Persistent postsurgical pain in hip fracture patients. A prospective longitudinal study with multifaceted assessment.

Background: Some patients with postoperative hip fractures (HF) experience persistent severe pain. In this longitudinal study, we examined the characteristics of patients with persistent pain after HF surgery, and the factors influencing pain intensity.

Methods: We conducted an 8-week prospective study in patients with postsurgical HF.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Limited Range of Motion in the Older Bedridden Patients.

Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the association between physical activity and contracture in older patients confined to bed in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

Methods: Patients wore ActiGraph GT3X+ for 8 hours on their wrists, and vector magnitude (VM) counts were obtained as the amount of activity. The passive range of motion (ROM) of joints was measured.

Effects of a Rehabilitation Program Combined with Pain Management That Targets Pain Perception and Activity Avoidance in Older Patients with Acute Vertebral Compression Fracture: a Randomised Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a rehabilitation program combined with pain management targeting pain perception and activity avoidance on multifaceted outcomes in older patients with acute vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). We randomised 65 older adults with acute VCFs to either an intervention group ( = 32), involving usual rehabilitation combined with pain management that targeted pain perception and activity avoidance, or a control group ( = 33), involving only usual rehabilitation. The usual rehabilitation was initiated immediately after admission.

Relationship Between Muscle Quality or Stiffness Measured by Ultrasonography and Range of Motion in Hospitalized Older Adults.

Older adults who require nursing care have joint contractures characterized by limited range of motion (ROM). The present study investigated age-related muscle changes using ultrasonography and the relationship between ROM and muscle changes in older adults. Twenty-two healthy young adults (mean age: 23.

Depression, catastrophizing, and poor performance in women with persistent acute low back pain from vertebral compression fractures: A prospective study.

Background: Research on the multi-faceted characteristics of persistent severe acute lower back pain (LBP) resulting from acute vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) is lacking.

Objective: To investigate the psychological and functional status of older patients with persistent severe acute LBP after conservative treatment of VCFs.

Methods: This prospective study included women aged 50 years and older who had acute VCFs and were admitted to the hospital.

Voluntary Forelimbs Exercise Reduces Immobilization-Induced Mechanical Hyperalgesia in the Rat Hind Paw.

Voluntary exercise is sufficient to protect against neuropathic pain. However, it is unclear whether voluntary exercise reduces immobilization-induced hyperalgesia. We examined the effect of voluntary forelimb exercise on immobilized-induced hyperalgesia in hind paws of rats.

Factors Affecting Persistent Postoperative Pain in Patients with Hip Fractures.

Osteoporotic fractures are common among older people, and hip fractures (HF) can be devastating. Surgery is indicated for most cases of HF, and chronic persistent postoperative pain is likely to occur. This study investigated the multifaceted factors related to persistent pain occurring during the acute phase and subacute phase of recovery after HF surgery.

Mechanisms underlying immobilization-induced muscle pain in rats.

Introduction: We investigated the mechanisms underlying immobilization-induced muscle pain in rats.

Methods: In rat skeletal muscle, pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the gastrocnemius muscle was measured, and nerve growth factor (NGF) level, peripheral nerve fiber density, macrophage number, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA expression were examined. An NGF receptor inhibitor was injected intramuscularly to assess the relationship between PPT and NGF levels.

Low-intensity muscle contraction exercise following the onset of arthritis improves hyperalgesia via reduction of joint inflammation and central sensitization in the spinal cord in a rat model.

We examined the effect of immobilization, low-intensity muscle contraction exercise, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on tissue inflammation and acute pain following the onset of arthritis in a rat model. Sixty Wistar rats were divided into five groups: (1) Arthritis group, (2) arthritis and immobilization (Immobilization group), (3) arthritis and low intensity muscle contraction (Exercise group), (4) arthritis and TENS (TENS group), and (5) sham arthritis (Sham group). Arthritis was induced in the right knee joints by single injection of 3% kaolin and carrageenan.

A major isoform of mitochondrial trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase is dispensable for wax ester production in Euglena gracilis under anaerobic conditions.

Under anaerobic conditions, Euglena gracilis produces a large amount of wax ester through mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis from storage polysaccharides termed paramylon, to generate ATP. Trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductases (TERs) in mitochondria have been considered to play a key role in this process, because the enzymes catalyze the reduction of short chain length CoA-substrates (such as crotonyl-CoA). A TER enzyme (EgTER1) has been previously identified and enzymologically characterized; however, its physiological significance remained to be evaluated by genetic analysis.

Effects of Physical-Agent Pain Relief Modalities for Fibromyalgia Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of the following physical-agent modalities for pain relief in fibromyalgia (FM) patients.

Methods: We identified randomized controlled studies of adults with FM in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PEDro databases. The primary outcome measure was pain relief measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS), and the secondary outcome measures of interest were subjective improvements in the number of tender points, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and quality of life (QOL) scores.

Relationship between extensibility and collagen expression in immobilized rat skeletal muscle.

Introduction: This study investigated longitudinal changes in muscle extension and collagen expression in an immobilized rat soleus muscle, and assessed the relationship between both elements.

Methods: Soleus muscles of the control and immobilization groups (1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks) were used for analysis of muscle extensibility and collagen expression.

Results: The slope value/physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA; a parameter for muscle extensibility) and hydroxyproline (a parameter for collagen expression) were significantly higher in the immobilization group than in the control group for all experimental time points.

Development and progression of immobilization-induced skin fibrosis through overexpression of transforming growth factor-ß1 and hypoxic conditions in a rat knee joint contracture model.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the pathology and mechanism of immobilization-induced skin fibrosis in a rat joint contracture model.

Methods: Rats were randomly divided into control and immobilization groups. In the immobilization groups, knee joints of the rats were immobilized for 1, 2, and 4 weeks.

Association of early physical activity time with pain, activities of daily living, and progression of vertebral body collapse in patients with vertebral compression fractures.

Background: Physical activity can reduce pain and improve the ability to perform daily activities in patients with acute low back pain (LBP) due to various non-specific causes. The association between physical activity during the early phase of acute vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) and rehabilitation outcomes is unknown.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of early physical activity time (EPAT) on pain following acute VCFs, recovery of the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), and progression of fractured vertebral body collapse.

Effects of joint immobilization on changes in myofibroblasts and collagen in the rat knee contracture model.

The purpose of this study was to examine the time-dependent changes in the development of joint capsule fibrosis and in the number of myofibroblasts in the joint capsule after immobilization, using a rat knee contracture model. Both knee joints were fixed in full flexion for 1, 2, and 4 weeks (immobilization group). Untreated rats were bred for each immobilization period (control group).

Upregulation of interleukin-1β/transforming growth factor-β1 and hypoxia relate to molecular mechanisms underlying immobilization-induced muscle contracture.

Introduction: In this study we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying muscle contracture in rats.

Methods: The rats were divided into immobilization and control groups, and soleus muscles of the right and left sides were selected for analyses.

Results: The levels of CD11b and α-SMA protein, IL-1β, and TGF-β1 mRNA, and type I and III collagen protein and mRNA were significantly greater in the immobilization group than in the control group at all time-points.