Parental presence during induction of anesthesia in children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of parental presence during induction of anesthesia (PPIA) in relieving preoperative anxiety of children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. METHODS: One hundred and sixty children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were divided into the control group and the trial group. The control group received routine nursing in the operation room, while anesthesia was induced in the trial group children in the presence of their parents as part of the routine nursing. The differences in heart rate and mean dynamic pressure during pre-operative visit and anesthesia induction between the two groups were observed and recorded. The Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m-YPAS) and the Induction Compliance Checklist (ICC) were scored. The anxiety status of the children and their family members in the two groups was scored at different times, and the psychological stress of anesthesiologists during anesthesia induction was scored by a visual analogue scale. The differences in each index between the two groups were compared. Operation time and costs in-hospital were also compared. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the heart rate and blood pressure scores as well as the ICC in the trial group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01). On comparing the scores of m-YPAS between the two groups, we observed that the scores of the children in the trial group were lower than those in the control group before entering the induction room and anesthesia induction (P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference between the scores of the children in the trial group and the control group on the day of operation and on the way to the operating room (P > 0.05). The nursing satisfaction scores of the family members in the trial group were significantly superior to those in the control group (P < 0.01). The scores of the visual analogue scale for psychological pressure of anesthesiologists during anesthesia induction were higher in the trial group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The operation time and costs in study group were both significantly higher than those of control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PPIA can significantly reduce preoperative anxiety and surgical physiological stress response in children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, and it is worth being encouraged.

Peritumoral Radiomics Strategy Based on Ensemble Learning for the Prediction of Gleason Grade Group of Prostate Cancer.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate a peritumoral radiomic-based machine learning model to differentiate low-Gleason grade group (L-GGG) and high-GGG (H-GGG) prostate lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 175 patients with prostate cancer (PCa) confirmed by puncture biopsy were recruited and included 59 patients with L-GGG and 116 patients with H-GGG. The original PCa regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated on T2-weighted (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and then centra-tumoral and peritumoral ROIs were defined. Features were meticulously extracted from each ROI to establish radiomics models, employing distinct sequence datasets. Peritumoral radiomics models were specifically developed for both the peripheral zone (PZ) and transitional zone (TZ), utilizing dedicated PZ and TZ datasets, respectively. The performances of the models were evaluated by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision-recall curve. RESULTS: The classification model with combined peritumoral features based on T2 + DWI + ADC sequence dataset demonstrated superior performance compared to the original tumor and centra-tumoral classification models. It achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.850 [95% confidence interval, 0.849, 0.860] and an average accuracy of 0.950. The combined peritumoral model outperformed the regional peritumoral models with AUC of 0.85 versus 0.75 for PZ lesions and 0.88 versus 0.69 for TZ lesions, respectively. The peritumoral classification models exhibit greater efficacy in predicting PZ lesions as opposed to TZ lesions. CONCLUSION: The peritumoral radiomics features showed excellent performance in predicting GGG in PCa patients and might be a valuable addition to the non-invasive assessment of PCa aggressiveness.

Radiomics-Based Machine Learning Models for Predicting P504s/P63 Immunohistochemical Expression: A Noninvasive Diagnostic Tool for Prostate Cancer.

Objective: To develop and validate a noninvasive radiomic-based machine learning (ML) model to identify P504s/P63 status and further achieve the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: A retrospective dataset of patients with preoperative prostate MRI examination and P504s/P63 pathological immunohistochemical results between June 2016 and February 2021 was conducted. As indicated by P504s/P63 expression, the patients were divided into label 0 (atypical prostatic hyperplasia), label 1 (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH) and label 2 (PCa) groups. This study employed T2WI, DWI and ADC sequences to assess prostate diseases and manually segmented regions of interest (ROIs) with Artificial Intelligence Kit software for radiomics feature acquisition. Feature dimensionality reduction and selection were performed by using a mutual information algorithm. Based on screened features, P504s/P63 prediction models were established by random forest (RF), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), logistic regression (LR), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost) and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithms. The performance was evaluated by the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and accuracy. Results: A total of 315 patients were enrolled. Among the 851 radiomic features, the 32 top features were derived from T2WI, in which the gray-level run length matrix (GLRLM) and gray-level cooccurrence matrix (GLCM) features accounted for the largest proportion. Among the five models, the RF algorithm performed best in general evaluations (microaverage AUC=0.920, macroaverage AUC=0.870) and provided the most accurate result in further sublabel prediction (the accuracies of label 0, 1, and 2 were 0.831, 0.831, and 0.932, respectively). In comparative sequence analyses, T2WI was the best single-sequence candidate (microaverage AUC=0.94 and macroaverage AUC=0.78). The merged datasets of T2WI, DWI, and ADC yielded optimal AUCs (microaverage AUC=0.930 and macroaverage AUC=0.900). Conclusions: The radiomic-based RF classifier has the potential to be used to evaluate the presurgical P504s/P63 status and further diagnose PCa noninvasively and accurately.

Variations in disease burden of laryngeal cancer attributable to alcohol use and smoking in 204 countries or territories, 1990-2019.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption and smoking are the leading risk factors for laryngeal cancer (LC). Understanding the variations in disease burden of LC attributable to alcohol use and smoking is critical for LC prevention. METHODS: Disease burden data of LC were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. We used estimated average percentage change (EAPC) to measure the temporal trends of the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of LC. RESULTS: Globally, while the ASMR of LC decreased by 1.49% (95% CI, 1.41-1.57%) per year between 1990 and 2019, the number of deaths from LC has increased 41.0% to 123.4 thousand in 2019. In 2019, 19.4 and 63.5% of total LC-related deaths were attributable to alcohol use and smoking worldwide, respectively. The ASMR of alcohol- and smoking-related LC decreased by 1.78 and 1.93% per year, whereas the corresponding death number has increased 29.2 and 25.1% during this period, respectively. The decreasing trend was more pronounced in developed countries. In some developing countries, such as Guinea and Mongolia, the LC mortality has shown an unfavorable trend. CONCLUSION: The ubiquitous decrease in LC mortality was largely attributed to the smoking control and highlighted the importance of smoking control policies. However, the disease burden of LC remained in increase and more effective strategies are needed to combat the global increase of alcohol consumption.

Study on the effect of percutaneous intervertebral foraminoscopic discectomy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

ABSTRACT: This study explored the effect of percutaneous intervertebral foraminoscopic discectomy (PIFD) in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).This retrospective study collected a total of 88 patient cases for inclusion. Epidemiological and clinical data of patients with LDH at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University between May 2017 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Of those, 44 patients received PIFD and were allocated to an intervention group. The other 44 patients administrated fenestration discectomy (FD), and were assigned to a control group. We compared surgery time (minute), incision length (cm), duration of hospital stay after surgery (day), pain intensity (as checked by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), health-related quality of life (as examined by Oswestry Disability Index, ODI), and complications between 2 groups.There were not significant differences in surgery time (minute) (P = .56), VAS (P = .33) and ODI (P = .46) after surgery between 2 groups. However, there were significant differences in incision size (cm) (P < .01) and length of hospital stay (day) (P < .01) after surgery between 2 groups. When compared before the surgery, patients in both groups had significant improvements in VAS (P < .01) and ODI (P < .01) after the surgery. Moreover, both groups had similar safety profiles (P > .05).The findings of this study showed that both PIFD and FD benefit patients with LDH. However, PIFD can benefit patients more than FD in the incision size and duration of hospital stay after surgery.

Application of situational adaptation training combined with childlike nursing for children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical effect of situational adaptation training combined with child-friendly nursing in relieving the preoperative anxiety of children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy. METHODS: A total of 160 children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a test group. In addition to the routine operating room nursing in the control group, children in the test group underwent situational adaptation training one day before surgery and child-friendly nursing on the day of surgery. The heart rates and differences in average dynamic pressure were compared between groups, both preoperatively and during anesthesia induction. The cooperativeness with anesthesia was also assessed. The anxiety states of children and their family members after the interventions were scored using the anxiety visual analog scale (VAS). The postoperative satisfaction with nursing was assessed and compared between groups. RESULTS: The heart rates, differences in average dynamic pressure, cooperativeness with anesthesia, and VAS scores were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group. The VAS scores of family members were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group. The satisfaction degrees with nursing were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: Situational adaptation training combined with child-friendly nursing can significantly relieve the preoperative anxiety of children undergoing tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy and their family members. This treatment improves child cooperativeness during therapy, significantly reduces the amplitude of physiological stress response during surgery, and increases the satisfaction with nursing. Thus, situational adaptation training combined with child-friendly nursing is worthy of application in clinics.

TMPO-AS1 Regulates the Aggressiveness-Associated Traits of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells Through Sponging miR-320a.

BACKGROUND: Previous evidence demonstrates that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TMPO antisense RNA 1 (TMPO-AS1) is involved in the aggressiveness of several cancers. Nevertheless, its functions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are unclear. METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to evaluate the levels of TMPO-AS1 and miR-320a in NPC tissues. Furthermore, the growth and invasiveness of NPC cells were evaluated by colony formation and Transwell assays. The protein expression ofSRY-Box Transcription Factor 4 (SOX4) was observed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Bioinformatic prediction and luciferase reporter assays were used to explore the interaction between miR-320a and TMPO-AS1. The transplanted model was employed to disclose the interference of TMPO-AS1 in the tumor growth of NPC cells in vivo. RESULTS: We found that TMPO-AS1 was distinctly upregulated in NPC. Downregulation of TMPO-AS1 restrained aggressiveness-associated traits in NPC cells. Nevertheless, upregulation of TMPO-AS1 yielded the opposite results. Further studies revealed that lncRNA TMPO-AS1 acts as a "sponge" for miR-320a, resulting in increased levels of SOX4 in NPC cells. Finally, TMPO-AS1 silencing suppressed tumor growth of NPC cells in vivo. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these results reveal the presence of a novel TMPO-AS1/miR-320a/SOX4 pathway associated with NPC progression, suggesting that lncRNA TMPO-AS1 may be a potential therapeutic target for NPC.

Effectiveness of suprascapular nerve block for the treatment of frozen shoulder: A protocol of systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This study will appraise the effectiveness and safety of suprascapular nerve block (SNB) for the treatment of frozen shoulder (FS). METHODS: This study will incorporate studies relevant to SNB on FS. Articles will be searched in the electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, WANGFANG, and CNKI) from inception to the present. In addition, this study will also retrieve conference proceedings and reference lists of included studies. All literature source searches will not be restricted by date and language. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool will be utilized to evaluate the quality of retrieved trials. Data will be collected independently by 2 authors. All collected data will be analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: This study will synthesize the most recent published high quality trials on assessing the effectiveness and safety of SNB in treating FS. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide a genuine understanding and helpful evidence to determine whether SNB is effective or not in treating FS. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202050084.

Efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave combined spinal core decompression for the treatment of patients with femoral head necrosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that extracorporeal shock wave (EPSW) combined spinal core decompression (SCD) has been used for the treatment of patients with femoral head necrosis (FHN) effectively. However, their results are still inconsistent. Therefore, this study will systematically assess the efficacy and safety of EPSW and SCD for the treatment of patients with FHN. METHODS: This study will systematically search the following databases from inception through March 1, 2020: MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All searches will be performed without language and publication date restrictions. This study will only include randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy and safety of EPSW and SCD for the treatment of patients with FHN. Two authors will independently assess all literatures, extract data, and appraise risk of bias. Any confusion between 2 authors will be cleared up by a third author through discussion. RevMan 5.3 software will be utilized to analyze the data and to perform a meta-analysis if necessary. RESULTS: This study will summarize up-to-date evidence and provide a detailed summary related to the efficacy and safety of EPSW and SCD for the treatment of patients with FHN. CONCLUSION: This study may provide helpful evidence to determine whether or not EPSW combined SCD is effective and safety for the treatment of patients with FHN. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY202040092.

Analysis of subjective perception and influencing factors of different inclusive education models among prelingually deaf children with a cochlear implant.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the educational outcome and influencing factors of ongoing verbal rehabilitation training together with inclusive education among prelingually deaf children with a cochlear implant. METHODS: Prelingually deaf children who underwent cochlear implantation, rehabilitation, and had inclusive education placement were randomly divided into two groups: one group received continuous verbal rehabilitation training under inclusive education status; the other group did not receive this training. Speech discrimination scores were determined. RESULTS: Among 60 included children, subjectively perceived academic adaptability, peer relations, initiative communication, and teacher's involvement under inclusive education, as well as speech discrimination scores, were all significantly different between groups. Continuous verbal rehabilitation training influenced the subjective perception of children and resulted in higher speech discrimination scores and more positive subjective perception. Subjective perception was not significantly correlated with chronological age, sex, age at the time of cochlear implantation, or duration of inclusive education. CONCLUSION: Ongoing verbal rehabilitation training within inclusive education can largely improve the education placement outcomes of prelingually deaf children with cochlear implants.

Efficacy of total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of patients with femoral head avascular necrosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Femoral head avascular necrosis (FHAN) is a very common condition among elderly population. Previous studies have reported that total hip arthroplasty (THAP) can benefit patients with such condition. However, no study systematically addressed this topic. Thus, this study will systematically explore the efficacy and safety of THAP for the treatment of patients with FHAN. METHODS: We will search the following electronic bibliographic databases from inception to the February 29, 2020: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database. Randomized controlled trials of THAP for the treatment of patients with FHAN will be included, which were reported in any language. All process of study selection, data collection, and study quality assessment will be performed independently by 2 authors independently. Any divergences will be solved by discussion with another author. RevMan 5.3 software will be carried out for data synthesis and analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide a detailed summary of current evidence related to the efficacy and safety of THAP for the treatment of patients with FHAN through assessing pain intensity of hip or knee joints, function and limitation of attacked femoral head, health-related quality of life, and complications. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study may provide helpful guidance of THAP for the treatment of patients with FHAN. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY202040067.

Clinical effects of two combinations of olfactory agents on olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection during olfactory training.

OBJECTIVE: To compare two combinations of olfactory agents for olfactory training therapy of olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and investigate the influencing factors on clinical effects. METHODS: 125 patients with olfactory dysfunction were randomly divided into two groups: test and control. During the olfactory training, four odors were used in both groups. The olfactory training lasted for 24 weeks. Then, participants were tested using Sniffin' Sticks and threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) composite scoring before treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. The TDI scores were compared at different time points between the groups and within them, and influence factors were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in TDI scores between both groups. Furthermore, TDI scores did not significantly change after one month of treatment in either of the groups. After 3 and 6 months of treatment, TDI scores both significantly increased, and the odor discrimination and identification abilities significantly strengthened in both groups; however, the odor thresholds did not improve. The course of the disease was a significant influencing factor on the therapeutic effect of olfactory training for both groups. CONCLUSION: The combination of essential balm, vinegar, alcohol, and rose perfume for olfactory training, which are scents commonly found in daily life, can effectively cure URTI-induced olfactory dysfunction, and significantly improve the odor discrimination and identification abilities. Furthermore, prolonging the treatment time can help with the recovery of olfactory functions, and earlier olfactory training can improve the therapeutic effect.

Clinical effects of two combinations of olfactory agents on olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection during olfactory training

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE To compare two combinations of olfactory agents for olfactory training therapy of olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and investigate the influencing factors on clinical effects. METHODS 125 patients with olfactory dysfunction were randomly divided into two groups: test and control. During the olfactory training, four odors were used in both groups. The olfactory training lasted for 24 weeks. Then, participants were tested using Sniffin' Sticks and threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) composite scoring before treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. The TDI scores were compared at different time points between the groups and within them, and influence factors were analyzed. RESULTS There was no significant difference in TDI scores between both groups. Furthermore, TDI scores did not significantly change after one month of treatment in either of the groups. After 3 and 6 months of treatment, TDI scores both significantly increased, and the odor discrimination and identification abilities significantly strengthened in both groups; however, the odor thresholds did not improve. The course of the disease was a significant influencing factor on the therapeutic effect of olfactory training for both groups. CONCLUSION The combination of essential balm, vinegar, alcohol, and rose perfume for olfactory training, which are scents commonly found in daily life, can effectively cure URTI-induced olfactory dysfunction, and significantly improve the odor discrimination and identification abilities. Furthermore, prolonging the treatment time can help with the recovery of olfactory functions, and earlier olfactory training can improve the therapeutic effect.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Comparar duas combinações de agentes olfativos para uso em terapia de treinamento olfativo no tratamento de disfunção olfatória após infecção do trato respiratório superior (ITRS) e investigar os fatores que influenciam os efeitos clínicos. METODOLOGIA 125 pacientes com disfunção olfativa foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: teste e controle. Durante o treinamento olfativo, quatro odores foram utilizados em ambos os grupos. O treinamento olfativo durou 24 semanas. Em seguida, os participantes foram testados usando Sniffin' Sticks e o escore de discriminação, limiar e identificação (TDI) antes do tratamento e 1, 3 e 6 meses após o ele. Os escores de TDI foram comparados em momentos diferentes, entre os grupos e dentro deles, e os fatores de influência foram analisados. RESULTADOS Não houve diferença significativa nos escores de TDI entre os dois grupos. Além disso, os escores de TDI não demonstração nenhuma alteração significa após um mês de tratamento em ambos os grupos. Após 3 e 6 meses de tratamento, ambos os escores de TDI aumentaram significativamente, e as habilidades de identificação e discriminação de odores melhoraram significativamente em ambos os grupos; contudo, os limiares de odor não demonstraram melhora. O curso da doença foi um importante fator de influência no efeito terapêutico do treinamento olfativo em ambos os grupos. CONCLUSÃO A combinação de bálsamo essencial, vinagre, álcool, e perfume de rosas no treinamento olfativo, todos aromas comumente encontrados na vida cotidiana, podem efetivamente curar disfunção olfativa induzida por ITRS e melhorar significativamente as habilidades de discriminação e identificação de odores. Além disso, a prolongamento do tempo de tratamento pode ajudar na recuperação das funções olfativas, e o início antecipado do treinamento olfativo pode melhorar o efeito terapêutico.

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing for assessment of vestibular functions in cochlear implant patients.

This study aims to investigate the vestibular function status of cochlear implant patients using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) testing and estimate the effects of cochlear implants on vestibular function. The cVEMPs of 50 cochlear implant patients were measured preoperatively, and at one and six months postoperatively. Then, implanted ears and non-implanted ears were compared in terms of p13/n23 wave response rates, latency, amplitude and threshold. Preoperatively, the binaural cVEMP response rate was 92%, while the cVEMP response rates of implanted ears vs. non-implanted ears at postoperative one and six months were 24% vs. 80% and 52% vs. 82%, respectively. No significant difference between implanted and non-implanted ears was found preoperatively, in terms of latent period, amplitude, or threshold. However, significant changes were found in amplitude and threshold for implanted ears after the operation, but not in latency. No significant postoperative change was found in amplitude, latent period, or threshold for non-implanted ears. Significant differences between implanted and non-implanted ears were found in both amplitude and threshold. Cochlear implants affect vestibular function, especially saccular function, and reduce the cVEMP amplitude and threshold of implanted ears.

Analysis of the clinical effect of olfactory training on olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection.

Background: Olfactory dysfunction is a common symptom during otolaryngology outpatient service. Objective: To explore the clinical effect of olfactory training on olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), and its influence factors. Material and methods: A total of 60 confirmed cases of URTI-induced olfactory dysfunction were enrolled into the present study. The olfactory training lasted for 24 weeks. These patients were tested using Sniffin' Sticks and threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) composite scoring before treatment, and at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Results: It was found that URTI-induced olfactory dysfunction patients had more evident deterioration in odor identification ability. The effective rates of olfactory training on olfactory dysfunction at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment were 1.67%, 26.67% and 41.67%, respectively. The TDI scores at the 3rd and 6th months, but not at the 1st month, were significantly higher, when compared to those before treatment. The course of diseases was a significant influence factor on the therapeutic effect of olfactory training (OR = 0.805, 95% CI: 0.696-0.931). Conclusions: Olfactory training can efficiently cure URTI-induced olfactory dysfunction, and in particular, significantly improve the odor discrimination ability and odor identification ability. Significance: Providing useful data for further research regarding olfactory dysfunction.

A retrospective study of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to topical ibuprofen for chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis.

This retrospective study investigated the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to topical ibuprofen (TIP) for patients with chronic knee pain (CKP) due to osteoarthritis.This retrospective study analyzed medical records of 84 patients with CKP due to osteoarthritis. These patients were divided into a treatment group (n = 42) and a control group (n = 42). The patients in the treatment group were treated with acupuncture plus TIP, while the subjects in the control group received TIP monotherapy. The primary effectiveness endpoint was assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC). The secondary effectiveness endpoints were evaluated by the numeric rating scale (NRS), 12-item Short FormHealth Survey (SF-12, mainly including mental component summary [MCS], and physical component summary [PCS]), and adverse events. All patients received an 8-week treatment. All endpoints were measured pre-treatment and posttreatment.The patients who received acupuncture plus TIP showed better effectiveness in both primary endpoint of WOMAC scale (pain, P < .01; function, P < .01; and stiffness, P < .01) and secondary endpoints of NRS (P < .01), and SF-12 (MCS, P < .01; and PCS, P < .01), than patients who received TIP monotherapy. In addition, both groups had similar safety profile.The results of this study showed that the effectiveness of acupuncture plus TIP may be better than TIP monotherapy for patients with CKP due to osteoarthritis.

Efficacy of artificial femoral head replacement for femoral head avascular necrosis.

BACKGROUND: Femoral head avascular necrosis (FHAN) is one of the most common progressive orthopedic disorders. Previous studies have reported that artificial femoral head replacement (AFHR) can effectively treat patients with FHAN. However, no systematic review has investigated the efficacy of AFHR for FHAN. This study will assess the efficacy of AFHR for patients with FHAN. METHODS: We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure up to March 1, 2019 without any restrictions. Any randomized controlled trials for assessing the efficacy of AFHR for patients with FHAN. The methodological quality for each eligible study will be assessed by using Cochrane risk of bias tool. Statistical analysis will be conducted by using RevMan 5.3. RESULTS: This study will provide current evidence of AFHR for patients with FHAN from several aspects, including pain intensity, function, and limitation of femoral head, health-related quality of life, and safety. CONCLUSION: This study will provide latest evidence on assessing the efficacy and safety of AFHR for FHAN.PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO CRD42019126249.

Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and ibuprofen for pain caused by necrosis of the femoral head: A retrospective study.

This retrospective study analyzed the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for pain relief caused by necrosis of femoral head (NFH).Totally, 80 cases of patients with NFH were analyzed and then were assigned to a treatment group or a control group in this study. Of these, 40 cases in the treatment group received ibuprofen and NMES therapy. The other 40 cases in the control group received ibuprofen alone. Cases in both groups were treated for a total of 6 weeks. The primary outcome of pain intensity was measured by a visual analog scale (VAS). The secondary outcome was assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). In addition, adverse events (AEs) were also recorded in each case. All outcomes were evaluated before and after the treatment.After treatment, patients in the treatment group showed more effectiveness in pain relief, as measured by VAS (P < .01) and WOMAC sub-pain scale (P < .01), except stiffness, as evaluated by WOMAC sub-stiffness scale (P = .07), and function, as assessed by WOMAC sub-function scale (P = .09), than patients in the control group. Additionally, no significant differences in AEs were detected between 2 groups.This study found that NMES may be helpful for pain relief in patients with NFH.