Updates in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory and degenerative condition resulting in articular cartilage destruction and functional loss. Its prevalence has grown considerably due to increased life expectancy and obesity, and its diagnosis relies on evaluation, medical examination, and confirmation by supplementary radiographic images. Knee OA is multifactorial and influenced by several local, systemic, and external aspects. In addition, its progress and therapeutic responses highly depend on the characteristics of each subject. The initial recommendation is drug treatment and alternative therapies to improve quality of life. However, if these treatments are unsuccessful, one must consider surgical treatment. Surgical options include arthroscopies, osteotomies, and partial and total arthroplasties, while non-surgical treatments include medications and alternative therapies such as infiltrations, acupuncture, and physical exercise. It is worth highlighting that biomarkers can be a significant strategy for early disease detection, assessment of disease activity, prediction of prognosis, and monitoring a better response to therapy. Nevertheless, this topic must be the focus of further research to confirm its findings.

Evaluation of the Southwick Angle in Two Hundred Hips of Asymptomatic Children and Adolescents.

Objectives To measure the mean value of the Southwick angle using two different methods, the manual (1) and digital (2) methods, and to establish a normality value. Methods A primarily descriptive study with 100 children and adolescents. Individuals with orthopedic complaints regarding the hips and/or knees or gait alterations were excluded. For each patient, an X-ray was performed on the lateral incidence of Lowenstein, totaling 100 radiographs and 200 hips. The Southwick angle was measured in two different ways by the same researcher: the conventional method (1), tracing the lines with pencils and measuring the angle with the use of a goniometer and negatoscope, and through the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) image editor (open source), version 2.7.0 (2), in which the lines were plotted and the angles of both hips were gauged on each radiograph. Later, we sought to evaluate the correlation between the two methods and to verify the mean Southwick angle by categorically correlating it by gender, age group and body mass index (BMI) in asymptomatic children and adolescents. All radiographs were authorized by the children and adolescents' parents/legal guardians. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the institutions in which the research was conducted. Results The mean of the Southwick angles obtained by the conventional method was of 8.7° (±2.0°), and, by the digital method, it was of 9.9° (±1.8°). The angle obtained by the two methods was statistically significant ( p < 0.001). The majority of the studied population (95%) had a body mass index (BMI) > 18.5, and the mean of the angles was within the previously established value (∼ 10°). Conclusion For the first time, using a substantial sample size, a normal value for the Southwick angle measured in asymptomatic individuals was demonstrated. In addition, the image editor proved to be a reliable method to measuring the Southwick angle.

Evaluation of the Southwick Angle in Two Hundred Hips of Asymptomatic Children and Adolescents / Avaliação do ângulo de Southwick em duzentos quadris de crianças e adolescentes assintomáticos

Abstract Objectives To measure the mean value of the Southwick angle using two different methods, the manual (1) and digital (2) methods, and to establish a normality value. Methods A primarily descriptive study with 100 children and adolescents. Individuals with orthopedic complaints regarding the hips and/or knees or gait alterations were excluded. For each patient, an X-ray was performed on the lateral incidence of Lowenstein, totaling 100 radiographs and 200 hips. The Southwick angle was measured in two different ways by the same researcher: the conventional method (1), tracing the lines with pencils and measuring the angle with the use of a goniometer and negatoscope, and through the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) image editor (open source), version 2.7.0 (2), in which the lines were plotted and the angles of both hips were gauged on each radiograph. Later, we sought to evaluate the correlation between the two methods and to verify the mean Southwick angle by categorically correlating it by gender, age group and body mass index (BMI) in asymptomatic children and adolescents. All radiographs were authorized by the children and adolescents' parents/legal guardians. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the institutions in which the research was conducted. Results The mean of the Southwick angles obtained by the conventional method was of 8.7º (±2.0º), and, by the digital method, it was of 9.9º (±1.8º). The angle obtained by the two methods was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The majority of the studied population (95%) had a body mass index (BMI) > 18.5, and the mean of the angles was within the previously established value (∼ 10º). Conclusion For the first time, using a substantial sample size, a normal value for the Southwick angle measured in asymptomatic individuals was demonstrated. In addition, the image editor proved to be a reliable method to measuring the Southwick angle.

Resumo Objetivos Medir o valor médio do ângulo de Southwick utilizando dois métodos diferentes, manual (1) e digital (2), e estabelecer um valor de normalidade. Métodos Estudo primariamente descritivo, realizado com 100 crianças e adolescentes. Foram excluídos indivíduos que apresentavam queixa ortopédica nos quadris e/ou joelhos, ou alterações de marcha. Para cada paciente, foi realizada uma radiografia na incidência lateral de Lowenstein, totalizando 100 radiografias e 200 quadris. O ângulo de Southwick foi medido de duas formas pelo mesmo pesquisador: pelo método convencional (1), traçando-se as retas com lápis e medindo o ângulo com o uso de goniômetro e negatoscópio, e por meio do editor de imagem GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP; código aberto), versão 2.7.0 (2), no qual foram traçadas as linhas e aferidos os ângulos de ambos os quadris em cada radiografia. Posteriormente, buscou-se avaliar a correlação entre os dois métodos e verificar o ângulo médio de Southwick correlacionando-o categoricamente por gênero, faixa etária e índice de massa corpórea (IMC) em adolescentes e crianças assintomáticos. Todas as radiografias foram autorizadas pelos responsáveis. O estudo foi aprovado pelo comitê de ética das instituições em que a pesquisa foi realizada. Resultados A média do ângulo de Southwick obtida pelo método convencional foi de 8,7º (±2,0º), e pelo método digital, foi de 9,9º (±1,8º). O ângulo obtido pelas duas formas teve significância estatística (p < 0,001). A maioria da população estudada (95%) tinha índice de massa corpórea (IMC) > 18,5, e a média dos ângulos esteve dentro do valor previamente estabelecido como normal (∼ 10º). Conclusão Demonstrou-se, pela primeira vez, utilizando uma amostra substanciosa, um valor normal do ângulo de Southwick medido em indivíduos assintomáticos. Além disso, o editor de imagem mostrou ser um método confiável para mensuração do ângulo de Southwick.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument: a cross-sectional evaluation in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires to evaluate pediatric musculoskeletal diseases in Brazil. The Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) is widely used elsewhere for pediatric patients with musculoskeletal disorders, but it has not been fully validated in Brazil. Validation of the PODCI in the Brazilian Portuguese language is important to improve the assessment of pediatric patients with musculoskeletal diseases and to compare Brazilian study results with results from the international literature. This study aimed to analyze the test-re-test reliability and the convergent validity indicators for the quality of life scores obtained by application of the PODCI to children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: The PODCI underwent translation, transcultural adaptation, and field testing. Fifty-seven children and adolescents with JIA were administered the PODCI questionnaire. The Child Health Questionnaire - Parent Form 28 (CHQ PF-28) was used as the gold standard. Pain scales were employed, clinical examinations were performed, and laboratory inflammatory activity tests were conducted. RESULTS: The three versions of the PODCI exhibited good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient > 0.70), good reproducibility (p < 0.05), and good correlation compared with the gold standard (CHQ), as shown by a Spearman coefficient (Rho) > 0.40 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The PODCI was validated in patients with JIA in Brazil. This questionnaire was found to be valid, precise, and reliable. It can be successfully applied in research conducted by healthcare professionals who work with children and adolescents with musculoskeletal system disorders.

Acrômio em forma de gancho: uma variação anatômica ou um processo degenerativo? / Hook-shaped acromium: anatomical variation or degenerative process?

Neer, em seu clássico trabalho, descreve a síndrome do impacto como uma entidade clínica distinta e propõe que há um estreitamento do túnel do supra-espinal em conseqüência de fatores como: esporão anterior, variação da forma e inclinação do acrômio e proeminências inferiores da articulação acromioclavicular. Existe uma controvérsia em relação à forma do acrômio como fator etiológico da síndrome do impacto e se a sua "forma de gancho" seria um processo degenerativo conseqüente à síndrome do impacto. Objetivo: Verificar se existe associação entre a presença de acrômio do tipo lU com a idade, sexo, lado dominante e o lado estudado. Material e método: Foram analisados radiograficamente 206 ombros de 106 indivíduos, correlacionados com: sexo, idade, cor, membro dominante e lado direito e esquerdo. As análises dos resultados foram realizadas pelos testes de McNemar, qui-quadrado e regressão logística. Resultado: Não houve diferença significativa com relação a sexo, idade, membro dominante e lado, porém, quando se analisou a regressão logística ajustada, a probabilidade de observar um acrômio do tipo III aumentou por ano de idade em 1,027 e, em 40 anos, há aumento de 2,82 vezes. Conclusão: Não existe relação entre a probabilidade de o indivíduo ter, como variação anatômica, acrômio do tipo III, com sexo, membro dominante, lado estudado e por faixa etária (ate 49 anos e acima de 50 anos). A possibilidade de ter acrômio tipo III é maior quanto maior a idade do sujeito, podendo-se especular que a forma em gancho do acrômio é um processo degenerativo