Are there indications (other than scoliosis) for rigid orthopaedic brace treatment in chronic, mechanical low back pain?

OBJECTIVES: Mechanical low back pain (LBP) is a major public health problem. Today's standard care strategy involves a combination of drug-based and non-drug therapies. The use of conservative orthopaedic brace treatment is subject to debate. The lack of data and consensus in the literature on the value of this treatment in chronic LBP prompted to us to seek to estimate the modalities and indications for brace use in France. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We performed a questionnaire-based survey of physician members of the French Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SOFMER). RESULTS: We received 55 completed questionnaires. Although the indications for this treatment were very heterogeneous (in both clinical and paraclinical terms), the prescribing behaviour was rather uniform. The brace is worn during the day for less than 3 months (with a progressive reduction in use over 1 to 2 months), together with physiotherapy before and after immobilization. The patient keeps the brace at the end of the treatment period. Orthopaedic treatment appears to be prescribed in many chronic LBP situations. Analysis of spinal posture and magnetic resonance imaging results (and Modic changes in particular) influence the therapeutic decisions. CONCLUSION: Clinical and paraclinical indications of this treatment must be precisely defined and evaluated in prospective, multicenter studies with homogeneous cohorts.

Dantrolene and pleural effusion: case report and review of literature.

STUDY DESIGN: Single-subject case (a quadriplegic female, 56 years). OBJECTIVES: To describe a new case of eosinophilic pleural effusion induced by dantrolene chronic administration. SETTING: Physical medicine and rehabilitation unit in a teaching hospital, France. METHODS: Diagnosis of an eosinophilic pleural effusion induced by dantrolene without any respiratory symptoms, except a decrease of breath sounds on the right lung base. RESULTS: Chest radiograph revealed a right-sided pleural effusion, and blood cell count a significant peripheral eosinophilia. Thoracenthesis contained 85% of eosinophils. The other explorations eliminated other causes of pleural effusion. The diagnosis of drug-induced effusion was almost sure and led us to discontinue the dantrolene. After 3 months, she had completely recovered. These characteristics, similar to the eight other cases described in the literature, are essential for the diagnosis of pleural effusion induced by dantrolene. CONCLUSION: Dantrolene, a long-acting skeletal muscle relaxant, is well known to induce liver side effects but it can also induce pleural pericarditis. The pathogenesis is still not clearly identified, but similarities of chemical structures of dantrolene and nitrofurantoine make us think that it could be the same mechanism. The association between dantrolene and nitrofurantoine may have contributed to the expression of the pleural effusion.

Femoral fracture and iatrogenic hyperthyroidism in spinal cord injury.

Analysis of the clinical case of a male aged 30 years, presenting with T6 complete paraplegia in 1991, demonstrated the existence of aggravating factors for disuse osteoporosis of spinal cord injury, possibly leading to bone density values below the fracture threshold with the risk of spontaneous fractures. This patient was admitted to hospital for multiple pressure sores requiring prolonged local dressings before and after plastic surgery performed in July 1995. In January 1996, following exercise, he developed a fracture of the femoral diaphysis with a cystic demineralized appearance of the bone. The etiologic work-up demonstrated hyperthyroidism due to iatrogenic iodine overload secondary to Betadine. A review of the literature revealed numerous cases of thyroid dysfunction secondary to iatrogenic iodine saturation. This case justifies regular surveillance of thyroid function tests during prolonged treatment with Betadine and identification of patients with a clinical predisposition.