Biological Agent and Total Hip Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Purpose: Therapies for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have shown significant improvement since the introduction of biological agents (BIO) in 2003 and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) in 2013 in Japan. The rate of orthopedic surgery, including total hip arthroplasties (THA), may reflect trends in disease severity, management, and health outcomes.

Materials And Methods: An analysis of data on THAs performed at our institutes for treatment of RA with BIO or non-BIO therapy from 2004 to 2021 was conducted.

Effects of simultaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation and static stretching on flexibility and strength: a randomized controlled trial.

[Purpose] This study aimed to determine the effects of simultaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and static stretching on flexibility and muscle strength. [Participants and Methods] A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 96 healthy university students equally assigned to either a simultaneous NMES and static stretching group (Group S) or an NMES-only group (Group C). The gastrocnemius muscle was the target of both NMES and static stretching.

Effects of simultaneous short-term neuromuscular electrical stimulation and static stretching on calf muscles.

[Purpose] The simultaneous application of static stretching and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to calf muscles may enhance physiological parameters in young and healthy individuals; however, the efficacy of this intervention and potential sex variation remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate these aspects. [Participants and Methods] Thirty healthy university students (15 males and 15 females) participated in this study.

Usefulness of Inter-Hospital Heart Team Conference Based Collaborative Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.

An inter-hospital heart team conference based collaborative follow-up (FU) may facilitate outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, especially in hospitals without an outpatient CR center. Consecutive 145 patients with cardiovascular disease who received inpatient treatment at Yamagata University Hospital were divided into collaborative (n = 76) and same-hospital (n = 69) FU groups. In the collaborative FU group, patients received outpatient care at a university hospital and outpatient CR at different hospitals.

Difference in right and left cardio-ankle vascular index as a useful marker for evaluation of leg ischemia in patients with lower extremity arterial disease.

Objectives: Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a blood pressure-independent measure of heart-ankle pulse wave velocity and is used as an indicator of arterial stiffness. However, there is a paradox that CAVI is inversely associated with leg ischemia in patients with lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD). The aim of this study was to clarify the significance of the absolute value of left and right difference in CAVI (diff-CAVI).

Four stem fractures in a 12-year follow-up study of 9,135 patients with Exeter hip stems at seven teaching facilities in Japan.

Background: Although excellent long-term results have been reported for the Exeter stem, stem fracture is recognized as a rare complication. However, there have been no reports on the incidence and risk factors for stem fractures based on detailed population information. This study aimed to clarify the incidence of Exeter hip stem fracture based on detailed population information from seven Exeter stem teaching centers in Japan and to examine the risk factors for stem fracture.

Multi-center study of use of the Exeter stem in Japan: a 10-year follow-up report.

Purpose: Since the introduction of the Exeter stem for clinical use in Japan in 1996, the number of stems used has continued to rise owing to its favorable results. We investigated the outcomes of patients who had previously undergone total hip arthroplasty with the Exeter stem in Japan with a 10-year + follow-up period.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used clinical and radiographic data of 682 cases of primary total hip arthroplasty performed using the Exeter stem.

Predicting anterior cruciate ligament degeneration using magnetic resonance imaging: Insights from histological evaluation.

Background: Mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament is a pathological condition that may impair knee mechanics and contribute to the symptomatology of osteoarthritis. This study aimed to evaluate whether preoperative magnetic resonance imaging can predict anterior cruciate ligament degeneration, specifically mucoid degeneration, and to elucidate the histopathological characteristics of mucoid degeneration in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Methods: We evaluated a total of 95 knees of osteoarthritis patients (23 males, 72 females; mean age: 72.

Paradox of the Relationship between Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and Ankle-Brachial Index in Patients with Lower Extremity Artery Disease.

Measurements of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and toe-brachial index (TBI) are standard examinations for evaluating arterial blood flow in lower extremities and diagnosing lower extremity artery disease (LEAD). It remains to be clarified whether cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a blood pressure-independent parameter of arterial stiffness, is associated with ABI and TBI in patients with LEAD. The subjects were 165 outpatients with LEAD.

Designing artificial circadian environments with multisensory cares for supporting preterm infants' growth in NICUs.

Previous studies suggest the importance of stable circadian environments for fetuses to achieve sound physiology and intrauterine development. This idea is also supported by epidemiological and animal studies, in which pregnant females exposed to repeated shifting of light-dark cycles had increased rates of reproductive abnormalities and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In response to such findings, artificial circadian environments with light-dark (LD) cycles have been introduced to NICUs to promote better physical development of preterm infants.

Efficacy and Safety of Warfarin for the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism - A Multicenter Prospective Observational Cohort Study in Japan (AKAFUJI Study).

Background: A large-scale prospective study of the efficacy and safety of warfarin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been conducted in Japan. Therefore, we conducted a real-world prospective multicenter observational cohort study (AKAFUJI Study; UMIN000014132) to investigate the efficacy and safety of warfarin for VTE.

Methods and results: Between May 2014 and March 2017, 352 patients (mean [±SD] age 67.

Peptides associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy as possible biomarkers for severity of lower extremity arterial disease.

Background And Aims: Seven circulating peptides, consisting of 18-28 amino acids, were identified as possible biomarkers of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in our previous study. However, it is unknown whether these peptides are relevant to cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between serum levels of these peptides and leg arterial blood flow in patients with lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD).

Associations of habitual alcohol drinking with HDL cholesterol and D-dimer in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Background: The risk of cardiovascular disease is lower in light-to-moderate alcohol drinkers than in nondrinkers in the general population. However, it remains to be clarified whether these beneficial effects of alcohol are shown in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods: The subjects were 153 male outpatients with PAD and they were divided by frequency of drinking into nondrinkers, occasional drinkers (1-4 days/wk) and regular drinkers (5-7 days/wk).

Japanese version of the Patient-rated elbow evaluation score correlates with physician-rated Japanese orthopaedic association-Japan elbow society elbow function score.

Background: The association between Patient-Rated Elbow Evaluation: Japanese version (PREE-J) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association-Japan Elbow Society Elbow Function score (JOA-JES score) is unclear. This study evaluated the association between PREE-J and JOA-JES scores.

Methods: The patients with elbow disorders were divided into two groups: Group A (conservative treatment, n = 97) and Group B (surgical treatment, n = 156).

Correlation between magnesium sulphate exposure in utero and serum calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels in preterm infants.

Introduction: Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) is administered to pregnant women at risk of preterm labour and eclampsia. Since prolonged exposure to antenatal MgSO4 is considered to be a risk factor for infant skeletal demineralization, we evaluated infants exposed to antenatal MgSO4 for bone and mineral metabolism using their umbilical cord blood.

Materials And Methods: The study population comprised 137 preterm infants.

Differences in circulating obesity-related microRNAs in Austrian and Japanese men: A two-country cohort analysis.

Background: The prevalence of obesity is higher in Western countries than in East Asian countries. It remains unknown whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of the ethnic difference in obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether expression levels of circulating obesity-associated miRNAs are different in Europeans and Asians.

Progression of Bone and Joint Destruction During the Perinatal Period in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in the Last Decade.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that can cause joint destruction and multiple arthritis. We retrospectively investigated bone and joint destruction during the perinatal period in adult patients with RA and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in our hospitals in the last decade.

Methods: The study included 15 women, with 20 pregnancies, 19 childbirths, and one fetal death recorded between 2009 and 2018.

Relationship Between Body-Specific Attention to a Paretic Limb and Real-World Arm Use in Stroke Patients: A Longitudinal Study.

Learned nonuse is a major problem in upper limb (UL) rehabilitation after stroke. Among the various factors that contribute to learned nonuse, recent studies have focused on body representation of the paretic limb in the brain. We previously developed a method to measure body-specific attention, as a marker of body representation of the paretic limb and revealed a decline in body-specific attention to the paretic limb in chronic stroke patients by a cross-sectional study.

Decreased Tactile Sensitivity Induced by Disownership: An Observational Study Utilizing the Rubber Hand Illusion.

The sense of body ownership, the feeling that one's own body belongs to oneself, is generated from the integration of visual, tactile, and proprioceptive information. However, long-term non-use of parts of the body due to physical dysfunction caused by trauma or illness may disturb multisensory integration, resulting in a decreased sense of body ownership. The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is an experimental method of manipulating the sense of ownership (SoO).

Decennial trends in hip fractures over 20 years in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.

Background: Hip fracture is among the most common injuries in elderly people. We aimed to investigate the decennial trends in hip fractures in patients ≥65 years of age.

Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to all hospitals with a Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in Yamagata Prefecture to collect data on hip fractures occurring in 1996, 2006 and 2016.

Lower limb alignment in healthy Japanese adults.

Background: Knowledge regarding the normal alignment of the lower limb is important when considering alignment for total knee arthroplasty. However, few studies have explored the lower limb alignment of healthy Japanese subjects.

Methods: Between July and October 2020, we performed whole leg standing radiography of 120 legs of 60 healthy adult Japanese volunteers aged <50 years in the closed-leg stance.