Clinical efficacy of local injection therapies for lateral epicondylitis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: We aimed to compare the efficacy of local injection therapies for lateral epicondylitis in a Bayesian framework. Methods: We searched the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest, for randomized controlled trials published from inception to February 2021 in any languages. The injection therapies included corticosteroids (CSs), autologous blood (AB), botulinum toxin (BT), and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Placebo was the reference group for comparison. The study outcomes were pain, function, and strength, at 1, 3 and 6 months after injection. Results: Thirty-one trials were finally included in this network meta-analysis, comprising 1,948 patients. In the first month of treatment, CS and BT were more efficacious than placebo in terms of pain reduction, and CS was superior to BT. In the same follow-up time, CS was also superior to placebo in terms of functional improvement. In the third month of treatment, BT was the only intervention that was more efficient than placebo in pain relief. With regard to functional improvement, none of the treatments significantly had a higher effectiveness than placebo in the same period. Moreover, no therapies were found to be more efficient than placebo in the sixth month of treatment in terms of any study outcomes. In addition, we did not identify an intervention superior to placebo regarding strength improvement outcome in any times of follow-up. Conclusion: CSs and BT are efficient in improving clinical outcomes of lateral epicondylitis in the short term. Also, the efficacy of CSs seems to be greater than BT. On the other hand, AB and PRP were not significantly more efficient than placebo in any times of follow-up.

Examining the Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided Lumbar Transforaminal Injection Controlled by Fluoroscopic Imaging in Patients with Lumbar Radiculopathy: A Modified Technique.

AIM: To present a new sonographic approach for lumbar transforamianal injection and compared it with traditional fluoroscopicguided approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This interventional clinical study was conducted on 30 patients with a history of radicular lowback pain and a recent MRI indicating root compression. On the prone position, with the curve of ultrasound transducer on the parasagittal oblique position, a peripheral venous catheter (# 16) was advanced to the lamina through out-of-plane technique. Then, the transducer position was changed to axial position and an epidural catheter was placed about 8 cm away from midline and advanced under sonography guide with the in-plane technique to the intervertebral foramen. The level and the situation of needle was controlled with fluoroscopy and documented when the corticosteroid (triamcinolone) was injected. Also, pain scores for patients were documented and analyzed with SPSS-22 software. RESULTS: After controlling with fluoroscopy, from all 38 levels of injection, 36 levels were correctly achieved. Of all 36 injections on right levels, all injections were performed in the correct position (in intervertebral foramen). The patients? pain dramatically decreased during the first month after injection (p < 0.001), but after that, it remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: In our study, transforaminal injection was administered using the modified new technique, which was found to be safe and accurate in comparison with the fluoroscopy, as the popular gold standard technique.

Implantation Metastasis of Synovial Cell Sarcoma: Lessons Learned from a Mistake.

Implantation metastasis occurs when tumor seeds into a wound or tissue by a significant amount of viable tumor cells. Here we describe the case of a 30-year-old man suffering from pain and swelling of the foot, which was misdiagnosed as a bone cyst. Surgery was performed involving curettage followed by bone grafting. After surgical pathology, the exact diagnosis was revealed as the synovial sarcoma (SS) of the foot. Implantation metastasis of SS in the iliac region, the grafting site, occurred 9 months post-surgery. Although there are a few reports on implantation metastasis of other types of tumoral lesions, to the best of our knowledge, we describe seeding of this type of tumor for the first time. Similar to other studies, we recommend that tumor surgeries should be carried out in a special setting to prevent any spread to or contamination of other sites by the tumor.

Single- and double-dose of platelet-rich plasma versus hyaluronic acid for treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid have been shown to be useful in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. However, investigations comparing the efficacy of these two drugs together are insufficient. AIM: To compare the outcomes of PRP vs hyaluronic acid injections in three groups of patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial study involved 95 patients. Thirty-one subjects received a single injection of PRP (group PRP-1), 33 subjects received two injections of PRP at an interval of 3 wk (group PRP-2) and 31 subjects received three injections of hyaluronic acid at 1-wk intervals (group hyaluronic acid). The patients were investigated prospectively at the enrollment and at 4-, 8- and 12-wk follow-up with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Visual Analogue Scale questionnaires. RESULTS: Percentages of patients experiencing at least a 30% decrease in the total score for the WOMAC pain subscale from baseline to wk 12 of the intervention were 86%, 100% and 0% in the groups PRP-1, PRP-2 and hyaluronic acid, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean total WOMAC scores for groups PRP-1, PRP-2 and hyaluronic acid at baseline were 63.71, 61.57 and 63.11, respectively. The WOMAC scores were significantly improved at final follow-up to 42.5, 35.32 and 57.26, respectively. The highest efficacy of PRP was observed in both groups at wk 4 with about 50% decrease in the symptoms compared with about 25% decrease for hyaluronic acid. Group PRP-2 had higher efficacy than group PRP-1. No major adverse effects were found during the study. CONCLUSION: PRP is a safe and efficient therapeutic option for treatment of knee osteoarthritis. It was demonstrated to be significantly better than hyaluronic acid. We also found that the efficacy of PRP increases after multiple injections.

Brucellosis as a rare cause of olecranon bursitis: case-based review.

A 51-year-old man shepherd presented with mild pain and swelling of the right posterior aspect of his right elbow. In ultrasonography, the affected bursal space had swelling and effusion. Moreover, the aspiration of the affected bursa revealed an inflammatory profile. Brucella melitensis was detected in aspirated fluid and blood cultures. The serum agglutination test (SAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol test for brucellosis were also positive. Therefore, the diagnosis of brucellar olecranon was confirmed. Treatment was initiated using gentamicin for the first 7 days and doxycycline plus rifampicin for 2 months. After treatment, all clinical signs and symptoms were resolved. No relapse was seen after 1 year of the completion of treatment. Clinicians should pay attention to the symptoms of olecranon brucellar bursitis that is similar to that of pyogenic bursitis.

A Newly Modified Salter Osteotomy Technique for Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of Hip That Is Associated with Decrease in Pressure on Femoral Head and Triradiate Cartilage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Salter innominate osteotomy has been an effective method to treat the developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) over the past decades; however, several postoperative complications and deficiencies were reported. In this study, we evaluated outcome of a newly modified Salter osteotomy in patients presenting with DDH. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively 76 patients (90 hips) with DDH aged ≥ 18 months, who underwent open reduction and a modified osteotomy by a single surgeon. The distal osteotomy segment of pelvis was shifted anterolaterally in the amount of osteotomy cross-section, but not downwards. The mean age at surgery was 2 years and 11 months (1.5 to 16 years). Femoral shortening was conducted when necessary. The duration of operation varied between 60 and 90 minutes. The mean follow-up was 4 years and one month (range 15 months to 7 years and 9 months). All patients were followed up both clinically (based on the modified MacKay criteria) and radiologically (based on the modified Severin criteria). RESULTS: Clinically, 94.5% of hips had excellent and good results at final follow-up, and only 5.5% had a fair condition. Radiographically, at the final follow-up 77.8% of hips were grade IA (excellent), 12.2% were grade IB, 6.7% were grade II, and 3.3% were grade III (fair). The preoperative mean acetabular index was 47.85° (41° to 59), which decreased to 17.16° (13° to 22°) immediately after the surgery (p<0.0001) and progressed to 11.24° (7° to 19°) at the final follow-up (p<0.0001). The mean initial postoperative center-edge angle was 30.3° (25° to 42°) significantly improved to 39.1 (31° to 56°) at the final follow-up (p<0.0001). Avascular necrosis of femoral head occurred in 4.4% of hips (4 patients). CONCLUSION: The results show that our modified Salter osteotomy is safe and associated with significant benefit for the management of patients suffering from DDH.

Osteoarticular manifestations of human brucellosis: A review.

Brucellosis is a common global zoonotic disease, which is responsible for a range of clinical manifestations. Fever, sweating and musculoskeletal pains are observed in most patients. The most frequent complication of brucellosis is osteoarticular involvement, with 10% to 85% of patients affected. The sacroiliac (up to 80%) and spinal joints (up to 54%) are the most common affected sites. Spondylitis and spondylodiscitis are the most frequent complications of brucellar spinal involvement. Peripheral arthritis, osteomyelitis, discitis, bursitis and tenosynovitis are other osteoarticular manifestations, but with a lower prevalence. Spinal brucellosis has two forms: focal and diffuse. Epidural abscess is a rare complication of spinal brucellosis but can lead to permanent neurological deficits or even death if not treated promptly. Spondylodiscitis is the most severe form of osteoarticular involvement by brucellosis, and can have single- or multi-focal involvement. Early and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the disease is important in order to have a successful management of the patients with osteoarticular brucellosis. Brucellosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for sciatic and back pain, especially in endemic regions. Patients with septic arthritis living in endemic areas also need to be evaluated in terms of brucellosis. Physical examination, laboratory tests and imaging techniques are needed to diagnose the disease. Radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bone scintigraphy are imaging techniques for the diagnosis of osteoarticular brucellosis. MRI is helpful to differentiate between pyogenic spondylitis and brucellar spondylitis. Drug medications (antibiotics) and surgery are the only two options for the treatment and cure of osteoarticular brucellosis.

Prevalence of osteoporosis with the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on the prevalence of osteoporosis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The overall pooled prevalence of osteoporosis was 24.4%. The prevalence has increased significantly over the recent years. The highest pooled prevalence was in Saudi Arabia (32.7%), and the lowest was in Kuwait (15.1%). PURPOSE: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of osteoporosis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), as defined by the World Health Organization. METHODS: We included all observational studies reporting the prevalence of osteoporosis among general population. We searched literatures from the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Index Medicus for the EMR published between January 2000 and December 2017 with no restriction of language. Two reviewers independently contributed in study selection and data extraction. STATA software was used for analyzing the collected data. RESULTS: A total of 1692 citations were retrieved. After excluding the irrelevant articles, 36 eligible studies were included. The overall pooled prevalence rate of osteoporosis in the EMR on 31,593 participants was 24.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.4-28.4). Based on femoral densitometry, the prevalence of osteoporosis was 16.8% (95% CI, 9.5-24.2), and based on spinal densitometry, it was 24.3% (95% CI, 19.4-29.2). The pooled prevalence in males was 20.5% (95% CI, 10.5-30.5), compared with 24.4% (95% CI, 20.2-28.6) in females. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in 2007-2015 (32.7%; 95% CI, 25.1-40.3) than in 2000-2006 (19.8%; 95% CI, 12.5-27). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate a considerable prevalence of osteoporosis among the people of the EMR. The prevalence has increased during recent years, showing that osteoporosis is becoming a critical health problem in this region. Prevention and control measures need to be implemented by health service authorities.

Flexor Digitorum Superficialis and Flexor Digitorum Profundus with separated sheaths, a new normal variation in human / Flexor superficial de la y Flexor profundo de los con vainas separadas, una nueva variación normal en humanos

Case description: A 25 years old man presented with a laceration on radial side of proximal phalanx of 4th finger (zone II flexor) which was due to cut with glass. Clinical findings: The sheaths of Tendons of flexor digitorum sperficialis and profundus were not the same and each tendon had a separate sheath. Treatment and outcome: The tendons were reconstructed by modified Kessler sutures, after 15 months the patient had a 30 degrees of extension lag even after physiotherapy courses. Clinical relevance: This is the first reported of such normal variation in human hand tendon anatomy.

Descripción del caso: Se presentó un hombre de 25 años con una laceración en la parte radial de la falange proximal del cuarto dedo de la mano (zona flexor II) causada por el corte con un vidrio. Hallazgos clínicos: Las cubiertas de los tendones del flexor digitorum sperficialis y profundus estaban separadas en diferentes cubiertas. Tratamiento y resultado: Los tendones se reconstruyeron por la suturas modificadas de Kessler. Después de 15 meses el paciente presentó una pérdida del 30% en la extensión , aun después de la fisioterapia. Relevancia clínica: Es el primer reporte de la variación en la anatomía de la mano.

Flexor Digitorum Superficialis and Flexor Digitorum Profundus with separated sheaths: a new normal variation in human.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 25 years old man presented with a laceration on radial side of proximal phalanx of 4(th) finger (zone II flexor) which was due to cut with glass. CLINICAL FINDINGS: The sheaths of Tendons of flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus were not the same and each tendon had a separate sheath. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The tendons were reconstructed by modified Kessler sutures, after 15 months the patient had a 30 degrees of extension lag even after physiotherapy courses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first reported of such normal variation in human hand tendon anatomy.

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL CASO: Se presentó un hombre de 25 años con una laceración en la parte radial de la falange proximal del cuarto dedo de la mano (zona flexor II) causada por el corte con un vidrio. HALLAZGOS CLÍNICOS: Las cubiertas de los tendones del flexor digitorum sperficialis y profundus estaban separadas en diferentes cubiertas. TRATAMIENTO Y RESULTADO: Los tendones se reconstruyeron por la suturas modificadas de Kessler. Después de 15 meses el paciente presentó una pérdida del 30% en la extensión , aun después de la fisioterapia. RELEVANCIA CLÍNICA: Es el primer reporte de la variación en la anatomía de la mano.