RESUMO
BACKGROUND: College students are at a higher risk of suffering low back pain (LBP). Assessing the magnitude of the problem and the associated risk factors can help reduce the suffering and disability in future doctors. AIM: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and related factors of LBP among medical students in the University of Tabuk and emphasize the need for targeted interventions that could help alleviate the burden of LBP among the students and improve their quality of life. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online well-structured, self-report questionnaire to collect the respondents' data. The questionnaire explored the participants' sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and the severity of LBP-related disability using the modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)) score. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of LBP was 26.8%. The independent factors that significantly increased the probability of LBP included overweight/obesity (odds ratio (OR): 1.696, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.086 to 2.648, p = 0.020) and stretching exercises (OR: 1.784, 95% CI: 1.104 to 2.883, p = 0.018). The independent predictors that significantly increased the severity of ODI included married marital status (p = 0.007), back surgery (p = 0.031), and higher pain intensity (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the prevalence rate of LBP among our sample was around 26%. This rate is approximate to the rates reported in previous studies. Furthermore, the activities most affected by LBP were sitting, standing, and lifting. Future studies should explore other risk factors and attempt to determine the onset of pain. A longitudinal study design is recommended to identify the onset of developing LBP.
RESUMO
Liver transplantation is universally accepted as a "cure" procedure, and yet is not universally applicable for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases (ESLD) because of the shortage of donors, operative complications, risk of rejection, and high cost. Bioartificial liver device is an option to temporarily improve the liver function and to bridge the patients to liver transplantation. However, bioartificial liver device has many problems in clinical application, such as hepatocyte allograft rejection and maintenance of hepatocyte viability and function. Another therapeutic option is stem cell transplantation. There are two broad types of stem cells: Embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. The latter are sourced from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue, and blood. This review will concentrate on BM-derived cells. BM-derived cell transplantation, although not ideal, is theoretically an optimal modality for the treatment of ESLD. Autologous BM-derived cells have no graft rejection, have the capability of regeneration and self-renewal, and are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types which include hepatocytes. The pathway from BM-derived cell to hepatocyte is well documented. The present review summarizes the delivery routes of BM-derived cells to the liver, the evidences of engraftment of BM-derived cells in the liver, and the possible mechanisms of BM-derived cells in liver repair and regeneration, and finally, updates the clinical applications.
