Long-term follow-up study of Kudo Type-5 elbow prosthesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: minimum 10-year clinical outcomes.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis often leads to debilitating damage in the elbow joint, which may require total elbow arthroplasty (TEA). The Kudo TEA is one of the unlinked type prostheses with reportedly favorable outcomes. However, there is limited information available regarding its long-term performance.

Risk Factors and Prevalence of Sleep Disturbance in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

Background: Sleep disturbances, especially those lasting more than one hour, are under-researched in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for such disturbances in DCM patients undergoing decompression surgery and to identify factors contributing to poor postoperative improvement.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted on consecutive patients diagnosed with DCM who underwent cervical decompression surgery between April 2018 and August 2022.

Correlation between severity of preoperative low back pain and postoperative outcomes in lumbar disc herniation surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Background Context: Low back pain (LBP) frequently occurs in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), however the extent to which discectomy ameliorates it and how preoperative LBP influences postoperative outcomes remains unclear.

Purpose: To evaluate the improvement in LBP and its impact on postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Study Design/setting: Multicenter retrospective observational study.

Association of rare variants in RNF213 with severe progression of intracranial artery stenosis in quasi-moyamoya disease.

Objective: The genetic basis underlying the pathophysiology of quasi-moyamoya disease (qMMD) is unclear. Herein, the authors aimed to comprehensively analyze genetic variants in qMMD and investigate their association with clinical phenotypes, focusing on RNF213 and other moyamoya angiopathy (MMA)-related genes.

Methods: The authors evaluated 14 consecutive cases of qMMD, whose underlying conditions included autoimmune disease, head irradiation, meningitis/pachymeningitis, and Turner syndrome, and 9 cases of hyperthyroidism-associated MMD (hMMD).

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Implants for Chronic Motor Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Trial.

Background And Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is frequently characterized by chronic motor deficits. Therefore, this clinical trial assessed whether intracranial implantation of allogeneic modified mesenchymal stromal (SB623) cells can improve chronic motor deficits after TBI.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of the double-blind, randomized, prospective, surgical sham-controlled, phase 2, STEMTRA clinical trial (June 2016 and March 2019) with 48 weeks of follow-up was conducted.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction Following Surgery for Thoracic Myelopathy.

Introduction: The association between postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and patient satisfaction remains poorly defined in patients undergoing surgery for thoracic myelopathy. This study aimed to investigate PROs and patient satisfaction following surgical intervention for thoracic myelopathy.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 133 patients who underwent surgery for thoracic myelopathy at 13 hospitals between April 2017 and August 2021 was enrolled.

New non-contrast MRI of endolymphatic hydrops in Ménière's disease considering inversion time.

Objectives: Three-tesla MRI with gadolinium-based contrast agents is important in diagnosing Ménière's disease. However, contrast agents cannot be used in some patients. By using the compositional difference between the inner ear endolymph and perilymph, we performed basic and clinical research focused on potassium ions and protein to find the optimal parameters for visualizing endolymphatic hydrops on MRI without contrast.

Proton Beam Therapy for Treating Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Major Portal Vein Tumor Invasion: A Single Center Retrospective Study.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) has a poor prognosis and is generally not indicated for surgery. Proton beam therapy (PBT) may offer an alternative treatment. In this study, long-term outcomes were examined in 116 patients (median age 66 years, 100 males) with HCC with advanced PVTT (Vp3 or Vp4) who received PBT from April 2008 to March 2018.

Histopathological Confirmation of Axonal Sprouting in Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface.

Symptomatic neuroma represents a debilitating complication after major limb amputation. The regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) has emerged as a reproducible and practical surgery aimed at mitigating the formation of painful neuroma. Although previous animal studies revealed axonal sprouting, elongation, and synaptogenesis of proximal nerve stump within the muscle graft in RPNI, there is a lack of reports confirming these physiological reactions at the histopathological level in human samples.

Post-operative shift in pain profile following fusion surgery for adult spinal deformity: a cluster analysis.

Purpose: Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is associated with a combination of back and leg pain of various intensities. The objective of the present study was to investigate the diverse reaction of pain profiles following ASD surgery as well as post-operative patient satisfaction.

Methods: Multicenter surveillance collected data for patients ≥ 19 years old who underwent primary thoracolumbar fusion surgery at > 5 spinal levels for ASD.

Association between the initial physical activity and functional recovery after 1 month of inpatient rehabilitation for subacute stroke: stratified analysis by nutritional status.

Objectively measured physical activity volume serves as a predictive factor for functional recovery in patients with stroke. Malnutrition, a frequent complication of stroke, may influence the relationship between physical activity and functional recovery. This study aimed to examine the association between physical activity volume and functional recovery in patients with stroke, stratified by their nutritional status.

Health Status Progression Measured Using Weekly Telemonitoring of COPD Assessment Test Scores Over 1 Year and Its Association With COPD Exacerbations.

Background: A previous longitudinal study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) score changes suggested patients fall into 3 patterns: stable, improving, and worsening. This study assessed the evolution of CAT scores over time and its relationship to exacerbations.

Methods: In total, 84 participants used a telemedicine platform to complete CAT weekly for 52 weeks.

Testosterone bounce predicts favorable prognoses for prostate cancer patients treated with degarelix.

Background: To clarify the clinical roles of changes in testosterone (T) levels with a cut-off level of 20 ng/dL as predictive factors for prostate cancer patients treated with degarelix acetate.

Methods: A total of 120 prostate cancer patients who received hormone therapies with gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist degarelix acetate were retrospectively analyzed. The predictive values of nadir T levels, max T levels, T bounce, and other clinical factors were evaluated for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS).

Copy Number Gain in Androgen Receptors Predicts the Poor Prognosis in Japanese Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer.

Background/aim: The prognostic significance of androgen receptor amplification (AR amp) in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was studied in Japanese patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Patients And Methods: A total of 120 serum samples were obtained from 38 patients with CRPC. Serum cfDNA was purified and the AR copy number was determined.

Metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer patients' experience with Radium-223 treatment in Japan.

We aimed to determine Japanese metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients' Ra-223 treatment experience. Patients answered the Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire (CTSQ domains: Satisfaction with Therapy [SWT], Expectations of Therapy [ET], Feelings about Side Effects [FSE]), the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC) and the FACT-Bone Pain (FACT-BP) Questionnaire at baseline, during (vists 3 and 5) and after treatment (end of observation; EOO). Data from 72 patients were included.