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Purpose: To investigate the effects of intra-articular glenohumeral joint triamcinolone injection in treating secondary adhesive capsulitis after breast cancer surgery. Methods: This study prospectively enrolled 37 participants, including 22 in the breast cancer surgery group and 15 in the idiopathic group. All participants received intra-articular glenohumeral joint triamcinolone injection in the affected shoulder joint. The clinical outcomes included the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), passive range of motion (PROM), and pain intensity on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), which were evaluated before the intervention and 1, 3, and 6 months after. The primary outcome of this study was the mean difference in the total SPADI from baseline to 6 months after the intervention. Results: The mean differences in the total SPADI scores from baseline to 6 months after the intervention were 36.2 ± 16.4 and 47.9 ± 15.2 in the breast cancer surgery group and the idiopathic group, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.1495). However, the improvements in the SPADI pain subscale at the 3- and 6-month follow-up visits (−31.2 vs. −48.8, p = 0.042; −34.1 vs. −50.7, p = 0.0006) and the PROM of abduction at the 3-month follow-up (52.4 vs. 70.3, p = 0.0072) were inferior in the breast cancer surgery group compared to the idiopathic group. There were no adverse events in either group. Conclusion: Intra-articular triamcinolone injection is an effective and safe treatment option for adhesive capsulitis after breast cancer surgery; however, it has less effect than for idiopathic adhesive capsulitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between ambulatory status at discharge and six-month post-discharge mortality among adults with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We analyzed data from 398 patients aged over 18 admitted to a tertiary hospital in South Korea between December 2019 and June 2022. Patients were classified into two groups based on their ambulatory status at discharge: ambulatory (able to walk independently, n = 286) and non-ambulatory (unable to walk independently, requiring wheelchair or bed-bound, n = 112). Our analysis revealed that six-month survival rates were significantly higher in the ambulatory group (94.2%) compared to the non-ambulatory group (84.4%). Multivariate analysis identified ambulatory status at discharge (p = 0.047) and pre-existing malignancy (p = 0.007) as significant prognostic factors for post-discharge survival. This study highlights that the ability to walk independently at discharge is a crucial predictor of six-month survival in COVID-19 patients. These findings emphasize the need for interventions to improve the physical performance of non-ambulatory patients, potentially enhancing their survival prospects. This underscores the importance of targeted rehabilitation and physical therapy for the comprehensive care of COVID-19 survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The study aimed to establish the threshold values and prevalence of sarcopenia and to investigate the association of sarcopenia with metabolic syndrome in an urban Korean population. Materials and Methods: The study included 300,090 adults who underwent anthropometric analyses by bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Sarcopenia was defined as: (1) class I, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) within −1 to −2 standard deviations (SDs); (2) or class II, <−2 SD of SMI in a young population. Results: Low SMI threshold levels for class I and class II sarcopenia were 39.8 and 36.7% in men, and 35.5 and 32.3% in women. Among all age groups, the prevalence rates of sarcopenia were highest in the age group 80–89 years. Following adjustment for possible confounders including age, sex, height, metabolic and health behavioral factors, adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the risk of metabolic syndrome were 2.43 (2.33–2.54) for class I and 2.69 (2.49–2.91) for class II sarcopenia, compared with the normal reference. Sarcopenia was more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in women than men (p for interaction < 0.01). The threshold values and prevalence of sarcopenia were demonstrated in a large Korean urban population. Conclusions: This study identified that sarcopenia was associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome, showing itself to be significantly higher in women than men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing interest in RF (Radiofrequency) therapy, little is known about its effectiveness for low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of 4.4-MHz RF diathermy compared to ultrasound (US) in patients with LBP. One-hundred-and-eighteen patients with LBP were randomized with RF (n = 62) or US (n = 56). Investigator and subjects were blinded to the treatment group. Either RF (4.4 MHz, 45 W/cm2) or US (1 MHz, 2 W/cm2) was applied for 10 to 15 min, 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, %). Secondary outcomes were numeric rating scale (NRS), Biering–Sorensen test, up-and-go test, successful pain relief, and successful functional improvement. Clinical outcomes were evaluated prior to intervention (baseline), and at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Both groups observed a significant improvement of ODI (%), NRS, Biering–Sorensen test, and up-and-go test at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment (p < 0.05); however, no significant differences were found between groups. The RF group showed a higher proportion of successful pain relief at 12 weeks after treatment than the US group (p = 0.048). The RF diathermy showed favorable results in pain reduction, improvement of function, mobility, and back muscle endurance. Compared with US, RF diathermy obtained slightly better perception of patients in pain relief at 12 weeks after treatment. The results from this study indicated that 4.4-MHz RF diathermy can effectively be used as a conservative treatment option for patients with LBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, ultrasound measurements of the shoulder such as thickening of the rotator interval (RI) and the axillary recess (AR) are suggested as specific indicators of adhesive capsulitis. Herein, we evaluated the sequential changes in ultrasound parameters and clinical impairments and the correlation between the two in the case of adhesive capsulitis through a prospective observational study of 56 patients with adhesive capsulitis. Clinical assessments and ultrasound parameters, including the thicknesses of the RI and AR, were surveyed at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 months. In 56 patients with adhesive capsulitis, the thickness of the AR significantly decreased at each follow-up evaluation, but the thickness of the RI showed a significant decrease only between the baseline and 1-month evaluation. In repeated analyses of correlation, the thickness of the AR was strongly correlated with all clinical impairments except the pain at rest and range of internal rotation in the affected shoulder. The thickness of AR was correlated with clinical impairments in patients with adhesive capsulitis during the 6 months follow up and could be useful as a surrogate marker in patients with adhesive capsulitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]