Combined Hip Abductor and External Rotator Strengthening and Hip Internal Rotator Stretching Improves Pain and Function in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Crossover Design.

BACKGROUND: Active rehabilitation has an important role in the management of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Although some studies have shown the benefit of hip-muscle strengthening, the effect of combining hip-muscle stretching with strengthening has not yet been defined. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of combined strengthening of the hip external rotators and abductors and stretching of the hip internal rotators on pain and function in patients with PFPS. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: A total of 109 patients with PFPS (75 female and 34 male; mean age, 31.6 ± 10.8 years) were first randomly assigned to protocol A (n = 67) of the A-B arm (AB group; standard rehabilitation) or protocol B (n = 42) of the B-A arm (BA group; standard rehabilitation with strengthening of the hip external rotators and abductors and stretching of the hip internal rotators). Each protocol consisted of 3 sessions a week for 4 weeks. After a washout period, corresponding to a symptom-free period, rehabilitation programs were crossed over. A visual analog scale (VAS) evaluating perceived pain, the Functional Index Questionnaire (FIQ), and the Kujala score were administered at baseline, the end of each rehabilitation protocol, and 12 weeks after the completion of the second protocol for each group. RESULTS: Until the final follow-up, VAS, FIQ, and Kujala scores were significantly improved in both the A-B and B-A arms (P < .05 for all). Compared with protocol A, protocol B provided significant improvement in terms of pain and function in both the BA (VAS and Kujala; P < .001) and AB (VAS and Kujala; P < .001) groups. CONCLUSION: Combined strengthening of the hip abductors and external rotators with stretching of the hip internal rotators provided better outcomes, which were maintained for at least 12 weeks, in terms of pain and function in patients with PFPS.

Cardiac and vascular complications of Behçet disease in the Tunisian context: clinical characteristics and predictive factors.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac and vascular involvement in Behçet disease (BD), also referred as vasculo BD, is frequent. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics, predictive factors and management of vasculo BD in the Tunisian context. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 213 records of all BD patients followed between January 2004 and May 2016 in the Internal Medicine Department and who fulfilled the ISGBD criteria. We described first clinical features of BD with cardiac and vascular involvement then predictive factors were studied in univariate then multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among the 213 patients, 64 (30%) were diagnosed as having vasculo BD. The mean age at diagnosis was 31.5 years. About 81.25% of them were males and 18.75% females. Vascular involvement associated or not with cardiac involvement was found in 64 patients (30%). Deep venous thromboses are most common (62.5%) compared with superficial ones (23.4%), pulmonary arterial thrombosis (14.1%) or aneurysms (9.4%). Cardiac involvement is ranging from pericarditis (1.6%) to intra cardiac thrombosis (3.1%) and myocardial infarction (1.6%). Predictive factors associated with cardiac and vascular involvement in BD are male gender (OR = 3.043, 95% CI = 1.436-6.447, p = 0.004), erythema nodosum (OR = 4.134, 95% CI = 1.541-11.091, p = 0.005) and neurologic involvement (OR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.02-5.89, p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: Cardiac and vascular involvement in BD is frequent in the Tunisian context with a broad spectrum of manifestations ranging from vascular involvement to cardiac one. Male gender, patients with erythema nodosum or neurologic involvement are prone to develop cardiac or vascular features of BD needing therefore a close monitoring.

Complex regional pain syndrome type I: incidence and risk factors in patients with fracture of the distal radius.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence and predictors of complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I) after fracture of the distal radius. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample of patients (N=90) with fracture of the distal radius treated by closed reduction and casting. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Occurrence of CRPS I, occurrence of pain, wrist and hand range of motion, radiographic measures, Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 9 months follow-up. RESULTS: CRPS I occurred in 29 patients (32.2%) with a mean delay ± SD of 21.7±23.7 days from cast removal. Univariate analyses found significant differences between patients with CRPS I and patients without CRPS I at baseline for sex (P=.021), socioeconomic level (P=.023), type of trauma (P=.05), pain at rest and activity (P=.006 and P<.001, respectively), wrist dorsiflexion and pronation (P=.002 and P=.001, respectively), finger flexion (P=.047), thumb opposition (P=.002), function of the hand (P<.001), and physical quality of life (QOL) (P=.013). Logistic regression showed that risk for CRPS I was higher in cases of women (odds ratio [OR]=5.774; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.391-23.966), medium and low energy trauma patients (OR=7.718; 95% CI, 1.136-52.44), patients with a Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical functioning score <40 (OR=4.931; 95% CI, 1.428-17.025), and patients with Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation pain subscale score >16 (OR=12.192; 95% CI, 4.484-43.478). CONCLUSIONS: CRPS I occurs frequently during the third and fourth week after cast removal, especially in women who report severe pain and impairment of physical QOL. Additional prospective studies are required to verify these findings in comminuted and operated fractures of the distal radius.