ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis (PNE) in mammillary fistulas (MFs). A prospective study was performed in 18 patients with MF who were treated with the PNE technique. The technique was repeated in the case of no response or recurrence. The results obtained show that MFs revealing an elongated appearance with the ultrasound (US) are generally resolved with two sessions of PNE, whereas ovoid MFs require several sessions of PNE for complete resolution and they tend to recur. Success of the treatment with PNE was observed in 88.8% of the patients (16/18), and failure, after five or six sessions in two cases (11.2%), which were referred for surgery. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to reveal that the PNE technique is safe, effective, quick, and well-tolerated by patients.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different ergonomic supports on the muscle activity of two trunk muscles while a group of dentists performed a common dental procedure on a phantom head, divided into three tasks. METHODS: A one-way repeated measures study (ANOVA) was conducted on a group of 36 dentists. The middle trapezius and lumbar erector spinae muscles were measured with and without the use of different ergonomic supports (ergonomic stool, magnification lenses and both) using a portable surface electromyography (sEMG) device. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the absolute standard error of measurement (SEM) were used to establish the reliability of the baseline measures without ergonomic supports. RESULTS: The sEMG showed excellent ICCs (ranging from 0.92 to 0.99) and SEM. Bonferroni post hoc tests showed differences between the three ergonomic supports (p < 0.001) in both muscles studied. The lowest muscle activity measurement occurred with the isolated used of magnification lenses. The use of the ergonomic stool increased the muscle activity of the middle trapezius and lumbar erector spinae muscles to a greater extent than the magnification lenses. The combination of the ergonomic stool and the magnification lenses produced a different effect on each muscle.
ABSTRACT
Ergonomic supports have become popular for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of different ergonomic supports and their combination to reduce muscle activity of the neck and shoulder muscles. A one-way repeated measures design was used to evaluate 36 practicing dentists while they performed three posterior composite restoration procedures on a phantom head. Portable surface electromyography (sEMG) recordings were used to measure the muscle activity of three muscles (Upper Trapezius, Lateral Deltoid and Anterior Deltoid) in the dominant upper extremity, with and without the use of different ergonomic supports (ergonomic stool, magnification lenses and both) during the performance of these tasks. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used. The muscle activity of all muscles differed significantly across the four ergonomic conditions during the three tasks. The use of ergonomic supports such as magnification lenses, the ergonomic stool, or the combination of both, is effective for decreasing the muscle activity of the three muscles during the three tasks, when compared to standard practice. In addition, the decrease of muscle activity was higher using magnification lenses when compared to the ergonomic stool. Furthermore, the greatest decrease was found with the combination of both supports.
