Maximizing Knee OA Treatment: A Comparative Look at Physiotherapy and Injections.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent and disabling condition often managed with physiotherapy or intra-articular injections. However, the comparative effectiveness of these treatments remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of physiotherapy and intra-articular injections in managing knee OA.

The Effectiveness of a Single Hyaluronic Acid Injection in Improving Symptoms and Muscular Strength in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a progressive and multifactorial disease that leads to joint pain, muscle weakness, physical disability, and decreased quality of life. In KOA, the quantity of hyaluronic acid (HA) and the molecular weight (MW) are decreased, leading to joint pain due to increased wear of the knee articular cartilage. Arthrogenic muscle inhibition, which is usually found in patients with KOA, is associated with joint inflammation, pain, and swelling, also causing muscle atrophy, primarily of the anterior thigh muscles, and hindering the rehabilitation process.

Exploring the impact of vitamin D on tendon health: a comprehensive review.

Tendons are vital components of the musculoskeletal system, facilitating movement and supporting mechanical loads. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D, beyond its well-established role in bone health, exerts significant effects on tendon physiology. The aim of this manuscript is to review the impact of vitamin D on tendons, focusing on its mechanisms of action, clinical implications, and therapeutic applications.

Spinal Orthosis in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Overview of the Braces Provided by the National Health Service in Italy.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a lateral, rotated curvature of the spine. It is a 3-dimensional deformity that arises in otherwise healthy children at or around puberty. AIS is the most common form of scoliosis in the pediatric population.

Neutrophil, lymphocyte count, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predict multimorbidity and mortality-results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging follow-up study.

Immunosenescence is the age-related changes in the immune system, namely, progressively higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers, characteristics changes of circulating immune subset cells and altered immune function. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NL ratio) has been identified as a prognostic indicator for neoplastic disease progression, in predicting chronic degenerative diseases, and as a potential indirect marker of healthy aging. This study aims to examine the longitudinal association of neutrophil, lymphocyte absolute count, and their ratio with longitudinal risk for multimorbidity and mortality.

Robotic-Assisted Rehabilitation for Post-Stroke Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review.

Post-stroke shoulder pain (PSSP) is a debilitating consequence of hemiplegia, often hindering rehabilitation efforts and further limiting motor recovery. With the advent of robotic-assisted therapies in neurorehabilitation, there is potential for innovative interventions for PSSP. This study systematically reviewed the current literature to determine the effectiveness of robotic-assisted rehabilitation in addressing PSSP in stroke patients.

Beyond Inflammaging: The Impact of Immune System Aging on Age-Related Muscle Decline, Results From the InCHIANTI Study.

Aging is characterized by chronic low-level inflammation and is associated with geriatric syndromes such as sarcopenia and frailty. Our aim was to evaluate the longitudinal variation of muscle area, muscle quality, and muscle strength, relative to the variation of leukocyte-derived markers, and to assess the presence of a pathway of associations among derived leukocyte ratios, and the components of muscle health. The InCHIANTI is a longitudinal cohort study of aging that began in 1998 with follow-up visits every 3 years.

Stem cell therapy in sports medicine: current applications, challenges and future perspectives.

Stem cells have demonstrated significant potential for tissue repair and regeneration, making them a promising therapeutic avenue in sports medicine. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on the application of stem cells in sports medicine. We will discuss the types of stem cells used, their mechanisms of action, and the clinical outcomes of stem cell therapy in different sports-related injuries.

Achilles Tendinopathy Pathogenesis and Management: A Narrative Review.

The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon of the human body, and it is frequently injured during sports activity. The incidence of Achilles tendon pathologies has increased over recent decades, especially in the last few years, because of increased sports participation among the general population and due to the diffusion of competitive sports at a high level. Tendinopathies are common in athletes and in middle-aged overweight patients.

Temporal trends, sex differences, and age-related disease influence in Neutrophil, Lymphocyte count and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte-ratio: results from InCHIANTI follow-up study.

Background: Neutrophils and lymphocytes represent the larger percentage of all white blood cells, they vary with age, with a progressive increase of the ratio in the first years of life, and then tend to remain at similar levels in steady state condition during adult age. Neutrophils to lymphocytes-ratio (NL-ratio) was proposed as an effective and low-cost marker to monitor and predict the evolution of several clinical conditions. The main objective of the study is to analyze its temporal trend variation, over twenty years' follow-up, according to age, sex, and main clinical diagnosis, in a large representative Italian population.

Muscle quality, physical performance, and comorbidity are predicted by circulating procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (P3NP): the InCHIANTI follow-up study.

Sarcopenia is characterized by skeletal muscle quantitative and qualitative alterations. A marker of collagen turnover, procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (P3NP), seems to be related to those conditions. This study aims to assess the predictive role of P3NP in muscle density and physical performance changes.

Temporal trends, sex differences, and age-related disease influence in Neutrophil, Lymphocyte count and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte-ratio. Results from InCHIANTI follow-up study.

Neutrophils and lymphocytes represent the larger percentage of all white bloodcells, they vary with age, with a progressive increase of the ratio in the first years of life, and then tend to remain at similar levels in steady state condition during adult age. Neutrophils to lymphocytes-ratio (NL-ratio) was proposed as an effective and low-cost marker to monitor and predict the evolution of severalclinical conditions. The main objective of the study is to analyze its temporal trend variation, over twenty years' follow-up, according to age, sex, and main clinical diagnosis, in a large representative Italian population.

High-Intensity Training for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease worldwide. Exercise therapy has been identified as a first-line treatment option in patients suffering from knee OA. High-intensity training (HIT) is an innovative exercise modality with potential in improving various disease-related outcomes.

Intra-Articular Collagen Injections for Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent degenerative progressive joint disease worldwide, with the hand, hip, and knee being the most-affected joints. Actually, no treatment can alter the course of OA, and therapy is directed at reducing pain and improving function. The exogenous administration of collagen has been investigated as a possible symptomatic adjuvant or stand-alone treatment for OA.

Radial or Focal Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Real-Life Retrospective Study.

Lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) is characterized by pain, poor muscle strength of the wrist ex-tensors, and disability. Among the conservative rehabilitative approaches, focal as well as radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), are considered effective in LET management. The objective of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of focal (fESWT) and radial (rESWT) in terms of LET symptoms and the strength of wrist extensors, taking into account potential gender differences.

Ultrasound Imaging and Guidance for Cervical Myofascial Pain: A Narrative Review.

Cervical myofascial pain is a very common clinical condition in the daily practice of musculoskeletal physicians. Physical examination is currently the cornerstone for evaluating the cervical muscles and identifying the eventual presence of myofascial trigger points. Herein, the role of ultrasound assessment in precisely localizing them is progressively mounting in the pertinent literature.

High-intensity interval training for chronic pain conditions: a narrative review.

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists past the normal healing time. Physical activity and exercise programs are increasingly being promoted and used for a variety of chronic pain conditions. Evidence suggests that physical exercise is an intervention with few adverse events that may improve pain severity and physical function, thus improving the quality of life.

Indirect Structural Muscle Injuries of Lower Limb: Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Exercise.

Muscle injuries are the most common trauma in team and individual sports. The muscles most frequently affected are those of the lower limb, and in particular hamstrings, adductors, rectus femoris and calf muscles. Although several scientific studies have tried to propose different rehabilitation protocols, still too often the real rehabilitation process is not based on scientific knowledge, especially in non-elite athletes.

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic countermeasures on patients receiving botulinum toxin therapy and on their caregivers: a study from an Italian cohort.

COVID-19 outbreak had a huge worldwide impact, and several countermeasures to contain its spread have been adopted, such as the interruption of nonurgent outpatient clinics. We wanted to describe the effects of the national lockdown on the well-being of a cohort of Italian patients with cerebral palsy (CP) receiving botulinum toxin (BT) therapy and of their caregivers. Twenty-five patients receiving BT therapy were surveyed using the structuralized questionnaire by Dressler and Adib Saberi, while the caregivers were assessed using the Caregiver Burden Scale.

Achilles Tendon Rupture: Mechanisms of Injury, Principles of Rehabilitation and Return to Play.

The Achilles tendon is the thickest, strongest and largest tendon in the human body, but despite its size and tensile strength, it frequently gets injured. Achilles tendon ruptures (ATRs) mainly occur during sports activities, and their incidence has increased over the last few decades. Achilles tendon tears necessitate a prolonged recovery time, sometimes leaving long-term functional limitations.

Radiographic, Bone Densitometry and Clinic Outcomes Assessments in Femoral Shaft Fractures Fixed by Plating or Locking Retrograde Nail.

Introduction: Distal femoral shaft fractures are characterized by increasing incidence and complexity and are still considered a challenging problem (high morbidity and mortality). No consensus on best surgical option has been achieved.

Aim: This study aims is to investigate radiographic, mineral bone densitometry and clinical outcomes of locking retrograde intramedullary (LRN) nailing and anatomical locking plate to surgically treat distal femoral shaft fractures in young adults based on the hypothesis that there is no statistical difference among the two surgical options in terms of results (radiographic, bone densitometry and outcomes assessment).

Biological and chemical changes in fluoroquinolone-associated tendinopathies: a systematic review.

Introduction: The present systematic review investigates the biological and chemical mechanisms that affect the health and structure of tendons following the use of fluoroquinolones (FQs).

Sources Of Data: A total of 12 articles were included, organized, and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Areas Of Agreement: Five mechanisms were identified: arrest of proliferation through a decreased activity of cyclin B, CDK-1, CHK-1, and increased PK-1; decrease tenocytes migration through decreased phosphorylation of FAK; decrease type I collagen metabolism through increased MMP-2; chelate effect on ions that influence epigenetics and several enzymes; fluoroquinolones-induced ROS (radical oxygen species) production in mitochondria.

Surgery in Tendinopathies.

Tendinopathies are challenging. The term "tendinopathy" refers to clinical condition characterized by pain, swelling, and functional limitations of tendons and nearby structures. Tendinopathies give rise to significant morbidity, and, at present, only limited scientifically proven management modalities exist.

Prevalence of Hyponatremia in Elderly Patients with Hip Fractures: A Two-Year Study.

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of hyponatremia in elderly patients (≥65 years old) with hip fractures.

Subjects And Methods: All records containing clinical and laboratory data on the 334 elderly patients admitted to the San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona Hospital of Salerno, Italy, with hip fractures during 2014 and 2015, were retrieved from the hospital database. Patients were divided into 4 groups, according to their sex and the type of hip fracture.