Jin Miyagi

Evaluation of low back pain using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire for lumbar spinal disease in a multicenter study: differences in scores based on age, sex, and type of disease

BackgroundThe Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) has investigated the JOA Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) to evaluate several aspects of low back pain in patients. The score includes five categories (25 items) selected from the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Short Form 36, and a visual analogue scale. Japanese physicians have recently used these scores to evaluate back pain; however, the efficacy has not been fully explored in large-scale studies. In the current study, we used the JOABPEQ to evaluate lumbar spinal disease in 555 patients (with lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and lumbar disc degeneration/spondylosis) in multiple spine centers and compared the results based on age, sex, and type of disease.MethodsA total of 555 patients who had low back or leg pain were selected in 22 hospitals in Chiba Prefecture. Spine surgeons diagnosed their disease type based on symptoms, physical examination, radiography images, and magnetic resonance imaging. In all, 486 patients were diagnosed with spinal stenosis (239 patients), disc degeneration/spondylosis (143 patients), or disc herniation (104 patients). The other 69 patients were diagnosed with spondylolysis (16 patients) or other diseases (53 patients). The pain score in all patients was evaluated using the JOABPEQ (from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating the worst pain).ResultsThe age of the patients was 56.1 ± 13.3 years (mean ± SD); the age of patients in the disc herniation and disc degeneration/spondylosis group was significantly lower than that in the spinal stenosis group. The average JOABPEQ scores in all patients were, for low back pain, 47.1; lumbar function, 53.6; walking ability, 54.8; social life function, 48.7; and mental health, 48.3. The low back pain score in men was significantly worse than that in women. In contrast, the mental health score in women was significantly higher than that in men. The low back pain score in patients <40 years old and the walking ability score in patients >65 years old were significantly lower than those scores in other patients. Based on the disease type, low back pain, lumbar function, social life function, and mental health scores for patients with disc herniation were significantly worse than for those with spinal stenosis.ConclusionJOABPEQ scores were evaluated for several lumbar diseases. The average of five categories of JOABPEQ scores in all patients was similarly distributed. However, the average scores in the five categories were significantly different depending on age, sex, and type of disease. Compared with prior mass data (baseline data on the observational cohort of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial in the United States), many data were similar based on the type of disease in the current study. Furthermore, the JOABPEQ is easy to use compared with the SF-36. Hence, we concluded that the JOABPEQ could be used worldwide as a tool for evaluating low back pain.

Evaluation of joint laxity against distal traction force upon flexion in cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty.

BackgroundSeveral studies have reported varus-valgus stability in the extension position after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, few studies have evaluated joint laxity in the flexion position postoperatively. The purpose of the study was to evaluate joint laxity against distal traction force on flexion after cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasties.MethodsA total of 44 knees (22 knees cruciate-retaining, 22 knees posterior-stabilized) in 40 patients with osteoarthritis were tested in this study. The subjects were seated at a table and their knee joints were fixed at 80° of flexion to avoid overlapping images of condyles and the femoral shaft. Tibial shafts were adjusted to be parallel to the radiographic films, and posteroanterior radiographs were obtained. Flexion stress tests were performed with a distal traction of 100 N at a neutral foot position. Radiographs were obtained at neutral and traction positions. The distance from the perpendicular line of the top of the polyethylene insert to the midpoint on the tangential line of the femoral condyle was measured (joint space distance) at each side.ResultsIn the flexion-neutral position, average joint space distances were 0.1 ± 0.2 mm in cruciate-retaining (CR) TKA knees and 0.2 ± 0.3 mm in posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA knees. With flexion-traction stress tests, the average joint space distances were 0.5 ± 0. 5 mm in CR TKA knees 2.4 ± 1.2 mm in PS TKA knees. Average changes of joint space distances between the two positions were 0.3 ± 0.4 mm (CR TKA) and 2.2 ± 1.5 mm (PS TKA). The changes in joint space distances between neutral and traction positions of PS TKA knees were significantly larger than those of CR TKA knees in flexion stress tests (P < 0.01).ConclusionThe posterior cruciate ligament acted as a stabilizer against distal traction force in the CR-TKA knees. However, the laxity of PS-TKA knees against distal force differed among individual cases.

Comparison of three techniques for evaluation of de novo asymptomatic pulmonary arterial thrombosis following deep vein thrombosis in total knee arthroplasty

PURPOSE Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) frequently results in pulmonary arterial thrombosis (PAT). Using multislice-CT (MSCT), we evaluated the incidence of de novo asymptomatic PAT following DVT in subjects undergoing TKA and compared these results by ventilation-perfusion (VP) lung scintigram and ultrasonography of the lower extremities. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-five asymptomatic subjects (5 males, 53-82 years old, receiving anticoagulant therapy) underwent enhanced MSCT, VP lung scintigram, and ultrasonography of the lower extremities before and 7 days after TKA. RESULTS Among 25 subjects, 2 were found to have asymptomatic PAT and DVT, respectively, by pre-TKA MSCT. In the remaining 23 subjects, the post-TKA MSCT detected PAT in 7 subjects (30.4%) and DVT in 6 (26.1%). Those 16 subjects without evidence of PAT on the post-TKA MSCT also had no VP mismatches on their VP lung scintigrams. Additionally, all subjects without evidence of DVT on the post-TKA MSCT also showed no evidence of DVT by ultrasonography. Of the 7 subjects in whom PAT was detected by post-TKA MSCT, VP mismatch was shown by lung scintigraphy in 2 and DVT was confirmed by MSCT in both. No patient had VP mismatch without PAT, and 2 subjects with PAT and VP mismatch had DVT. Conversely, DVT was not revealed by ultrasonography among the 6 subjects (26.1%) in whom DVT was detected in the lower extremities by post-TKA MSCT. However, blood flow abnormalities were shown by ultrasonography of the lower extremities in 4 of the 6 subjects (17.4%). CONCLUSION MSCT was the most sensitive of the 3 methods and could simultaneously evaluate PAT and DVT. The apparent discrepancy between these techniques may be due to MSCTs ability to detect thrombi that do not interfere with blood flow.

Estimation of three-dimensional knee joint movement using bi-plane x-ray fluoroscopy and 3D-CT

Acquisition of exact information of three-dimensional knee joint movement is desired in plastic surgery. Conventional X-ray fluoroscopy provides dynamic but just two-dimensional projected image. On the other hand, three-dimensional CT provides three-dimensional but just static image. In this paper, a method for acquiring three-dimensional knee joint movement using both bi-plane, dynamic X-ray fluoroscopy and static three-dimensional CT is proposed. Basic idea is use of 2D/3D registration using digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) or virtual projection of CT data. Original ideal is not new but the application of bi-plane fluoroscopy to natural bones of knee is reported for the first time. The technique was applied to two volunteers and successful results were obtained. Accuracy evaluation through computer simulation and phantom experiment with a knee joint of a pig were also conducted.

Measurement of Thrombus Flux Using Transesophageal Echocardiography

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) are serious problem of total knee replacement (TKR). These diseases may be caused by a thrombus formed during the TKR operation. Therefore, understanding the flow volume of thrombus is important for curing and preventing PTE. In this paper, we tried to understanding the situation of the flow of thrombus by using transesophageal echocardiography movies. We applied the signal processing technique the FSET to extract the anomalous information from ultrasonic echo image. As a result of processing, the time change of the flow volume of thrombus was confirmed.