Effects of Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy on Quality of Life in Patients with Somatopause

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing interest in growth hormone (GH) replacement therapy to improve quality of life (QoL) of elderly with age-related decline in GH level (somatopause). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of GH replacement on the QoL in patients with somatopause. METHOD: A prospective study of 56 adults with somatopause was conducted. They were replaced with a GH over a 6-month period. QoL was assessed by using three self-rating questionnaires: the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) and theAssessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (AGHDA). RESULTS: Significant impairment in QoL as measured by NHP, PGWBI and AGHDA were noted in patients with somatopause compared with age and sex matched normal population (p<0.05). There was significant improvement in QoL after 6-month of GH replacement (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Six months GH replacement induced an improvement in the QoL of patients with somatopause.

Disability Duration in Musculoskeletal Injured Patients due to Automobile Accidents

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to refer descriptive statistics of the disability duration in musculoskeletal injured patients in the automobile accidents. METHOD: The authors chose 469,319 injured patients in traffic accidents as subjects that met inclusion criteria with 8 representative Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) comparable with 4th edition of Korean standard classification of diseases. Mean, standard deviation, mode, median, maximum and minimum of 8 representative AIS code were calculated. RESULTS: Mean disability duration for minor cervical sprain was 18.8 days, that of moderate cervical disc herniation was 56.2 days, that of serious cervical disc herniation was 141.5 days, that of minor lumbar sprain was 21.2 days, that of moderate lumbar disc herniation was 53.5 days, that of serious lumbar disc herniation was 128.1 days, that of sprain of 3 major joint in lower limb without desmorrhexis was 24.0 days, and that of dislocation or desmorrhexis of 3 major joint in lower limb was 101.2 days. CONCLUSION: Disability duration of the representative musculoskeletal diseases comparable to AIS code in 4th edition of Korean standard classification of diseases was presented and this study can be utilized as a basic recommended disability duration of automobile injured persons.

Effects of Short Stretch Bandage and Electrical Stimulation Therapy for the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Hemiplegic Patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of short stretch bandage and electrical stimulation therapy (EST) for the complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in hemiplegic patients METHOD: 10 hemiplegic CRPS patients after stroke or traumatic brain injury were included in the study. We established CRPS from clinical symptoms and triphasic bone scan. Short stretch bandage was applied on affected limb and changed every 24 hours for 2 weeks. EST was tried for 10 minutes twice per day. It was applied at finger and wrist flexor muscles. We measured hand volume of pre-and posttreatment using hand volumeter. Also compared pre-and posttreatment pain-free range of motion (ROM) of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint and third proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint circumference. RESULTS: Mean difference of hand volume between the affected and the unaffected prior to treatment was 20.5+/-4.9 ml (7.9+/-2.3%). After treatment, mean volume change was 15.5+/-4.9 ml (5.5+/-1.8%) (p<0.05). Mean change of pain-free ROM was 8.0+/-4.8 degree (10.9+/-7.1%), mean change of PIP joint circumference was 3.1+/-1.4 mm (5.9+/-2.4%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Short stretch bandage and EST complex therapy is effective for the reduction of paralyzed hand edema and pain in hemiplegic CRPS patients. However further control study is required.

The Effect of Vitamin K2 in Addition to Risedronate on the Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of vitamin K2 in addition to risedronate on postmenopausal osteoporosis METHOD: We enrolled 21 postmenopausal osteoporosis women (age: 65.2+/-7.8 years). Ten subjects received risedronate (35 mg, weekly) and vitamin K2 (45 mg, daily) and eleven subjects only received risedronate. They all received calcium citrate 2,130 mg and vitamin D 600 IU daily. The duration of treatment was 7.7+/-1.4 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine and both femurs, serum osteocalcin and urine deoxypyridinoline were examined at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, BMD, serum osteocalcin and urine deoxypyridinoline were improved in each group but there was no statistical difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: There was no evidence of the benefit of vitamin K2 in addition to risedronate in bone metabolism on postmenopausal osteoporosis.