Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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The purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the contralateral oblique (CLO) view and the lateral view for lumbar interlaminar epidural access. ⋯ This study shows that the CLO view for lumbar interlaminar epidural access offers clear advantages over the lateral view on many clinically important grounds: the needle tip visualization is better, the important radiological landmarks are better visualized, and the needle tip when placed in the epidural space presents a more precise relationship to these landmarks. All of these differences were highly significant. Thus, when using this view, the needle may be directly placed in very close vicinity to the epidural space and true loss of resistance expected soon thereafter. In addition, this view provides the ability to plot the cranio-caudad needle trajectory. The combination of these factors is likely to improve the ease and efficiency of epidural access. The crisp visualization of the final moments of epidural access could also translate to improved safety and accuracy. In light of this, it is suggested that a CLO view at 45° be considered the preferred view for gauging needle depth during interlaminar lumbar epidural access.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Buprenorphine, Clonidine, Dexamethasone, and Ropivacaine for Interscalene Nerve Blockade: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded, Ropivacaine Dose-Response Study.
This study investigated interscalene block for shoulder arthroplasty with various ropivacaine concentrations in the presence of clonidine, dexamethasone, and buprenorphine. The goal was prolonged analgesia with minimal motor blockade. ⋯ For maximum pain reduction, combining perineural additives with ropivacaine 0.375% or 0.2% is suggested. To minimize motor blockade, perineural additives can be combined with ropivacaine, 0.1%.
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Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is common among young individuals. Female adolescents with PFP present typically with localized mechanical hyperalgesia around the knee, but the effect of central pain mechanisms are unknown. This study aimed to compare temporal summation of pain, conditioned pain modulation (CPM), and widespread hyperalgesia in young female adults with PFP and age-matched pain-free controls. ⋯ Young female adults with long-standing PFP demonstrated impaired CPM. This is important because PFP, a peripheral pathology, might have important central components that need to be studied in order to understand its extent and therapeutic implications.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Prevalence and Time Course of Post-Stroke Pain: A Multicenter Prospective Hospital-Based Study.
Pain prevalence data for patients at various stages after stroke. ⋯ Pain after stroke is more frequent in the subacute and chronic phase than in the acute phase, but it is still largely undertreated.
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Observational Study
Physiological Indices of Stress Prior to and Following Total Knee Arthroplasty Predict the Occurrence of Severe Post-Operative Pain.
The severe pain and disability associated with osteoarthritis often motivate individuals to undergo arthroplastic surgery. However, a significant number of surgical patients continue to experience pain following surgery. Prior research has implicated both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in the sensitization of pain receptors and chronic pain conditions. This study uses a prospective, observational, cohort design to examine whether physiological stress responses before and after surgery could predict post-operative pain severity. ⋯ Results suggest that the occurrence of post-operative pain can be predicted on the basis of stress physiology prior to and following arthroplastic surgery.