A novel mechanotronic orthosis enables symmetrical gait kinematics in a patient with a femoral nerve palsy - a case study.

The usage of stance- and swing-phase control orthoses (SSCOs) is a good option in patients with neuromuscular insufficiency of the quadriceps muscle in a broad range of musculo-skeletal disorders. The subjective sensation of improved mobility in daily life and walking comfort could be objectively confirmed by the ability to walk without crutches and by harmonization of the gait patterns in hip and knee. They could also be a considered mobility device after limb salvage surgery, which may even have an impact on preoperative decision making. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Symmetric gate in spite of femoral nerve palsy. Early gate improvements even after hours. High patient?s motivation to use the device.

Isolation of Treponema and Tannerella spp. from equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis related periodontal disease.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Red complex bacteria, i.e. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia, are involved in the onset and progression of periodontal disease in man, yet seldom inhabit the oral cavity of healthy individuals. Periodontal disease is also encountered in horses, with equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) constituting a particular form of disease. However, only little is known about the oral microbiome of healthy and periodontitis-affected equids. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to test the hypothesis that red complex bacteria are also associated with EOTRH-related periodontal disease. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled cross-sectional study. METHODS: We screened DNA purified from crevicular fluid derived from 23 EOTRH-affected and 21 disease-free horses for the presence of Treponema spp., Tannerella spp. and Porphyromonas gingivalis DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, amplified DNA was bidirectionally sequenced and identified via BLAST analysis. RESULTS: Treponema and/or Tannerella DNA was detected in 100% of periodontitis-related samples and in 52.2% of DNA derived from healthy horses. Twenty-six amplicon sequences were 98-100% homologous to published bacterial sequences, which mostly corresponded to Treponema pectinovorum, oral Treponema clones JU025 and OMZ 840, and Tannerella forsythia. P. gingivalis DNA was only found in 3 EOTRH-related samples. Forty-three amplicon sequences revealed weaker homologies ranging between 80% and 97% to known Treponema or Tannerella strains, partly because of their heterogeneity, partly because they obviously represented so far unknown types. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report in which known and novel Treponema and Tannerella spp. were isolated in association with EOTRH-related periodontal disease.

A systematic review on the effectiveness of medical training therapy for subacute and chronic low back pain.

Medical training therapy (MTT) to improve muscular strength and endurance follows evidence based guidelines and is increasingly recommended to patients suffering from subacute and chronic back pain (LBP). This study investigated whether MTT was effective in reducing pain and improving function in patients with subacute or chronic LBP. Data sources were MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Pedro, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included RCTs that examined exercise or MTT in adult patients with LBP compared to placebo, no intervention or other interventions. Study outcomes had to include at least one of the following: pain intensity; functional status, absenteeism. Two independent reviewers performed quality assessment. Visual analogue scale ratings ranging from 0-10 MTT quantified the MTT aspects of the intervention. Studies with rating scores >7.5 were included. We identified only 2 studies that examined the effectiveness of MTT. Both trials, one was of high quality, found MTT to decrease pain and improve function significantly better than therapy of uncertain effectiveness. There is moderate evidence that would support the effectiveness of MTT in the treatment chronic LBP. Future high quality RCT will have to clarify whether MTT is effective and would be superior to other forms of therapeutic exercise.