Twelve-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of comprehensive physiotherapy following disc herniation operation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term effects of postoperative comprehensive physiotherapy starting one week after lumbar disc surgery. DESIGN: Twelve-year follow-up of a three-armed, randomized, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial. SETTING: Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: Of 111 patients following first-time, uncomplicated lumbar disc surgery who participated in the original study and completed the treatment originally allocated, 74 ((67%; 29 (73%) physiotherapy, 22 (58%) sham therapy, 23 (68%) no therapy) completed a 12-year follow-up examination. INTERVENTIONS: In the original study, patients had been randomly assigned to comprehensive physiotherapy, sham intervention (neck massage), or no therapy. MEASURES: Low Back Pain Rating Scale; best score 0, worst score 130 points). RESULTS: At 12 years after surgery, the group participating in comprehensive physiotherapy had significantly better functional outcomes, as rated on the Low Back Pain Rating Score, than the untreated group (mean difference: -13.2 (95% CI: (-25.4; -1.0)). Equally, there was a clinically relevant, non-significant difference between the sham therapy and no therapy (mean difference: -12.5 (95%CI: -26.1; 1.1)). Consequently, the Low Back Pain Rating Score outcome did not differ between physiotherapy and sham therapy (mean difference: -0.7 (95%CI: -14.2; 12.8)). CONCLUSIONS: Participating in a comprehensive physiotherapy program following lumbar disc surgery may be associated with better long-term health benefits over no intervention, but may not be superior to sham therapy.

Osteoarthritis: physical medicine and rehabilitation--nonpharmacological management.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, mainly affecting middle-aged and elderly persons. People with OA of the knee or hip experience pain and deconditioning that may lead to disability. Treatment goals include pain control, maximizing functional independence, and improving quality of life within the constraints imposed by both OA and comorbidities. Exercise is a core recommendation in all nonpharmacological guidelines for the management of patients with knee or hip OA; it is supposed to ameliorate pain and maybe function as well. Therapeutic ultrasound, neuromuscular as well as transcutaneous electrostimulation, pulsed magnetic field therapy, low-level laser therapy, thermal agents, acupuncture, and assistive devices such as insoles, canes, and braces can be used additionally in a multimodal therapeutic program. They may positively influence pain and function, mobility, and quality of life in patients suffering from OA of the lower limbs.

ACE inhibition in the treatment of children after renal transplantation.

Currently, there are no data available on long-term effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) on graft function in children after renal transplantation. We therefore analyzed all children who were transplanted at our institution between 1989 and 1998 and followed for at least 2 years. Those treated with ACE-I, mainly because of failure of other antihypertensive medications, were compared to those without ACE-I. The ACE-I-treated children ( n=19) showed significantly better blood pressure control during the 1st year of follow-up ( p<0.05). In children with chronic allograft dysfunction ( n=8), treatment with ACE-I stabilized graft function, with improvement in creatinine clearance in 50% ( p<0.01). Serum potassium and hemoglobin levels remained stable. One patient discontinued ACE-I because of renal artery stenosis. Taken together, ACE-I were effective and safe in the treatment of hypertension in children following renal transplantation. Children with chronic allograft dysfunction experienced a stabilizing effect on graft function.

Peritoneal transport kinetics of proteins in children on chronic peritoneal dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes a modified 4-hour peritoneal equilibration test (PET) for analyzing peritoneal transport characteristics of proteins with different molecular weights and predicting daily peritoneal protein losses in children on chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A single regional pediatric dialysis unit in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 9 stable pediatric dialysis patients; 4 were on continuous ambulatory PD, 5 were on continuous cycling PD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum and dialysate concentrations of IgG, albumin, beta2-microglobulin, and transferrin were determined during a PET. Changes in dialysate-to-plasma (D/P) ratios were determined hourly. Agreement between PET-derived and measured daily peritoneal protein losses was examined. RESULTS: The D/P ratio decreased with increased molecular radius (p < 0.0001). Many children had low plasma levels of IgG, albumin, and transferrin, but elevated levels of beta2-microglobulin. The D/P ratio increased linearly during the PET for all measured proteins, regardless of molecular weight. There was close correlation between 4-hour PET protein losses and 24-hour losses during routine PD. CONCLUSIONS: Proteins are lost through the peritoneum according to their size, demonstrating linear transport kinetics during a 4-hour PET. The PET-derived data predicted daily protein losses in children on chronic PD. This approach might help to eliminate inaccuracies due to incomplete dialysate collection.