D Scaturro

TECAR therapy for Peyronie’s disease: a phase-one prospective study. Great evidence in patients with erectile dysfunction

BacKground: The present study aims to investigate the influence of estrous cycle on micturition pattern in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rat. Methods: Micturition pattern was evaluated by measuring void volume, void interval and void pressure in each stage of the estrous cycle by cystometry. Results: A higher bladder capacity and a decrease in the frequency of micturition occurred in the proestrus and estrus stage, while a lower bladder capacity and an increase in the frequency of micturition occurred in the diestrus stage. Conclusions: It is suggested that these remarkable variations in the physiology of the micturition pattern during different stages of the estrous cycle might be due to the effects of estrogen and progesterone because the level of these hormones fluctuate during each stage of the cycle. Therefore, monitoring the estrous cycle prior to any cystometry experiment in conscious rat is recommended for a better understanding of the effects of these hormones on bladder function.Our phase-one prospective study wants to evaluate the safety and tolerability of TECAR therapy in the treatment of Peyronie’s disease. From June 2011 to September 2012 we enrolled 70 patients. Each patient had been previously subjected to andrological examination, to a questionnaire for the evaluation of IPP and ED, and the SF-36 (V1) for the evaluation of the general state of health. The evaluation of pain was made using the VAS scale of pain. Every patient was subjected to TECAR treatment of the fibrotic plaque (both in resistive mode and in capacitive mode) for a total of three sessions carried out on consecutive days. We recorded a good compliance by patients; none of them reported side effects. Pain was decreased by the technique in 80% of the cases.The whole sample completed the study. Surprisingly enough those patients who complained also of erectile dysfunction, reported an improvement in sexual potency.

The effectiveness of intra-articular injections of Hyalubrix combined with exercise therapy in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis

Purpose Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the elderly, causing significant pain which negatively affects mobility and quality of life. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of ultrasound image-guided intra-articular injections of Hyalubrix® combined with exercise therapy in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis. Methods This was a single site, prospective, open-label, Investigator-initiated study. Forty patients were enrolled and received three ultrasound image-guided injections of Hyalubrix®, 45 days apart, combined with three sessions a week of physical therapy (proprioceptive rehabilitation of the lower limbs; gait training; balance training) up to a total of 30 sessions (10 weeks), starting from one week after the first injection. Results The primary objective was to achieve a lasting reduction in OA symptoms related to pain during activity. During the course of the study the pain perceived by the patient during activity dropped from a mean value of 6.94 cm to a mean value of 1.46 cm and showed a statistically significant decrease from visit 1 compared to baseline (p < 0.05) which was confirmed at all the subsequent time points. Significant improvements were also observed in the evaluation of the secondary objectives: hip disability; OA-related pain at rest; daily functioning and NSAIDs intake. Conclusions Results from this study including 40 patients for a total of 65 treated hips demonstrate a significant improvement in OA-related pain, hip disability, and patients daily functioning as well as a reduction in NSAIDs intake. Patients suffering from hip OA seem to benefit from the treatment with Hyalubrix® injections plus exercise therapy.

Neck Pain Rehabilitation

Neck pain is par excellence one of the most common disorders of the musculoskeletal system, second only to low back pain. It constitutes 40 % of all backache. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain of cervical origin coming from an area between the nuchal line and another imagi-nary line that passes through the lower end of the spinous process of the first thoracic vertebra and the sagittal plans tangent to the side edges of the neck. This definition considers therefore posterior pain which in turn can be divided into high pain, up to C3, and lower pain, down from C4. Also, as all diseases, it can be divided into acute and chronic neck pain, merely according to the time of onset: it lasts more than 3 months in the first case and for longer in the second case. The painful perception depends on the nociceptive elicitation of the major structures innervated in the neck region, such as cervical muscles, ligaments, facet joints and nerve roots.