Outcomes after acute traumatic spinal cord injury in Botswana: from admission to discharge.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. OBJECTIVES: To increase the knowledge regarding clinical and functional outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) in a resource-constrained setting. A special focus was placed on secondary complications such as pressure ulcers. SETTING: The national referral hospital in Gaborone, Botswana. METHODS: The study included all patients admitted with an acute TSCI during a 2-year period (n=39). Data collection was conducted at the time of discharge, and clinical characteristics, length of stay and pressure ulcers were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Completeness of injury and presence of pressure ulcers were the factors found to significantly prolong hospitalization, which was 5 months (median). One patient died before discharge and one was discharged to rehabilitation in South Africa; all other patients were living with close or distant family members after discharge. Patients were supplied with electrical or manual active wheelchairs. Self-catheterization or suprapubic catheters were the main methods for bladder management, and ano-rectal stimulation to manage the bowel. Pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections and pain were the most frequent complications during in-patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation of patients with TSCI in Botswana has been going through big changes, and new rehabilitation objectives, such as techniques used for the management of bladder and bowel dysfunctions and the provision of technical aids, have been implemented, which likely can contribute to an overall improvement in the outcomes. However, basic care at the general wards is still lagging behind, causing high rates of pressure ulcers that significantly extend hospitalization periods.

Prevalence of secondary medical complications and risk factors for pressure ulcers after traumatic spinal cord injury during acute care in South Africa.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, population-based cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of selected complications following traumatic spinal cord injury during acute care and to identify the risk factors for pressure ulcers. SETTING: The only tertiary academic (Groote Schuur) hospital in the catchment region providing specialised acute care. METHODS: A descriptive, observational study of an inception cohort. Secondary complications were predefined and consisted of pressure ulcers, pulmonary complications (pneumonia and atelectasis), urinary tract infections, autonomic dysreflexia, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, postural hypotension, neuropathic pain and spasticity. Possible risk factors for pressure ulcers included variables concerning demographic and injury characteristics and complications. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. RESULTS: Data of 141 patients (97%) were analysed. In total, 71 (50.3%) patients had one or more complication. The most common was pressure ulcers (n=42; 29.8%), followed by pulmonary complications (n=33; 23.4%) and urinary tract infections (n=24; 17%). Significant risk factors were gun-shot injury, motor completeness (American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) A│B), vertebral injury, no spinal surgery, pulmonary complications, urinary tract infection and level of consciousness. In the final multivariate model that correctly predicted 81.6% of subjects, motor completeness and vertebral injury remained significant independent factors, whereas having a urinary tract infection was associated with an increased risk (odds ratio: 2.86), but not significant at the 5% level. CONCLUSION: Pressure ulcers and pulmonary complications were prevalent during specialised acute phase. The occurrence of pressure ulcers, despite protocols in place, is worrisome. To prevent pressure ulcers, special attention seems necessary for persons with motor complete lesions and those with vertebral injuries.

Incidence and aetiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Cape Town, South Africa: a prospective, population-based study.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, regional population-based study. OBJECTIVES: To provide the incidence, aetiology and injury characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. SETTING: All government-funded hospitals within the City of Cape Town, South Africa. METHODS: All survivors of acute TSCI, given that they met the inclusion criteria, were prospectively included for a 1-year period. The International Spinal Cord injury Core Data Set was used and systematically completed by specialist doctors. Further, international standards for neurological classification were adhered to. RESULTS: In total, 147 cases of acute TSCI were identified and 145 were included in the study. The male to female ratio was 5.9:1 and the mean age was 33.5 years, ranging from 18 to 93. The crude incidence rate was 75.6 per million (95% CI: 64.3-88.8) with assault as the main cause of injury, accounting for 59.3% of the cases, followed by motor vehicle accidents (26.3%) and falls (11.7%). Most injuries occurred in the cervical spine (53.1%), and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A severity was most common (39.3%) in the cohort. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of TSCI in a region of South Africa was high when compared to previously postulated figures for the country. There is a need for primary preventative strategies to target younger men that are exposed to violent activities. A national study is required to learn whether these findings are only locally applicable or generalisable.

Traumatic spinal cord injury in Botswana: characteristics, aetiology and mortality.

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCIs) in Botswana, with a specific focus on road traffic crashes (RTC). SETTING: Main public referral hospital, Gaborone, Botswana. METHOD: Two samples were included. Sample one described the epidemiology and included patients admitted during a 2-year period with acute TSCI. Sample two included only patients with TSCI due to RTC. RESULTS: Annual incidence was 13 per million population. Epidemiology of TSCI: 49 patients were included, 71% male, age ranging from 4 to 81 years, 80% ⩽ 45 years. Tetraplegia was more common than paraplegia (59/41%), and 39% had C1-C4 level of injury. The main cause of TSCI was RTC (68%), followed by assault (16%) and falls (10%). Mortality was 20%, where all, but one, had tetraplegia (18%). Median time from injury to spinal surgery was 12 days, with longer time for women, 16 days compared with 8 for men. Burst tire was the primary cause of RTC resulting in a TSCI, followed by hitting animals on the road. The majority had been passengers and 72% were involved in single crashes. CONCLUSION: The most common cause for TSCI was RTC, followed by assault. In-hospital mortality was high and the waiting period from the time of accident to spinal surgery was long, especially for women. The aetiology and high mortality of TSCI in Botswana indicate that improvements in roadway safety and medical care may decrease the TSCI incidence and mortality.

Ankle-joint mobility and standing squat posture in elite junior cross-country skiers. A pilot study.

AIM: Skating technique in cross-country skiing is a complex multi-joint movement with kinematics comparable to those of the standing squat exercise where any restricted joint mobility in the lower extremity-chain may change the movement pattern. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of ankle mobility on trunk posture during squat exercise in cross-country skiers. METHODS: Seven elite junior cross-country skiers (age range 17-19 years) performed two different standing squats, one with hands on hips and one with arms extended above the head. The squats were recorded on video and analyzed in selected positions: 90 degrees and maximal knee flexion. Segment angles for shank and trunk were calculated from anatomical references relative to vertical/horizontal orientation in space. Recordings from passive ankle dorsiflexion were correlated with 1) trunk flexion, and 2) angle index (trunk flexion relative to shank angle). RESULTS: Reduced ankle dorsiflexion was moderately associated with increased trunk flexion with hands on hips (r=-0.51 to -0.57), and arms above head (r=-0.61 to -0.64). Further, reduced dorsiflexion was also moderately associated with decreased angle index with hands on hip (r=0.60 to 0.67) but highly associated with decreased angle index with arms above head (r=0.75 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: The results imply that reduced ankle dorsal mobility is related to decreased angle index as well as increased trunk flexion during squat exercise, thus indicating the relevance of good ankle joint mobility for appropriate upper-body posture during squat exercise.

Stabilizing training compared with manual treatment in sub-acute and chronic low-back pain.

The present aim was to compare the effects of stabilizing training with those of manual treatment in patients with sub-acute or chronic low-back pain (LBP). Forty-seven patients were randomized to a stabilizing training group (ST group) or a manual treatment group (MT group). The patients underwent a 6-week treatment programme on a weekly basis. Pain, health and functional disability level at the start of treatment, after treatment, and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups were assessed. In the ST group all assessed variables improved significantly (P<0.05) after the treatment period and were maintained long term. After the treatment period there was a significant difference between the groups in assessed function (P<0.05). More individuals in the ST group had improved than in the MT group. At the 3-month follow-up significantly more improved individuals were evident in the ST group regarding pain, general health and functional disability levels. In the long term, significantly more (P<0.05) patients in the MT group reported recurrent treatment periods. The study did not indicate any clear short-term differences between the groups in the accessed outcome measures. In the long term, however, stabilizing training seemed to be more effective than manual treatment in terms of improvement of individuals and the reduced need for recurrent treatment periods.

Variability of forces applied by experienced physiotherapists during provocation of the sacroiliac joint.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of total force vector and force components intended for the right and left sacroiliac joint, respectively, during pain-provocation sacroiliac joint tests. DESIGN: Two force plates, each capable of sensing three orthogonal forces, were used in a descriptive study to assess force. BACKGROUND: Studies evaluating the reliability of sacroiliac joint tests have revealed conflicting results and to our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the distribution of forces and their variations. METHODS: Fifteen physiotherapists, experienced in musculoskeletal therapy, performed the distraction test and pressure on apex sacralis on the same healthy person on two occasions. RESULTS: In both tests, the total force vector was less on the force plate closer to the physiotherapist. The vertical force component dominated and was considerably greater than the lateral (examined person supine/prone). The caudal/cranial force component was small. Systematic differences were found for the total force vector and for the lateral and vertical force components between occasions and/or between the force plates. CONCLUSIONS: The consistency of total force vector and force components was incomplete within and between physiotherapists and between occasions. Relevance. The results indicate that forces have to be investigated as the questions still arise of whether the variation in force distribution has any importance in pain response, whether force registration could be a useful pain evaluation instrument, and whether force registration could be a step towards standardising pain-provocation sacroiliac joint tests.

Back pain in women post-partum is not a unitary concept.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: At least half of all pregnant women experience back pain at some time during pregnancy and some of them also have persisting back pain post-partum. The aim of the present study was to identify and classify back problems in women post-partum by use of different pain provocation tests and define their relationship to spinal sagittal configuration and mobility. METHOD: One hundred and nineteen women with back pain persisting two months after delivery were interviewed and examined, on average 7.2 months post-partum. Ten clinical pain provocation tests were performed. The first was performed to identify hip pain, the second to identify radiating pain and the other eight tests were performed to provoke pain in the areas of the posterior pelvic/sacroiliac joints, the symphysis pubis and the lumbar spine. The spinal sagittal configuration and mobility were measured in the thoracic and lumbar spine, respectively, with Debrunner's kyphometer (Protek AG, Berne, Switzerland). RESULTS: Twenty-seven per cent of women had pain in the area of the posterior pelvic/sacroiliac joints, 18% in the area of the lumbar spine, 39% both in the area of the posterior pelvic/sacroiliac joints and in the lumbar spine, and in 16% no pain could be provoked. There were no statistically significant differences between the four groups with respect to the spinal sagittal configuration or the mobility in the thoracic or lumbar spine. CONCLUSIONS: Back pain post-partum is not a unitary concept. Based on the clinical tests, women with back pain post-partum can be separated into groups with different pain localizations. The measuring of the spinal sagittal configuration and mobility did not help to further identify or classify post-partum back pain.

Back pain in in-vitro fertilized and spontaneous pregnancies.

The influence of ovarian stimulation in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) on the prevalence of back pain with onset during pregnancy was studied in 31 women who became pregnant after IVF treatment and compared with that of 200 spontaneously pregnant women. A two times higher prevalence rate of sacral pain in late pregnancy was reported among IVF pregnant women (P < 0.0001), as well as a significantly higher prevalence rate of positive results of pelvic pain provocation tests performed in late pregnancy (0.0001 < or = P < or = 0.015), as compared with that of the spontaneously pregnant women. Among the IVF pregnant women, there was a significant positive correlation between relaxin concentrations in early pregnancy and the outcome of pelvic pain provocation tests (0.44 < or = r < or = 0.51, P < 0.05). In addition, the serum relaxin concentration was the factor that best explained differences in sacral pain prevalence. When the influence of serum relaxin concentration on back pain prevalence was taken into account, women carrying multiple pregnancies had no more pain than women carrying singletons, and IVF pregnant women had no more pain than spontaneously pregnant women. These results support the hypothesis that relaxin is involved in the generation of pelvic pain in pregnant women.

Reproducibility of manual pressure force on provocation of the sacroiliac joint.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies of pain-provocation sacroiliac (SI) joint tests have revealed conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intra- and inter-test reliability of pressure force applied during distraction test, compression test and pressure on the apex sacralis. METHODS: Seventeen physiotherapists (PTs), median age 43 years and median clinical experience 11 years, all experienced in musculoskeletal evaluation and therapy, participated in the study. Each PT performed each test on the same healthy volunteer for 20 s, on three separate occasions, at intervals of one week using a specially constructed examination table which registered pressure force. RESULTS: The PTs were capable of maintaining a relatively constant pressure force for 20 s. The intra-test reliability was acceptable even though there were individual differences on different occasions between those PTs who used the SI joint tests often and those who seldom or never used them. The inter-test reliability was insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate the advantage of registering pressure force as a complement for standardized methods for pain-provoking tests and when learning provocation tests, since individual variability was considerable.