Efficacy of a TNF inhibitor in chronic low back pain with Modic changes type 1: The BackToBasic study A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The efficacy of TNF inhibitors for treating chronic low back pain with Modic changes is uncertain. This study investigated the superiority of infliximab over placebo in patients with Modic changes type 1.

Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients aged 18-65 with moderate to severe chronic low back pain and Modic changes type 1 were enrolled from five Norwegian public hospitals between January 2019 and October 2022.

PFAS exposure is associated with an unfavourable metabolic profile in infants six months of age.

Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are reported to have numerous negative health effects and children are especially vulnerable. The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal and infant PFAS burden have any impact on prenatal and postnatal growth, liver and lipid parameters in infants at age six months. Data on diet and growth parameters, as well as blood samples were collected from healthy pregnant women in week 18 and in the women and their infants at six months postpartum.

A Fast-Forward Dilute-and-Shoot Multielement Method for Analysis of 33 Elements in Human Whole Blood, Serum, and Urine by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: A Streamlined Approach for Clinical Diagnostic and Biomonitoring.

The analysis of toxic and essential elements in human matrices is used in clinical diagnostics and for biomonitoring of different populations to study related health outcomes. This work aimed to develop fast and reliable methods for the analysis of a broad range of elements in liquid human matrices, such as whole blood, serum, and urine, with a similar setup for the three matrices and different analysis needs. An easy and fast-forward dilute-and-shoot method for 33 elements (i.

A randomized trial on three different minimally invasive decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis. Five years follow-up from the NORDSTEN-SST.

Purpose: The short-term clinical outcome for midline-preserving posterior decompression techniques was comparable. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical results after three different midline-preserving posterior decompression techniques.

Material: In the NORDSTEN spinal stenosis trial (NORDSTEN-SST) 437 patients were randomized to three different midline-retaining posterior decompression techniques: Unilateral laminotomy with crossover (UL), bilateral laminotomy (BL) and spinous process osteotomy (SPO).

Clinical Importance of Redundant Nerve Roots in Patients with Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Secondary Analysis of NORDSTEN Spinal Stenosis Trial Data.

Study Design: Post-hoc analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To compare preoperative symptoms of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with and without redundant nerve roots (RNR), and to compare the change in clinical outcomes between those two groups 2 years after decompression surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: RNR are often seen on MRI in patients with spinal stenosis.

A functional intervention within a cognitive approach to chronic cervical radiculopathy : Description of the non-surgical treatment arm in a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of surgery.

Background: Most patients with cervical radiculopathy improve within the first months without treatment or with non-surgical treatment. A systematic review concluded that these patients improve, regardless of their intervention. Still, many patients are offered surgery, despite limited evidence regarding the indications for surgical treatments.

Decompression alone or with fusion for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (Nordsten-DS): five year follow-up of a randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority trial.

Objective: To assess whether decompression alone is non-inferior to decompression with instrumented fusion five years after primary surgery in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Design: Five year follow-up of a randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority trial (Nordsten-DS).

Setting: 16 public orthopaedic and neurosurgical clinics in Norway.

Responsiveness and minimal important change of specific and generic patient-reported outcome measures for back patients: the Norwegian Neck and Back Register.

Purpose: To evaluate responsiveness and minimal important change (MIC) of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), pain during activity on a numeric rating scale (NRSa) and health related quality of life (EQ-5D) based on data from the Norwegian neck and back registry (NNRR).

Methods: A total of 1617 patients who responded to NNRR follow-up after both 6 and 12 months were included in this study. Responsiveness was calculated using standardized response mean and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Compliance with requirements for registration and reporting of results in trials of mesenchymal stromal cells for musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review.

Objective: To assess compliance with statutory requirements to register and report outcomes in interventional trials of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for musculoskeletal disorders and to describe the trials' clinical and design characteristics.

Design: A systematic review of published trials and trials submitted to public registries.

Data Sources: The databases Medline, Cochrane Library and McMaster; six public clinical registries.

Efficacy of naproxen in patients with sciatica: multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

This trial assessed the efficacy of naproxen in patients with sciatica in outpatient clinics across 4 Norwegian hospitals. A total of 123 adults with radiating pain below the knee (≥4 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale) and signs consistent with nerve root involvement were included. Participants were randomized to receive either naproxen 500 mg or a placebo twice daily for 10 days.

The Influence of Spinous Process Union on Clinical Outcomes After Spinous Process Osteotomy for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis After 2 Years: A Secondary Analysis From the NORDSTEN-Study.

Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis is a prevalent and increasingly important cause of low back pain, leg pain, and walking impairment. Minimally invasive decompressive techniques such as spinous process (SP) osteotomy have become more common in recent years. The main aim of this study was to investigate the proportion of complete SP union and whether complete radiological healing after the osteotomy is associated with superior clinical outcome after 2 years.

Symptom burden and follow-up of patients with neck and back complaints in specialized outpatient care: a national register study.

Back and neck pain are common in the population, especially among immigrants. In Norway's specialist care system, treating these patients typically involves a multidisciplinary approach based on the biopsychosocial model. However, language and cultural differences may create barriers to participation.

Do patients with lumbar spinal stenosis benefit from decompression of levels with adjacent moderate stenosis? A prospective cohort study from the NORDSTEN study.

Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is characterized by pain that radiates to the buttocks and/or legs, aggravated by walking and relieved by forward flexion. There is poor correlation between clinical symptoms and severity of stenosis on MRI, and multilevel stenosis has not been described to present worse symptoms or treatment outcomes, compared with patients with single-level stenosis. In patients with one level with severe stenosis combined with an adjacent level with moderate stenosis, the surgeon must decide whether to decompress only the narrowest level or both, to achieve the best possible outcome.

Early menarche and other endocrine disrupting effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in adolescents from Northern Norway. The Fit Futures study.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a large group of chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment and include recognized persistent organic pollutants. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate possible endocrine disrupting effects of different PFAS in adolescents.

Methods: Serum concentrations of PFAS, thyroid, parathyroid and steroid hormones were measured in 921 adolescents aged 15-19 years in the Fit Futures study, Northern Norway.

Responsiveness of specific and generic patient-reported outcome measures in patients with plantar fasciopathy.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare responsiveness characteristics for the Foot Function Index revised short form (FFI-RS), RAND-12 Health Status Inventory (RAND-12), and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), in patients with plantar fasciopathy receiving non-surgical treatment.

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted on a sub-group of patients from an ongoing randomised controlled trial. One-hundred fifteen patients were included.

Ultrasound guided lavage with corticosteroid injection versus sham lavage with and without corticosteroid injection for calcific tendinopathy of shoulder: randomised double blinded multi-arm study.

Objective: To compare treatment effects between ultrasound guided lavage with corticosteroid injection and sham lavage with and without corticosteroid injection in patients with calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder.

Design: Pragmatic, three arm, parallel group, double blinded, sham controlled, randomised, superiority trial with repeated measurements over 24 months.

Setting: Six hospitals in Norway and Sweden.