Limitations of Self-Report Tools in Pain Evaluation of Patients With Vertebral Fractures.

Few studies have evaluated the usefulness and limitations of pain assessment using verbal communication tools for acute orthopedic diseases in older patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of usage of the numerical rating scale (NRS), a verbal communication tool, and to identify the characteristics of patients in whom continuous assessment was impossible. We retrospectively examined electronic medical records of patients with acute vertebral fractures who had been admitted to our hospital between April 2018 and March 2020.

Availability of Observational Pain Assessment Tools in Hospitalized Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures.

: Osteoporotic vertebral fractures in older patients cause lower back pain and abnormal posture, resulting in impaired activities of daily living (ADLs). Assessing pain using self-reported assessment tools is difficult, especially in patients with moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment. Recently, observational assessment tools have been used when self-reported ones were difficult to administer.

Risk Factors for Residual Back Pain After Balloon Kyphoplasty for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture.

Background: Balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) is a method for the management of osteoporotic vertebral body fracture (OVF). However, improvement in back pain (BP) is poor in some patients, also previous reports have not elucidated the exact incidence and risk factors for residual BP after BKP. We clarified the characteristics of residual BP after BKP in patients with OVF.

Nitric oxide synthase contributes to the maintenance of LTP in the oxytocin-mRFP1 neuron of the rat hypothalamus.

Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuropeptide hormone that plays a critical role in nociception. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a major form of synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system. Recently, LTP has been reported in the hypothalamus; however, data on LTP in hypothalamic OXT-ergic neurons are unclear.

Periostin increased by mechanical stress upregulates interleukin-6 expression in the ligamentum flavum.

Ligamentum flavum (LF) hypertrophy is a major cause of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. Although mechanical stress is thought to be a major factor involved in LF hypertrophy, the exact mechanism by which it causes hypertrophy has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, changes in gene expression due to long-term mechanical stress were analyzed using RNA-seq in a rabbit LF hypertrophy model.

Relationship between body mass index and spinal pathology in community-dwelling older adults.

Purpose: To clarify the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and spinal pathologies including spinal sagittal balance, back extensor strength (BES), paraspinal muscle mass, prevalent vertebral fracture, disc degeneration, Modic changes, low back pain, and quality of life (QOL) in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: This study included 380 participants (age: ≥ 65 years, male/female: 152/228) from the Shiraniwa Study. Multivariate nonlinear regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between BMI and sagittal vertical axis (SVA), BES, paraspinal muscle mass, visual analog scale (VAS) for low back pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and EuroQoL-5 Dimension (EQ5D) score after adjusting for sex, age, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score, and Charlson Comorbidity Index.

Clinical usefulness and safety in the early phase after a newly designed rotating-platform total knee arthroplasty: A prospective multicentre cohort study with a 2-year follow up.

Background: This study aimed to assess the clinical results and safety of a newly designed rotating-platform posterior-stabilised total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the early postoperative phase, within 2 years of follow up.

Methods: This prospective, multicentre cohort study included 100 consecutive patients who underwent rotating-platform posterior-stabilised (PS) TKA (Vanguard PSRP). After excluding dropouts, 93 patients were analysed.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Elderly Patients with Spinal Disorders.

During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, home-quarantine has been necessary, resulting in lifestyle changes that might negatively affect patients with spinal disorders, including a reduction in their quality of life (QoL) and activities of daily living (ADLs). However, studies on this impact are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the age-related changes in QoL and ADLs in patients with spinal disorders, and also identify factors associated with decline in ADLs.

Artificial intelligence model to identify elderly patients with locomotive syndrome: A cross-section study.

Background: Identifying elderly individuals with locomotive syndrome is important to prevent disability in this population. Although screening tools for locomotive syndrome are available, these require time commitment and are limited by an individual's ability to complete questionnaires independently. To improve on this limitation, we developed a screening tool that uses information on the distribution of pressure on the plantar surface of the foot with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision system to identify patients with locomotor syndrome.

Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome and its Symptoms among Patients with Spinal Disorders.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the symptoms of RLS in patients with spinal disorders and the impact of RLS on the clinical outcomes of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The records of 278 patients (age range 65-92 years) with spinal disorders who visited our outpatient clinic were reviewed.

Evaluation of changes in oral health-related quality of life over time in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Objectives: To assess oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and changes in OHRQoL in 3 years of patients with Sjögren's symdrome (SS).

Methods: Thirty-five SS patients and 23 non-SS individuals were enrolled. OHRQoL were quantitatively evaluated using the shortened Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14).

Accuracy of tibial component placement in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty performed using an accelerometer-based portable navigation system.

Purpose: There is a need for new devices to improve the accuracy of implantation in unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKAs). The accelerometer-based portable navigation system is expected to improve this accuracy. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of UKAs performed by the portable navigation system with that of the conventional method, and to investigate whether the portable navigation system can complement the surgeon's experience.

Medium-term clinical results of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for the treatment for spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee with four to 15 years of follow-up.

Background: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an option for the treatment of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK). However, there are limited studies focusing on this area. This study presents medium-term clinical outcome data of UKA for SONK.

Characterizing the course of back pain after osteoporotic vertebral fracture: a hierarchical cluster analysis of a prospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: This study demonstrated four distinct patterns in the course of back pain after osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF). Greater angular instability in the first 6 months after the baseline was one factor affecting back pain after OVF.

Purpose: Understanding the natural course of symptomatic acute OVF is important in deciding the optimal treatment strategy.

Proposal of new classification of femoral trochanteric fracture by three-dimensional computed tomography and relationship to usual plain X-ray classification.

Purpose: Classification of femoral trochanteric fractures is usually based on plain X-ray findings using the Evans, Jensen, or AO/OTA classification. However, complications such as nonunion and cut out of the lag screw or blade are seen even in stable fracture. This may be due to the difficulty of exact diagnosis of fracture pattern in plain X-ray.

Time course of osteoporotic vertebral fractures by magnetic resonance imaging using a simple classification: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: This study revealed the time course of osteoporotic vertebral fracture by magnetic resonance imaging using a simple classification. Signal changes were associated with the compression degree and mobility of the fractured vertebral body. This classification showed sufficient reliability in categorizing magnetic resonance imaging findings of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Predicting delayed union in osteoporotic vertebral fractures with consecutive magnetic resonance imaging in the acute phase: a multicenter cohort study.

Unlabelled: This study demonstrated the predictive values of radiological findings for delayed union after osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs). High-signal changes on T2WI were useful findings.

Introduction: The purpose of the present study is to determine predictive radiological findings for delayed union by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and plain X-rays at two time points in the acute phase of OVFs.

[Efficacy of combined local therapy especially with hepatic arterial infusion for liver metastasis from gastric cancer].

Herein, we report four cases of a single liver metastasis after gastric cancer resection. Initially, we chose to perform hepatic arterial infusion( HAI) with high-dose 5-fluorouracil( 5-FU)( 6,000 mg/week) or weekly 500-750 mg of 5-FU. Three patients showed a partial response (PR) and one patient showed no change (NC).

[Combination therapy for inoperable cholangiocellular carcinoma-systemic chemotherapy and hepatic arterial injection].

We report the case of a 52-year-old woman with cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) involving the lymph node and lung metastases who was admitted to our hospital because of right abdominal pain and anorexia. We started systemic chemotherapy(SCT) comprising 5-fluorouracil(5-FU; 1 g) and gemcitabine(GEM; 1 g) biweekly. After 1 course of SCT, we treated her with high-dose hepatic arterial injection (6 g 5-FU/1 week).

[A case of huge liver metastases from the colon cancer suffered from abdominal pain (an amount of LDH was beyond 4,000 IU/L)].

We report a case suffered from an abdominal pain with huge hepatic metastases from the colon cancer. After laparoscopic partial colectomy with a three-time treatment of high dose hepatic arterial infusion by 5-FU (HDHAI), the tumor was decreased in size. Unfortunately she had an infectious pseudoaneurysm at the site of puncture.

[Efficacy of short-term high volume (6 g of 5-FU in a week) hepatic arterial infusion for synchronous diffuse liver metastases of sigmoid colon cancer with over 40 thousand ng/mL of CEA of ascites].

We report a case of patient who recovered from liver failure with synchronous diffuse liver metastases of sigmoid colon cancer by a short-term high volume (6 g of 5-FU in a week) hepatic arterial infusion (STHV-HAI). After four times of STHV-HAI, she had sigmoidectomy and bilateral oohorectomy and continued a weekly hepatic arterial infusion therapy until now. The case was a 75-year-old lady.