Lifestyle and body composition changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective, observational study

Objectives@#Behavioral restrictions and staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic have affected lifestyles. It was hypothesized that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) decreased their activities of daily living (ADL) and exercise during the pandemic. The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in lifestyle and body composition. @*Methods@#Data were obtained from an observational study (CHIKARA study). Of 100 RA patients, 70 (57 women, 13 men) were followed-up with measurements of grip strength, as well as muscle mass, fat mass, and basal metabolic rate by a body composition analyzer. Changes in ADL and exercise were evaluated using a visual analog scale. The relationships between changes in ADL or exercise and body composition were investigated. @*Results@#Muscle mass and grip strength were significantly lower after behavioral restrictions compared to the periods before restrictions (34.0 vs 34.7 kg, P < 0.001; 16.2 vs 17.2 kg, P = 0.013, respectively). Fat mass was significantly greater after behavioral restrictions compared to the periods before restrictions (16.2 vs 15.5 kg, P = 0.014). The mean decrease in ADL was 44%, whereas that of exercise was 20%.The change in muscle mass (β = −0.335, P = 0.007) was the only independent factor for the change in exercise on multivariate analysis. @*Conclusions@#Muscle mass and grip strength decreased and fat mass increased in RA patients with the behavioral restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Muscle mass decreased in patients without exercise. Maintenance of muscle mass may be important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Osteosarcopenia synergistically increases the risk of falls in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives@#Osteosarcopenia is defined as osteoporosis with sarcopenia. The impacts of osteosarcopenia on falls and fractures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were investigated using 4 years of data from a longitudinal study (CHIKARA study). @*Methods@#The patients were divided into 4 groups by their baseline status: no sarcopenia and no osteoporosis (SP-OP-); only sarcopenia (SP + OP-); only osteoporosis (SP-OP+); and both sarcopenia and osteoporosis (SP + OP+). Survival rates and Cox hazard ratios were analyzed using falls and fractures as endpoints, adjusted by age, sex, and body mass index. @*Results@#A total of 100 RA patients (SP-OP-: 44%, SP + OP-: 17%, SP-OP+: 28%, and SP + OP+: 11%) were enrolled; 37 patients had falls, and 19 patients had fractures. The fall-free and fracture-free survival rates were significantly lower in SP + OP+ (36.4%, 54.5%) than in SP-OP- (75.0%, 86.4%). The hazard ratio of falls was significantly increased in SP + OP+, by 3.32-fold (95%CI: 1.01–10.9), whereas in SP + OP- and SP-OP+, there were no differences compared to SP-OP-. @*Conclusions@#The survival rates with the endpoints of falls and fractures in RA patients with osteosarcopenia were lower during 4-year follow-up. The risk of falls increased with the synergistic effect of osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

Screening for sarcopenia and obesity by measuring thigh muscle and fat thickness by ultrasound in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives@#Sarcopenia is relatively common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Thicknesses of the quadriceps muscle and fat are easily measured by ultrasound (US) and are known to be related to skeletal muscle mass and fat mass, respectively. @*Methods@#Eighty-four patients enrolled in the prospective correlation research of sarcopenia, skeletal muscle, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis study (UMIN000023744) underwent US examinations of anterior thigh muscle thickness (MT) and fat thickness (FT). Muscle and body fat (BF) mass were also examined by a body composition analyzer. Whether MT and FT were related to sarcopenia and obesity was examined. @*Results@#MT was significantly lower in RA patients with sarcopenia than in those without (23.8 vs 28.2 mm, P ¼ 0.001). MT was related to sarcopenia (men: r ¼ 0.56, P ¼ 0.02, women: r ¼ 0.32, P ¼ 0.01). The cut-off value of MT for sarcopenia was 24.7 mm in men and 19.7 mm in women on receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. FT was correlated with BF percentage (%BF; men: r ¼ 0.66, P < 0.01, women: r ¼ 0.62, P < 0.001), which was estimated by 2.04xFTþ8.53 in men and 1.2xFTþ17.42 in women by a simple linear regression model. This means that FT ! 8.1 mm in men and FT ! 14.6 mm in women indicated obesity. @*Conclusions@#US examination of the anterior thigh was useful to detect sarcopenia and obesity in RA patients.

Screening for sarcopenia and obesity by measuring thigh muscle and fat thickness by ultrasound in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives@#Sarcopenia is relatively common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Thicknesses of the quadriceps muscle and fat are easily measured by ultrasound (US) and are known to be related to skeletal muscle mass and fat mass, respectively. @*Methods@#Eighty-four patients enrolled in the prospective correlation research of sarcopenia, skeletal muscle, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis study (UMIN000023744) underwent US examinations of anterior thigh muscle thickness (MT) and fat thickness (FT). Muscle and body fat (BF) mass were also examined by a body composition analyzer. Whether MT and FT were related to sarcopenia and obesity was examined. @*Results@#MT was significantly lower in RA patients with sarcopenia than in those without (23.8 vs 28.2 mm, P ¼ 0.001). MT was related to sarcopenia (men: r ¼ 0.56, P ¼ 0.02, women: r ¼ 0.32, P ¼ 0.01). The cut-off value of MT for sarcopenia was 24.7 mm in men and 19.7 mm in women on receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. FT was correlated with BF percentage (%BF; men: r ¼ 0.66, P < 0.01, women: r ¼ 0.62, P < 0.001), which was estimated by 2.04xFTþ8.53 in men and 1.2xFTþ17.42 in women by a simple linear regression model. This means that FT ! 8.1 mm in men and FT ! 14.6 mm in women indicated obesity. @*Conclusions@#US examination of the anterior thigh was useful to detect sarcopenia and obesity in RA patients.

Surgical Outcomes of Multilevel Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion versus Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion for the Correction of Adult Spinal Deformity: A Comparative Clinical Study

Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 31 ASD patients who underwent multilevel LIF combined with PCO (LIF group, n=14) or multilevel PLIF (PLIF group, n=17) and with a minimum 2-year follow-up. In the comparison between LIF and PLIF groups, their mean age at surgery was 69.4 vs. 61.8 years while the mean follow-up period was 29.2 vs. 59.3 months. We evaluated the transition of pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis (PI–LL) and disc angle (DA) in the LIF group, in fulcrum backward bending (FBB), after LIF and after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with PCO. The spinopelvic radiographic parameters were compared between LIF and PLIF groups. @*Results@#Compared with the PLIF group, the LIF group had less blood loss and comparable surgical outcomes with respect to radiographic data, health-related quality of life scores and surgical time. In the LIF group, the mean DA and PI–LL were unchanged after LIF (DA, 5.8°; PI–LL, 15°) compared with the values using FBB (DA, 4.3°; PI–LL, 15°) and improved significantly after PSF with PCO (DA, 8.1°; PI–LL, 0°). @*Conclusions@#In the surgical treatment of ASD, multilevel LIF is less invasive than multilevel PLIF and combination of LIF and PCO would be necessary for optimal sagittal correction in patients with rigid deformity.

Autogenic Rib Graft for Atlantoaxial and Occipitocervical Fixation in Pediatric Patients

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. PURPOSE: To evaluate surgical outcomes and effectiveness of an autogenic rib graft for upper cervical fixation in pediatric patients. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Autogenic bone grafts have long been considered the ‘gold standard’ bone source for posterior cervical fusion in pediatric patients. However, there are some unsolved problems associated with donor-site morbidity and amount of bone grafting. METHODS: We studied five consecutive pediatric patients who underwent atlantoaxial fixation or occipitocervical fixation (OCF) using an autogenic rib graft with at least 2 years of follow-up (mean age, 9.8 years; mean follow-up period, 73.0 months). Two patients underwent OCF without screw-rod constructs and three patients with screw-rod constructs. Autogenic rib grafts were used in all patients. We evaluated the surgical outcomes including radiographic parameter, bony union, and perioperative complications. RESULTS: The atlantoaxial interval (ADI) was corrected from 11.6 to 6.0 mm, and the C1–2 angle was corrected −14.8° to 7.8°. The C2–7 angle was reduced from 31° to 9° spontaneously. Two patients with OCF required revision surgery due to loss of correction. Patients did not experience any complication associated with the donor sites (rib bone grafts). Six months postoperation X-rays clearly showed regeneration of the rib at the donor sites. Bony fusion was achieved in all patients; however, bony fusion occurred more slowly in patients without screw-rod constructs compared with patients with screw-rod constructs. Bone regeneration of the rib was observed in all patients with no complications at the donor site. CONCLUSIONS: Autogenic rib grafts have advantages of potential bone regeneration, high fusion rate, and low donor-site morbidity. In addition, a screw-rod construct provides better bony fusion in pediatric patients with OCF and atlantoaxial fixation.