and stiffness values in the upper trapezius muscle compared with the control group (p < 0.017).Discussion: The results suggest that the mechanical properties of the oral and neck muscles may be affected in patients with TMD.

Alterations in energy consumption and plantar pressure distribution during walking in young adults with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the alterations of walking energy expenditure and plantar pressure distribution in young adults with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). METHODS: Thirty five individuals (mean age: 21.31 ± 1.76) with PFPS constituted the patient group and forty healthy participants (mean age: 21.40 ± 2.11) the control group. Preferred walking speeds (PWS) were determined on the over ground. Individuals walked on a treadmill for 7 min at their PWS and 30% above PWS and oxygen consumption was recorded via a metabolic analyzer. Net oxygen consumption was calculated for each walking trial. Borg scale was applied to assess perceived exertion during walking trial. Plantar pressure distributions were measured by a pedobarography device. Plantar area was subdivided into six zones to evaluate the dynamic plantar pressure data. RESULTS: The mean PWS of PFPS and control groups were 4.69 ± 0.51 and 4.52 ± 0.60 km/h, respectively (p > .09). No significant difference was observed in energy expenditure during walking at PWS between 2 groups while oxygen consumption during 30% above PWS was higher in patient group (18.72 ± 3.75 and 16.64 ± 3.27) (p = .007). Net oxygen consumption was also found to be higher in PFPS group (15.12 ± 3.62 and 13.04 ± 3.24) (p = .005). The mean Borg scores were significantly higher in PFPS group at each walking trials (p < .001). No statistically significant difference was found between weight distribution (%) of symptomatic and nonsymptomatic extremity (50.45 ± 3.92% and 49.56 ± 3.93%, respectively) (p = .509). Dynamic pedobarography parameters were not different between 2 groups, and also between symptomatic and nonsymptomatic extremities (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Although, rate of perceived exertion and energy expenditure during walking at 30% above PWS are affected negatively in young adults with PFPS, we may speculate that energy consumption and plantar pressure distribution can be compensated by a physiologic adaptation mechanism during walking at PWS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Therapeutic Study.