Comparison of Dry Needling and Cold-Spray-Stretching Treatments by Ultrasonography and Electrophysiology: Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of dry needling (DN) and cold-spray-stretching treatments using surface electromyography (sEMG) and ultrasound (US) in the treatment of patients with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) with active trigger point (ATrP) in the upper trapezius muscle. METHODS: This prospective randomized single-blind study included 60 MPS patients aged 18-65 years who have ATrP in the upper trapezius muscle. Patients were randomized into two treatment groups as DN and cold spray stretching. Both treatment groups received 1 treatment per week and totally 3 sessions. Evaluation parameters were pain level assessed by Numeric Rating Scale and algometer, neck range of motion angles, neck disability index (NDI). The effects of the treatments on ATrP were evaluated by sEMG and US histogram. All parameters were evaluated at the beginning of the treatment and at the end. Algometer and sEMG were performed also before and after the first and third sessions. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding demographic data. The mean age of the participants was 39.7 ± 11.6 years. Fifty-one patients were female. Significant improvement in terms of pain level, functionality, sEMG, and US histogram were achieved in both groups (P < .05). When comparing the two groups, algometer scores and the NDI score were statistically higher in the cold-spray-stretching group than in the DN group (P < .008 and P < .028, respectively). CONCLUSION: Both treatment options should be preferred. The efficacy of both treatments was observed via sEMG and US histograms.

Top 100 cited articles on fibromyalgia syndrome: A bibliometric and altmetric analyses study.

OBJECTIVES: Fibromyalgia syndrome is a global health problem. The aim of this study was to analyze the top 100 cited articles. METHODS: Web of Science database was scanned for the period between 1990 and 2020 using the search term, 'fibromyalgia,' and the 100 most cited articles were determined. For the bibliometric analysis, a record was made of the article title, year of publication, number of authors and names, number of citations, citation index, name of the journal in which it was published, impact factor, type of article, and source of funding. The altmetric attention score was recorded from the automatic software calculation. RESULTS: The total number of citations of the articles in the top 100 list varied between 203 and 6254. The majority of articles were published in arthritis and rheumatism (n=24) and pain (n=15) journals. The country producing the most articles was the US and the most cited author was Russel IJ. Case-controlled studies constituted the largest part of the top 100 (n=36). When the number of citations was examined, studies evaluating classification criteria, diagnostic criteria, and epidemiologic study were at the forefront. In terms of altmetric attention score, treatment studies, especially exercise, were in the first orders. CONCLUSION: This study presents a view on the subject of the level of interest shown by the scientific world and on social platforms to the most cited articles on the subject of fibromyalgia. There is a need for further studies which would use more wide-scale databases and offer interactions between countries.

EURO-MUSCULUS/USPRM Global Report on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Publications.

The developments in technology have improved access to the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in different clinical settings. Accordingly, MSUS has been applied to a wide range of musculoskeletal problems including inflammatory and degenerative diseases, sport injuries, and regional pain syndromes both for clinical practice and research. In this report, the authors aimed to globally examine the publications on MSUS among different specialties, countries, and topics. Sixteen reviewers under the umbrella of the European Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography Society Group and the Ultrasound Study Group of International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine have evaluated approximately 15,000 publications on MSUS. The authors believe that the results of this comparative analysis may provide a holistic snapshot with regard to the utility of MSUS, not only for clinicians/academicians but also for the industry. Accordingly, while aiming to further increase their awareness, this article would possibly guide future investments as well.

Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of Ultrasound Measurements of Supraspinatus Tendon Thickness, Acromiohumeral Distance, and Occupation Ratio in Patients With Shoulder Impingement Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the intra- and inter-rater reliability coefficients of the supraspinatus tendon thickness, acromiohumeral distance, and occupation ratio in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 83 patients (21 males, 62 females; mean age 51.6±11.0 years; range, 26 to 70 years) with shoulder impingement syndrome. The supraspinatus tendon thickness, acromiohumeral distance, and occupation ratio values were obtained one week apart by two observers. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), minimum detectable change, and standard error of measurement were calculated. RESULTS: The first observer had excellent intra-rater reliability in all measurements (ICC >0.90) with minimum detectable change of 0.740-0.047 mm and standard error of measurement of 0.017-0.26 mm. The second observer had excellent intra-rater reliability in supraspinatus tendon thickness and acromiohumeral distance measurements (ICC >0.90) with minimum detectable change of 0.498-0.770 mm and standard error of measurement of 0.18-0.28 mm and good intra-rater reliability in the occupation ratio measurement (ICC; 0.75-0.90) with minimum detectable change of 0.060 mm and standard error of measurement of 0.022 mm. Inter-rater reliability coefficients were 0.916 (95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.873-0.945) for supraspinatus tendon thickness, 0.943 (95% CI; 0.914-0.963) for acromiohumeral distance with minimum detectable change of 0.673 mm and standard error of measurement of 0.243 mm and 0.790 (%95 CI; 0.693-0.853) for occupation ratio with minimum detectable change of 0.077 mm and standard error of measurement of 0.028 mm. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that ultrasonographic measurements of the supraspinatus tendon thickness, acromiohumeral distance and occupation ratio can be reliable and consistent for clinical evaluation of patients with shoulder impingement syndrome in terms of supporting diagnosis and monitoring the treatment effect.