Rehabilitation Services Provided to Patients with Peripheral Facial Nerve Palsy by Hospitals Affiliated with the Aichi Prefectural Koseiren / 日本農村医学会雑誌

　　This paper describes the results of a questionnaire survey on the facts about rehabilitation treatment of peripheral facial nerve palsy given by facilities affiliated with the Aichi Prefectural Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives for Health and Welfare. Self-administered questionnaires were sent by mail to seven hospitals (excluding our hospital) affiliated with the prefectural Koseiren in order to check up on whether they are actually providing rehabilitation programs for peripheral facial nerve palsy or not; patient occupation (specialty of rehab providers?), departments from which the patients were referred for rehabilitation, the time when rehabilitation began, frequency, finishing time, yardstick for terminating rehab, program contents, etc. The survey found that four hospitals are giving treating and training for rehabilitation such as massaging, stretching and toning of facial muscles. For pathologic synergic control, one hospital had a feedback training program. None of these four hospitals provided low-frequency current therapy. In view of the facts that any treatment methodology was yet to be established for pathologic synergic control and there are three facilities without any rehabilitation program, we felt keenly the need to put a greater emphasis on the importance of rehabilitation intervention and encourage many more health facilities to rehabilitative care.

Relationship between Bilateral Fractures of Proximal Femur and Knee Osteoarthritis / 日本農村医学会雑誌

  In recent years, the incidence of proximal femur fractures has been increasing with the aging of the population. There has been a growing number of those patients who injure on the other side of the hip at later date. We studied the relationship between proximal femurfractures and knee osteoarthritis, which is one of the diseases preceding fractures.<br>  We surveyed 234 and 17 patients hospitalized with unilateral and bilateral fractures, respectively at Atsumi Hoapital from April 2008 to March 2011. The research covered sex, age, the cause of injury, the period until they had proximal femur fractures on the other side, bilateral-fracture rate, incidence rates of diseases (cerebrovascular, eye and respiratory), knee osteoarthritis, dementia, diabetes and other forms of fracture.<br>  As a result, we confirmed the connection between knee osteoarthritis and bilateral fractures. There was every indication that knee osteoarthritis may be a major factor which leads to bilateral fractures. All patients with bilateral fracture injured resulting from falls.<br>  We believe it is important to take an approach on the treatment of hip fractures and prevention of knee osteoarthritis and falling.