Do Magnets Have the Potential to Serve as a Stabilizer for the Shoulder Joint in Massive Rotator Cuff Tears?: A Biomechanical Cadaveric Study

Background@#Disruption of the rotator cuff muscles compromises concavity compression force, which leads to superior migration of the humeral head and loss of stability. A novel idea of using the magnetic force to achieve shoulder stabilization in massive rotator cuff tears (MRCTs) was considered because the magnets can stabilize two separate entities with an attraction force. This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical effect of the magnetic force on shoulder stabilization in MRCTs. @*Methods@#Seven fresh frozen cadaveric specimens were used with a customized shoulder testing system. Three testing conditions were set up: condition 1, intact rotator cuff without magnets; condition 2, an MRCT without magnets; condition 3, an MRCT with magnets. For each condition, anterior-posterior translation, superior translation, superior migration, and subacromial contact pressure were measured at 0°, 30°, and 60° of abduction. The abduction capability of condition 2 was compared with that of condition 3. @*Results@#The anterior-posterior and superior translations increased in condition 2; however, they decreased compared to condition 2 when the magnets were applied (condition 3) in multiple test positions and loadings (p <0.05). Abduction capability improved significantly in condition 3 compared with that in condition 2, even for less deltoid loading (p < 0.05). @*Conclusions@#The magnet biomechanically played a positive role in stabilizing the shoulder joint and enabled abduction with less deltoid force in MRCTs. However, to ensure that the magnet is clinically applicable as a stabilizer for the shoulder joint, it is necessary to thoroughly verify its safety in the human body and to conduct further research on technical challenges.

Menopause Knowledge, Attitude, Symptom and Management among Midlife Employed Women

OBJECTIVES: Midlife women's knowledge, positive attitudes and management toward menopause may improve the quality of peri and post-menopause life. This study was to identify correlations of the knowledge, attitude, symptoms and management toward menopause in middle-aged women. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional questionnaire study applying to 231 perimenopausal and menopausal women aged from 40 to 59 years old. The completed data of 189 perimenopausal and menopausal women were analyzed through t-test, ANOVA and pearson's correlation coefficient using the SPSS statistical programme. RESULTS: The menopausal women showed significantly higher physical symptoms than perimenopausal women. The menopausal women showed significantly higher psychosomatic symptom than perimenopausal women. There was a significant correlation between the menopausal attitude and management. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the fundamental data of developing midlife women's symptom index (MSI) and providing menopause management could be a strategy to encourage successful menopausal transition in middle-aged women.

The Relationship of Long-term Care Workers' Health Awareness on Life Satisfaction

BACKGROUND: Considering the importance of human resource management of the long-term care workers, this study is to propose a political and practical intervention approach. The approach is based on the analysis of research on the influe nce of long-term care workers' health awareness on their life satisfaction. METHODS: The participants of this study include 600 long-term care workers working at Nursing homes and Nursing facilities located in Seoul. The data collected from the participants are analyzed with Multi Regression Analysis. RESULTS: The participants of this study include 600 long-term care workers working at Nursing homes and Nursing facilities located in Seoul. The data collected from the participants are analyzed with Multi Regression Analysis. Results: As a result of T-test and analysis of variance, statistically significant parameters to the subjective awareness of health are as follows: marriage, education, religion and work places. And as the minor parameters that influence the rate of life satisfaction the positive relationships between the emotional health (beta=0.178, p<0.01) and the intellectual health (beta=0.281, p<0.001) is statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The results of analysis indicate as follows: there is a positively significant relationship between social demographic characteristics, health awareness and life satisfaction; the higher participation in social activities, more women than men, and the higher income, the higher health awareness. The findings point out the importance of emotional and intellectual health and efforts to promote better health and demand for a societal change in health awareness. This study provides the baseline data for a practical intervention measure and political suggestion by examining how the individual characteristics and health awareness influence life satisfaction of long-term care workers, and by analyzing the effect of the interactions between them.