Ankle joint motor performance in diabetic peripheral neuropathy

This study was done to evaluate the ankle joint motor performance in diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Thirty male non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients [NIDDM] with peripheral neuritis were in addition to 30 age and sex matched health volunteers as controls were selected for this study. The results indicated that peak torque [PT], total work [TW] and power [PW] of ankle dorsi-flexion were significantly lower in diabetic group compared with the control. As regard the plantar flexion of ankle joint, PT, TW and PW were insignificantly lower in the diabetic group compared with the control at an angular velocity of 60 c/sec, they were significantly lower in the diabetic group at angular velocity of 180 c/sec. These results revealed the weakness of ankle joint motor performance of DPN patients compared with the control as a result of leg muscle weakness which affected the anterior leg muscle group more than the posterior one and/or tightening of the Achilles tendon

Extracorporeal shock waves therapy outcome in refractory chronic plantar faciitis and calcaneal spur

This study was carried out on 30 patients suffering from chronic plantar fasciitis with calcaneal spur and persistent heel pain for more than 12 months. Any other therapy was stopped for a period of two weeks before starting ESWT. All patients underwent pre- and post- treatment examination and follow up assessment through interviews after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The patients were treated with high energy [HE] ESWT and received 2600 shock waves in a session. The second session was performed after four weeks for patients who did not achieve an excellent response. It was concluded that ESWT was recommended for patients suffering from refractory chronic pain and did not response to conservative treatment as an alternative therapy to surgical intervention

Efficacy of transrectal microwave hyperthermia [TRMH] in treatment of abacterial prostatitis

Thirty patients with chronic abacterial prostatitis were randomly divided into two groups [15 cases each]. Group I was given medical treatment in the form of oral minocycline [100 mg] twice daily for three weeks, whereas group II was given the same medical treatment course combined with eight sessions [1-hour each thrice weekly] of TRMH [43 C] to the prostate. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by the effect on symptoms, clinical signs, white blood cells [WBCs] in expressed prostatic fluid [EPF], pre- and post-prostatic massage urinalysis and urodynamic measurements [flowmetry]. The results showed marked improvement of the symptoms and signs among group II patients [excellent results in six, good in three, fair in two and poor in four] and less improvement among group I patients [excellent in three, good in three and poor in nine] as assessed clinically. When a comparison was made between the mean difference of pre- and post-treatment values of groups I and II, superior results were detected with the latter. The mean difference of WBCs in EPF among group II was 19 +/- 9.32 compared with 9.2 +/- 8.2 among group I. Post-prostatic massage urinalysis mean difference in group II was 7.2 +/- 1.99, whereas in group I it was 3.1 +/- 3.93. The uroflowmetric studies showed mean difference Q max to be 4.3 +/- 2.63 in group II, whereas in group I it was 2.0 +/- 1.33. From the above data, it was concluded that transrectal microwave hyperthermia improved the outcome of therapy of chronic abacterial prostatitis and provided a potentially effective therapeutic modality for this condition