A computational method to differentiate rheumatoid arthritis patients using thermography data.

Background: The traditional rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis is very complicated because it uses many clinical and image data. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new method for diagnosing RA using a consolidated set of blood analysis and thermography data.

Objective: The following issues related to RA are discussed: 1) Which clinical data are significant in the primary diagnosis of RA? 2) What parameters from thermograms should be used to differentiate patients with RA from the healthy? 3) Can artificial neural networks (ANN) differentiate patients with RA from the healthy?

Methods: The dataset was composed of clinical and thermal data from 65 randomly selected patients with RA and 104 healthy subjects.

Nanomechanical Properties of Articular Cartilage Due to the PRP Injection in Experimental Osteoarthritis in Rabbits.

The purpose of this study was twofold. Firstly, we proposed a measurement protocol for the atomic force microscopy (AFM) method to determine the nanomechanical properties of articular cartilage in experimental osteoarthritis in rabbits. Then, we verified if mechanical properties can be evaluated with AFM shortly after platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.

AFM-Based Method for Measurement of Normal and Osteoarthritic Human Articular Cartilage Surface Roughness.

In osteoarthrosis, pathological features of articular cartilage are associated with degeneration and nanomechanical changes. The aim of this paper is to show that indentation-atomic force microscopy can monitor wear-related biomechanical changes in the hip joint of patients with osteoarthritis. Fifty patients (N = 50), aged 40 to 65, were included in the study.

Infrared Thermography Sensor for Disease Activity Detection in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

A recent review of thermography studies in rheumatoid arthritis shows limited data about disease activity and mostly focuses on differences between the thermography of rheumatoid arthritis patients and typical subjects. A retrospective study compared patients with high disease activity (n = 50), moderate disease activity (n = 16), and healthy participants (n = 42), taking into account demographic, clinical, laboratory, and thermography parameters. We applied an infrared thermography sensor and a fingers examination protocol.

Correction of Planovalgus Deformity Through Rotational Reinsertion of the Lateral Layers of the Achilles Tendons in Ambulatory Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Symptomatic planovalgus deformity is a condition commonly seen in patients with cerebral palsy. The authors propose a new procedure for the management of this deformity through rotational reinsertion of the lateral layers of the Achilles tendon, and then they assess its benefit by comparing plantar pressure distribution patterns in children preoperatively and at 6- and 12-month intervals postoperatively. Pedobarographic measurements, range of motion of the ankle, and radiographic indexes were used to assess the outcome of the surgery.

Ensembling rules in automatic analysis of pressure on plantar surface in children with pes planovalgus.

Purpose: This paper presents a method of ensembling rules obtained through induction of several basic types of decision trees.

Material And Methods: The proposed method uses rules generated by means of well-known decision trees: CART, CHAID, exhaustive CHAID and C4.5.

Research of the spatial-temporal gait parameters and pressure characteristic in spastic diplegia children.

Purpose: Spastic diplegia is the most common form of cerebral palsy. It presents with symmetric involvement of the lower limbs and upper limbs. Children with spastic diplegia frequently experience problems with motor control, spasticity, and balance which lead to gait abnormalities.

Assessing plantar pressure distribution in children with flatfoot arch: application of the Clarke angle.

Background: Flatfoot, or pes planus, is one of the most common foot posture problems in children that may lead to lower-extremity pain owing to a potential increase in plantar pressure. First, we compared plantar pressure distribution between children with and without flatfoot. Second, we examined the reliability and accuracy of a simple metric for characterization of foot posture: the Clarke angle.

Analysis of the plantar pressure distribution in children with foot deformities.

This paper describes the method of measuring and assessing the pressure distribution under typical feet and the feet of patients with deformities such as: planovalgus, clubfoot, and pes planus using a pedobarograph. Foot pressure distribution was measured during static and walking at individual normal walking speed. Time-series pressure measurements for all sensors were grouped into five anatomical areas of human foot.