Advancements in Radiographic Evaluation Through the Migration into NDE 4.0.

The challenges presented by the global pandemic and slump in oil prices have imposed costly avoidance measures and delayed project timeliness, but it also has created the opportunity for innovation conditions in industrial non-destructive testing. The evolutional path leveraged by Industry 4.0, present sustainable offerings of robotic platforms, digital solutions and connected devices commonly known as the Internet of Things (IoT) that may assist in recapturing some of the current losses. The landscape is broad with staggered adoptions. An overview of the Industrial Revolutions, related developments in NDE 4.0 and specific focus on North American radiography in the petroleum industry is highlighted. Additionally, focusing on the importance of shared transparency and burden throughout the value-chain to ensure efficacy throughout the migration, and the human contributor for collaborative transition and skills required for the future. The evolutional path of Industrial revolutions leads to Industry 4.0 which presents opportunities with Artificial Intelligence, and connected devices commonly known as the Internet of Things (IoT). This article focuses on three major issues for consideration in the development of a strategic plan to capitalize on the advancements of digital radiography in the petroleum sector. The components are the technological NDE 4.0 transformation, the need for a new and realistic perspective of digital radiography, and the challenges of developing a workforce to adapt to the transition of NDE 4.0.

A randomised clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of physiotherapy after rotator cuff repair.

The optimal form of rehabilitation after rotator cuff repair has yet to be determined. A randomised clinical trial was undertaken to compare outcomes for two forms of rehabilitation for this condition: individualised supervised physiotherapy treatment, and a standardised unsupervised home exercise regime. Fifty-eight volunteers with all sizes of operatively repaired rotator cuff tears were allocated randomly to one of the two treatment groups. All subjects received a standardised home exercise regime. Subjects who were randomised to the physiotherapy group received additional individualised treatment. Independent, blinded assessments of range of motion, muscle force and functional outcome measures were performed pre-operatively, and at six, 12 and 24 weeks postoperation. At six, 12 and 24 weeks post-operation, comparable outcomes were demonstrated for both rehabilitation groups. By 24 weeks post-operation, most subjects demonstrated outcomes that were consistent with a favourable recovery, regardless of rehabilitation mode. On the basis of these results, outcomes for subjects allocated to individualised physiotherapy treatment after rotator cuff repair are no better than for subjects allocated to a standardised home exercise regime.

Shoulder instability: management and rehabilitation.

Shoulder dislocation and subluxation occurs frequently in athletes with peaks in the second and sixth decades. The majority (98%) of traumatic dislocations are in the anterior direction. The most frequent complication of shoulder dislocation is recurrence, a complication that occurs much more frequently in the adolescent population. The static (predominantly capsuloligamentous and labral) and dynamic (neuromuscular) restraints to shoulder instability are now well defined. Rehabilitation aims to enhance the dynamic muscular and proprioceptive restraints to shoulder instability. This paper reviews the nonoperative treatment and the postoperative management of patients with various classifications of shoulder instability.

The unstable shoulder in the adolescent athlete.

Shoulder dislocation and subluxation occur frequently in athletes, with peaks in the second and sixth decades. The majority of traumatic dislocations are in the anterior direction. The most frequent complication of shoulder dislocation is recurrence--a complication that occurs much more often in the adolescent population. The dynamic (muscular) and static (predominantly capsuloligamentous and labral) restraints to shoulder instability are now well defined. Recent surgical procedures for shoulder instability have become less interventional and have focused on restoring disrupted static restraints. The aim of rehabilitation is to enhance the dynamic muscular and proprioceptive restraints to shoulder instability.

Reliability of 3 methods for assessing shoulder strength.

The reliability of tests for isometric strength of the shoulder joint in symptomatic subjects has yet to be established. For this purpose, interrater and intrarater agreement trials were undertaken to ascertain the reliability of manual muscle tests, a handheld dynamometer, and a spring-scale dynamometer for 5 different shoulder movements in symptomatic subjects. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated from a random-effects model. All movements tested with the handheld dynamometer demonstrated excellent reliability for the interrater trial (rho = 0.79-0.92). Excellent reliability was also demonstrated for elevation, external rotation, and internal rotation for the intrarater trial (rho = 0.79-0.96). For the interrater trial, measurement of the lift-off maneuver with the handheld dynamometer was significantly more reliable than with manual muscle tests (P =.002). In summary, the handheld dynamometer was the most reliable and discriminatory means for assessing strength of the rotator cuff in symptomatic subjects.