Scandinavian journal of rheumatology
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1995
The relative value of spinal and thoracic mobility measurements in ankylosing spondylitis.
The relative value of nine spinal and thoracic mobility measurements was investigated in 73 male patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The value of a test was obtained by the relative ranks of validity, reliability and sensitivity to change. Validity was determined as age-adjusted correlation of the test result with AS-specific radiological changes in the lumbar spine. ⋯ Of these, FFD had high reliability and sensitivity ranks, but poor correlation with AS-specific spinal changes. TR had high validity and sensitivity ranks, and improvement of the measurement technology would probably result in a superior test for the follow-up of AS. Chest expansion and vital capacity had low ranks in all comparisons.
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Mobility measurements of spine, chest, hips, and shoulder in 73 adult males with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were correlated with the duration of disease. Several mobility tests showed a significant correlation with the duration of AS, but after adjustment for age, only rotation of the thoracolumbar spine maintained a highly significant correlation. It is concluded that age has a strong effect on the mobility tests. Rotation of the thoracolumbar spine seems to be a valid measure for AS-specific changes.
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A short-form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) has been translated into Swedish. One hundred women with either fibromyalgia (FS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) filled out the SF-MPQ three times--the RA patients monthly while receiving their routine care, and the FS patients over 6 months while participating in an experimental treatment. Results indicated that the MPQ 15-item descriptor section was internally consistent (Cronbach's alphas .73 to .89), but lacked content validity in the RA sample. ⋯ Convergent construct validity was demonstrated by significant correlations between the SF-MPQ and other pain measurements. A principal components analysis showed that the 15-item descriptor section has three distinct factors: acute sensory, chronic sensory, and affective. We conclude that the SF-MPQ is reliable and valid for use with FS patients.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1994
Longterm effects of fibromyalgia on everyday life. A study of 56 patients.
Fifty-six patients with fibromyalgia, previously studied in 1984, were followed up after five years, using a mail questionnaire and a global health assessment instrument, the Sickness Impact Profile. The aim was to investigate the patients' perception of their symptoms and to describe the consequences for everyday life. Half of the patients reported that pain, fatigue and sleep problems had increased, less than 20% reported improvements, and 30-40%, no change. ⋯ The symptoms had severe consequences for the patients' ability to manage everyday life activities. The study confirms that fibromyalgia, once established, is a non-remitting syndrome. Also, the social consequences were constant over time.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jan 1992
Comparative StudySynovial fluid leukocytosis in bacterial arthritis vs. reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in the adult knee.
In this comparative analysis of laboratory data, we examined the characteristics of synovial fluid leukocytosis in eighty adult patients with bacterial arthritis, reactive arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint. Synovial fluid leukocyte count and the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells seemed to perform well as a discriminator between bacterial infection and acute flare of the underlying disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, there were no definite difference in the intensity of synovial fluid leukocytosis between patients with bacterial arthritis caused by living bacteria and patients with reactive arthritis probably caused by bacterial antigens.