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O Ultrassom terapeutico (UST) e um recurso frequentemente utilizado na pratica clinica do fisioterapeuta. Entretanto, nao ha consenso na literatura em relacao a efetividade desse recurso. Objetivo: Os objetivos do presente estudo foram verificar e sintetizar as informacoes contidas nas revisoes sistematicas Cochrane relacionadas ao tratamento das afeccoes musculoesqueleticas com o UST. Metodo: Foi realizada uma busca na base de dados “Cochrane Library” e selecionadas as revisoes sistematicas que abordavam o UST como modalidade de tratamento. Resultados: Foram incluidas seis revisoes sistematicas Cochrane que analisaram a efetividade do UST em diferentes afeccoes musculoesqueleticas demonstrando reducao significativa da dor apenas na osteartrite de joelho; nao ha relatos de eventos adversos decorrentes do UST em todas as revisoes incluidas, sendo considerado um tratamento seguro. Conclusao: Os resultados apresentados nesse estudo devem ser analisados com cautela, pois a baixa qualidade metodologica e a heterogeneidade dos ensaios clinicos randomizados (ECRs) incluidos nas revisoes sistematicas sao fatores limitantes para a confiabilidade dos dados apresentados.

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a função e a qualidade de vida dos pacientes pós-artroplastia de Girdlestone e comparar os resultados entre os grupos Girdlestone unilateral e o grupo com prótese total de quadril contralateral. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal no qual foram avaliados 9 pacientes com Girdlestone unilateral e 3 com Girdlestone em um quadril e prótese total no quadril contralateral. A avaliação constitui-se em aplicar o questionário genérico de qualidade de vida SF-36 e um questionário funcional específico para o quadril, Harris Hip Score (HHS). A comparação dos grupos foi realizada usando-se o teste t- Student e o teste de Fisher. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes do grupo Girdlestone unilateral apresentaram maior quantidade de domínios do SF-36 classificados como elevados, embora 77,8% destes tenham obtido resultados ruins no HHS. Todos os pacientes apresentaram o teste de Trendelenburg positivo e discrepância de membros, o que levou à marcha claudicante em 11 dos 12 pacientes avaliados. Destes, apenas 6 submeteram-se a fisioterapia pós-operatória. CONCLUSÃO: A qualidade de vida e a função pós-operatória de Girdlestone, na população brasileira, ainda necessita ser mais pesquisada, pois estes resultados são indicações do comportamento das variáveis de estudo e não podem ser consideradas encerradas. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate function and quality of life of patients submitted to Girdlestone's arthroplasty, and to compare outcomes between unilateral Girdlestone's group with the group with contralateral total hip prosthesis. METHODS: Cross-sectional study where 9 patients were evaluated with unilateral Girdlestone's and 3 with Girdlestone's in one hip and contralateral total hip prosthesis. The evaluation consisted in filling in a generic questionnaire on quality of life "SF-36" and a specific questionnaire for hip function "Harris Hip Score" (HHS). The comparison between groups was made by using the Student's t-test and the Fisher's test. RESULTS: The patients of the unilateral Girdlestone's group presented a higher number of SF-36 domains classified as high, although 77.8% of these showed poor results on the HHS. All patients had a leg-length discrepancy and positive Trendelenburg's test, which led to limping gait in 11 of 12 patients evaluated. Of these, only 6 underwent physiotherapy after surgery. CONCLUSION: Girdlestone's postoperative quality of life and function in a Brazilian population still requires further studies, because these outcomes are indicative of study variables' behavior and cannot be regarded as definite.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate retrospectively, through analysis of medical records, the epidemiological aspects of patients traumatized by motorcycle accidents treated at the orthopedics ward, Hospital São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: It is a retrospective observational study. The analysis of patients' medical records comprised the period from January 2008 to December 2009. The data checked were: age, gender, type of collision, type and location of fracture, treatment performed (conservative or surgical), type of surgery, cost of synthesis material and hospitalization, period of hospitalization and postoperative complications. After data collection, statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: We analyzed 381 victims involved in motorcycle accidents. Patients were predominantly male (85%), with a mean age of 30.7 years old. Referring to distribution and site of lesions, 75.5% of individuals had lower limb fractures and in 95.4% of the cases, the treatment of choice was surgery. Twenty-nine patients were rehospitalized due to postoperative complications, such as exposure and failure of synthesis material, wound infection, necrosis, osteomyelitis, and pseudoarthrosis. CONCLUSION: It was possible to identify useful characteristics for planning preventative strategies to reduce the rate of motorcycle accidents and redirect public investment in health. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Study.

Knee osteoarthritis presents pain, loss of function, and joint swelling as its main symptoms. The joint swelling is defined as an accumulation of fluid in the joint due to the inflammatory process that contributes to progressive joint damage; it causes limitation in the range of knee motion, decreases proprioception, and affects the functional capacity and the quality of life of the individual. The measurement of articular cartilage volume is essential in clinical practice. The measurement of knee circumference using a measuring tape is a widely used, inexpensive, and accessible technique. However, as it is considered subjective, there is no evidence to support its use. Objective: To examine the reproducibility of this technique in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Method: Participants underwent two evaluations performed by two independent raters, at different times. The measurement of knee circumference was performed using a measuring tape 150 cm in length, taking as reference the superior pole of the patella. Results: The knee circumferences of 114 individuals were measured. According to the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), we observed a strong correlation (ICC = 0.98) between raters. Conclusion: The use of a measuring tape as a resource to measure knee circumference in individuals with osteoarthritis is a reliable and reproducible method.