OROFACIAL PAIN - DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC CHALLENGES.

The concept of diagnostics and therapy of musculoskeletal and neuropathic diseases of the stomatognathic system, which are the subject of this paper, has been developing for decades. It can be said that in order to avoid misunderstanding, the orofacial pain as a clinical problem, in the narrower sense, involves non-odontogenic and non-malignant causes of orofacial region. In this study, the results of clinical diagnosis of the population of 557 consecutive patients with orofacial pain based on multidisciplinary diagnostics were evaluated.

Psoriatic arthritis and temporomandibular joint involvement - literature review with a reported case.

In addition to psoriasis, between 5% and 24% of patients will develop psoriatic arthritis simultaneously after or even prior to skin manifestations. Psoriatic arthritis belongs to the group of seronegative spondyloarthritis. Collaboration between a dermatologist and a rheumatologist plays a more important role in cases where there is a complete absence of clinical signs of psoriasis.

Osteoarthritic temporomandibular joint changes confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging.

Clinical and radiological findings were compared between the patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of temporomandibularjoint (TMJ) with or without disc displacement (DD), and asymptomatic volunteers. This study included 30 patients with OA of TMJs (mean age 52.6).

Muscle strength and bone density in patients with different rheumatic conditions: cross-sectional study.

Aim: To explore the relationship between muscle strength and bone density in patients with different rheumatic diseases and to examine whether inflammatory arthritis was more harmful for muscle strength and bone loss than degenerative joint diseases.

Methods: The study included 361 men and women with a mean±standard deviation age of 60.5±11.

[Relationship between osteonecrosis of the jaw and bisphosphonate treatment].

Bisphosphonate treatment and its aetiopathogenic association with aseptic osteonecrosis of the jaw is one of the more prominent public health issues today. The aim of this review is to see into the mechanisms of bisphosphonate effects on bones described in literature (anti-osteoclastic activity, cytotoxicity, antiangiogenesis, genetic factors, and imbalance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts). Bisphosphonate treatment is the dominant cause of jaw necrosis.

[Role of district and local self-government in disability prevention].

Prevention of common chronic diseases in the development of temporary and/or permanent working disability is not only a significant public health problem but also a serious economic and social issue. The epidemic of traffic-related injuries, work-related injuries and, unfortunately, injuries sustained during sports and recreational activities is pretty disturbing. Article 69 of the Croatian Constitution states that all residents of Croatia have a right to healthy life.

[Cycling in Zagreb].

Cycling in Zagreb, as means of urban transport inside and outside the city, has a bright past, hazy presence but a promising future. Every day, aggressive citizens who lack urban traffic culture mistreat many cyclists but also many pedestrians. Sedentary way of living, unhealthy eating habits and inadequate recreation would surely be reduced if Zagreb had a network of cycling tracks (190 cm) or lanes (80 cm).

[Occupational overuse injury syndromes of the lower extremities] ].

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and significance of overstretching of the lower limbs in working population. Occupational etiopathogenic factors are often similar to those in sports and involve frequent repetition of single movements which cause microtraumas to the bone/joint/muscular system including the lower limbs. The resulting pain is described as the overuse syndrome.

[The most common overuse injury syndromes of the upper extremity associated with work activity].

Repetitive use of upper extremities, non-physiological body posture, especially of cervical spine, shoulders, lower arms, and fists are still present in modern technological processes. Innate deformities, weakness of connective tissue, accompanying morbidity (radicular symptoms, neuropathies, superior thoracic aperture syndrome, vasopathies and neuroses) are significant pathogenic overuse syndromes. Other causes of overuse syndromes are non-ergonomic tools, musical instruments, furniture, or keyboards.

[Secondary osteoporosis in men].

Although osteoporosis has been considered a disease of women, there are many evidences of high prevalence of osteoporosis in men, in which cases the risk factors are often recognised. We have presented four patients, age 39-71 years, with bone mineral density loss, which could have been connected with risk factor. Those risk factors in our patients were: malabsorpcy syndrome, heavy metal intoxication, aethilismus, smoking.

Rheumatic complaints and musculoskeletal disorders in workers of a meat processing industry.

The effects of unsatisfactory microclimatic conditions and forced body position on the occurrence of fatigue and pain at work and disorders of the musculoskeletal system were evaluated in 90 female workers employed in the meat processing industry. The control group consisted of 95 workers whose work did not involve repetitive operation patterns and took place in a satisfactory microclimate. The mean age of both groups was 35 years.

Locomotor strain syndrome in users of video display terminals.

The results of an investigation of fatigue and pain in the locomotor system are presented. The investigation comprised a group of workers (n = 56) who spent most of their working hours at video display terminals (VDTs), and a control group (n = 39) of workers with a mainly free rhythm of work and insignificant physical strain. Fatigue and pain occurred more frequently in the muscles and joints of the workers working on VDT's (78.

Cervicobrachial syndrome--work and disability.

The subjects in the study were 114 persons receiving a disability pension or referred for disability assessment. They were placed in two groups of 57 persons each, one with marked cervicobrachial syndrome and the other without. The latter group was chosen by the method of equivalent pairs with regard to sex and age.

[Rheumatic complaints and diseases in ex-prisoners of war in Croatia in 1991. A review of medical prognosis for work capacity].

The results are presented of an examination of the locomotor system in 48 ex-prisoners of war, previously maltreated in prison camps in Serbia and occupied areas of Croatia. They were part of a group of 508 prisoners of war, examined in the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb. They were all male, aged 33.

[Relation of certain psychological factors with degenerative diseases and disorders of the locomotor system].

The incidence of neuroticism, extroversion-introversion and astenic personality characteristics was studied in three groups of 50 subjects each: controls, rheumatic patients in whom subjective complaints and objective medical status of the locomotor system were not analogous, and rheumatic patients in whom complaints and objective medical status of the locomotor system were analogous. All subjects were examined by a rheumatologist and interviewed by a psychologist. The psychological methods applied were: short interview, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and Cornell Index.

[Registry for rheumatic diseases in Croatia. Initial results of a computer analysis].

The preliminary results of computer analysis of data from the Register of Rheumatic Diseases in Croatia are presented. Register has started on January 1st, 1980. There were received nearly 10,000 registration cards till the end of 1986.

[Disorders of the cervical spine and the upper extremities and occupations].

A chronological review of damage to the spine and upper extremities associated with work was carried out in a sample of 120 retired disabled workers. Examination of risk factors for cervicobrachial syndrome (CBS) showed that the forced, bent position of the body at work contributed significantly to the frequency of the disease, particularly in women (70.0% against 38% in controls P less than 0.

[Disability and arthrotic changes in the lower extremity].

From a sample of occupationally disabled persons who had retired because of a disease of the locomotive system 48 men and 22 women with pronounced arthrotic changes in lower extremities were selected for the study. A comparative group, which was matched to the experimental one by age (53.8 +/- 4.