Journal of orthopaedic science : official journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effects of cyclical etidronate with alfacalcidol on lumbar bone mineral density, bone resorption, and back pain in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
The purpose of the present open-labeled, randomized, prospective study was to compare the effects of cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol with those of cyclical etidronate alone on lumbar bone mineral density (BMD), bone resorption, and back pain in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Forty postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, 60-86 years of age, without any vertebral fractures in the lumbar spine, were randomly divided into two groups with 20 patients in each group. One group was treated with cyclical etidronate (oral etidronate 200 mg daily for 2 weeks every 3 months) and the other was given cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol (cyclical etidronate plus alfacalcidol 1 Ig daily continuously). ⋯ Cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol significantly increased the lumbar BMD with a more significant reduction in the urinary NTX level than cyclical etidronate alone, but cyclical etidronate alone did not significantly increase the lumbar BMD. Alleviation of back pain was similar in the two groups. These results suggest that cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol appears to be more useful than cyclical etidronate alone for increasing the lumbar BMD by more markedly suppressing bone resorption in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
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The study was designed to validate a translated, culturally adapted questionnaire. We examined the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the Roland-Morris Questionnaire (RDQ) when assessing disability in Japanese patients with low back pain. The RDQ is a reliable, validated scale used to measure disability caused by low back pain. ⋯ The principal component analysis showed unidimensionality. The RDQ score of the 133 patients was significantly improved after treatment. The Japanese version of the RDQ is a useful scale that is easy to use with reliability, validity, and responsiveness when assessing patients with low back pain.
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Comparative Study
Bone-preserving prosthesis with a single axis for treating osteonecrosis of the femoral head: midterm results for the thrust plate hip prosthesis.
We studied 27 patients (31 joints) who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the thrust plate hip prosthesis (TPP) for osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The mean follow-up period was 56 months (range 38-72 months). Clinical evaluation by the Merle d'Aubigne and Postel system showed a significant improvement from a preoperative mean score of 8.1 to a final mean follow-up score of 16.6. ⋯ Grade 1 stress shielding was observed in four joints. Although indications for the TPP are restricted to certain cases, unlike the conventional intramedullary stem, much can be expected of TPP. It is an outstanding prosthesis for osteonecrosis of the femoral head of young patients in terms of bone preservation and physiological load transfer.
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This case report describes a lumbar epidural abscess that caused septic shock. A 48-year-old woman who developed a high temperature was diagnosed as having a respiratory tract infection. She became unconscious the next day and was transferred to the intensive care unit for monitoring and treatment. ⋯ Surgical drainage of the epidural abscess was performed as an emergency procedure, and the patient recovered immediately. The primary source of the epidural abscess was probably the respiratory tract infection, which spread to the epidural space through hematogenous dissemination. The initial treatment of the epidural abscess was rest and antibiotics, but surgical treatment was needed to save the patient because of septic shock.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity for the current perception threshold (CPT) test during clinical examination of idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We studied 71 patients (102 hands) with CTS; 50 healthy individuals (100 hands) served as a control group. ⋯ The sensitivity of the CPT test using both range and ratio analyses was 73%, and its specificity was 74%. Based on these results we concluded that the CPT test is a reliable quantitative sensory function test.