Physical Function Following Total Knee Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis: A Longitudinal Systematic Review With Meta-analysis.

To explore the extent of functional improvement following primary total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis and to compare the trajectories of self-reported and performance-based measures of physical function. Longitudinal systematic review with meta-analysis We searched 3 electronic databases from January 2005 to February 2023 for longitudinal cohort studies involving adults with knee osteoarthritis undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty. Estimates of self-reported and performance-based physical function were extracted presurgery and up to 5 years postsurgery.

Achieving and sustaining reduction in hospital-acquired complications in an Australian local health service.

Background: Reducing the prevalence of hospital-acquired complications (HACs) is paramount for both patient safety and hospital financial performance because of its impact on patient's recovery and health service delivery by diverting resources away from other core patient care activities. While numerous reports are available in the literature for projects that successfully reduce specific HAC, questions remain about the sustainability of this isolated approach and there may be benefits for more wholistic programmes that aim to align prevention strategies across a hospital. This study describes such a programme that uses evidence and theories in the literature to achieve and sustain a reduction in HACs in an Australian local health service between 2019 and 2022.

Impact of the Promoting Physical Activity in Regional and Remote Cancer Survivors intervention on health-related quality of life in breast and colorectal cancer survivors.

Background: The PPARCS trial examined the efficacy of a distance-based wearable and health coaching intervention to increase physical activity (PA) in breast and colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors living in non-metropolitan areas. This paper examines the effects of the intervention on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 12 weeks (T2; end of intervention) and 24 weeks (T3; follow-up).

Methods: Participants that were insufficiently physically active and had successfully completed cancer treatment were randomised to an intervention or control group.

Body image at the trunk: An investigation into externally referenced width perception and picture mapping.

Body image is a conscious representation of the body, encompassing how our body feels to us. Body image can be measured in a variety of ways, including metric and depictive measures. This study sought to assess body image at the trunk by investigating, and comparing, a metric and depictive measure.

The characteristics of the implicit body model of the trunk.

Knowing where the body is in space requires reference to a stored model of the size and shape of body parts, termed the body model. This study sought to investigate the characteristics of the implicit body model of the trunk by assessing the position sense of midline and lateral body landmarks. Sixty-nine healthy participants localised midline and lateral body landmarks on their thorax, waist and hips, with perceived positions of these landmarks compared to actual positions.

Gender diversity in radiology: Shedding light on the 256 shades of grey.

Introduction: Despite medical school cohorts being composed of approximately 50% men and women, trainee positions in Clinical Radiology remain predominantly occupied by men. This study aims to identify reasons behind the gender gap, explore why more women are not pursuing a career in Clinical Radiology and to assess if there are gender differences in these reasons.

Methods: Prospective multi-centre study using a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire aimed at senior Medical Students and Junior Doctors.

TENDINopathy Severity assessment-Achilles (TENDINS-A): evaluation of reliability and validity in accordance with COSMIN recommendations.

Objective: To evaluate the construct validity (structural validity and hypothesis testing), reliability (test-retest reliability, measurement error and internal consistency) and minimal important change (MIC) of the 13-item TENDINopathy Severity assessment-Achilles (TENDINS-A).

Methods: Participants with Achilles pain completed an online survey including: demographics, TENDINS-A, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assessed dimensionality.

Early ambulation impacts on quality-of-life outcomes positively after lower limb burn injury: A group trajectory analysis.

Introduction: Despite the challenges of providing burn care throughout the 2.5MKm jurisdiction of Western Australia, early intervention after injury remains a key premise of the multidisciplinary model of care applied by the State Adult Burn Unit (SABU) team. In particular, contemporary guidelines support the facilitation of early ambulation after lower limb burn and skin grafting.

The promoting physical activity in regional and remote cancer survivors (PPARCS) trial: Physical activity maintenance.

Introduction: The study examined whether increased physical activity (PA) in nonmetropolitan cancer survivors was maintained 12 weeks following the PPARCS intervention.

Methods: PA outcomes were assessed using an accelerometer at baseline, end of the intervention, and at 24 weeks. Linear mixed models were used to examine between-group changes in PA outcomes.

Tactile localization accuracy at the low back.

Localizing tactile stimulation is an important capability for everyday function and may be impaired in people with persistent pain. This study sought to provide a detailed description of lumbar spine tactile localization accuracy in healthy individuals. Sixty-nine healthy participants estimated where they were touched at nine different points, labelled in a 3 × 3 grid over the lumbar spine.

Ultrasound-guided Lipiodol® hysterosalpingography: A prospective study on pregnancy and complication rates.

Background: Fluoroscopic hysterosalpingography (HSG) with Lipiodol® is safe and has a therapeutic effect on fertility: transient in endometriosis-related infertility and sustained in unexplained infertility. Ultrasound is replacing fluoroscopy as the preferred imaging modality for HSG due to comfort and radiation safety (no ionising radiation). The safety of ultrasound-guided Lipiodol® HSG is uncertain.

The clinical course of acute, subacute and persistent low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Understanding the clinical course of low back pain is essential to informing treatment recommendations and patient stratification. Our aim was to update our previous systematic review and meta-analysis to gain a better understanding of the clinical course of acute, subacute and persistent low back pain.

Methods: To update our 2012 systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched the Embase, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases from 2011 until January 2023, using our previous search strategy.

Intravasation complicating hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) using ExEm® Foam.

Background: Transvaginal hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) assesses tubal patency in an outpatient setting and without ionising radiation, unlike traditional hysterosalpingography (HSG) under fluoroscopy. Like HSG, HyFoSy may be complicated by uterine intramural contrast leak, leading to venous intravasation. Intravasation of particulate contrast agents risks pulmonary or cerebral emboli.

A randomized controlled trial of Promoting Physical Activity in Regional and Remote Cancer Survivors (PPARCS).

Background: Physical activity (PA) is important for cancer survivors. Trials of remotely delivered interventions are needed to assist in reaching under-served non-metropolitan cancer survivors. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether wearable technology, coupled with health coaching was effective in increasing PA in breast and colorectal cancer survivors living in regional and remote areas in Australia.

Quantification of the negative impact of sedation and inotropic support on achieving early mobility in burn patients in ICU: A single center observational study.

Introduction: Early rehabilitation for burns survivors in the intensive care unit (ICU) is arguably more challenging than the general population. Early achievement of functional verticality milestones (FVMs) has the potential to ameliorate the detrimental effects of bed rest and immobility observed in ICU patients and reduce healthcare costs. However, the time to achieving FVMs after burn injury is influenced by factors such as sedation practices, cardiovascular stability, mechanical ventilation, acute skin reconstruction and length of stay (LOS) during the acute intensive care period.

The wearable activity technology and action-planning trial in cancer survivors: Physical activity maintenance post-intervention.

Objectives: The study objective was to assess whether moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) change in cancer survivors (n = 68, mean age = 64 years) was maintained 12-weeks following the Wearable Activity Technology and Action Planning (WATAAP) intervention. Secondary aims were to assess the effects of the intervention on blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI), and to explore group differences between baseline and 24-weeks.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Parent Carer Quality of Life and Night-Time Attendance in Non-Ambulant Youth with Neuromuscular Disorders.

: To describe and explore carer quality of life (QoL) and night-time attendance to their child in parents of non-ambulant youth with Neuromuscular Disorders. A cross-sectional population-based, comprehensive survey including the Adult Carer QoL (AC-QoL) questionnaire, measures of social context and youths' physical status. Associations between carer-QoL or frequency of parents' night-time attendance with independent variables were explored using linear and logistic regression models, respectively.

The efficacy of resistance training in addition to usual care for adults with acute burn injury: A randomised controlled trial.

Resistance training immediately after a burn injury has not been investigated previously. This randomised, controlled trial assessed the impact of resistance training on quality of life plus a number of physical, functional and safety outcomes in adults with a burn injury. Patients were randomly assigned to receive, in addition to standard physiotherapy, four weeks of high intensity resistance training (RTG) or sham resistance training (CG) three days per week, commenced within 72h of the burn injury.

Fitbit wear-time and patterns of activity in cancer survivors throughout a physical activity intervention and follow-up: Exploratory analysis from a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: There has been growing interest in the use of smart wearable technology to promote physical activity (PA) behaviour change. However, little is known concerning PA patterns throughout an intervention or engagement with trackers. The objective of the study was to explore patterns of Fitbit-measured PA and wear-time over 24-weeks and their relationship to changes in Actigraph-derived moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA).

Battlefield acupuncture added no benefit as an adjunct analgesic in emergency department for abdominal, low back or limb trauma pain.

Objectives: To ascertain whether ear acupuncture (modified Battlefield technique) as an adjunct (Adj-BFA) to standard analgesia care (SAC) significantly reduces pain scores compared with sham acupuncture (Adj-Sham) or SAC alone, when delivered by medical and nursing practitioners in an ED.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial using a convenience sample of 90 patients attending an ED with acute abdominal, limb trauma or low back pain were allocated to three treatment arms: Adj-BFA, Adj-Sham and SAC. The primary outcome of change in pain scores out-of-10 (NPRS-10) from triage were assessed immediately after intervention and at 1 and 2 h post-intervention.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Compression Interventions for Managing Hand Burn Edema, as Measured by Bioimpedance Spectroscopy.

Compression, a common treatment of choice for the management of edema, is one intervention that is applied with little objective understanding of the optimal parameters of application or efficacy in acute burn wounds. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of different methods of compression for the management of hand edema following burn injury. The primary hypothesis tested was that in acute hand burn injury, the application of cohesive bandage will reduce edema faster than a generic compression glove.

Alternate Electrode Positions for the Measurement of Hand Volumes Using Bioimpedance Spectroscopy.

Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a tool that can be used to measure body composition in a variety of populations. Previous studies have investigated novel applications to utilize BIS to measure localized body composition, including in the hand. According to BIS guidelines, there should be no skin wounds at the site of electrodes, and that electrode positions may be modified in specific circumstances, as our group has validated previously in burn wound populations.