Karel Stappaerts

One-year evaluation of the effect of physical therapy for masticatory muscle pain: A randomized controlled trial

Physical therapy is widely used to decrease pain and restore function in patients suffering from masticatory muscle pain. Controlled studies on its efficacy are scarce. This study evaluated the 1‐year effect of a 6‐week physical therapy programme in a single blind, randomized, controlled trial. Fifty‐three subjects were randomly assigned to either a physical therapy group [n = 26; 19 women, mean age (SD) 36.6 years (15.5 years)] or a control group [n = 27; 20 women, mean age (SD) 42.9 years (15.1 years)]. In the physical therapy group, the patients received education, muscle stretching, exercises and homework for nine treatments in 6 weeks. In the control group, the patients received education on the evaluation days only. At baseline and after 3, 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks, pain and masticatory function were evaluated using visual analogue scales, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, pressure pain thresholds of the masseter and temporalis muscles, the mandibular function impairment questionnaire, and active and passive maximal mouth opening. All pain rating variables decreased and all function variables increased significantly over time in both groups. No significant differences in improvement between the groups (time–treatment interaction) were found. These data suggest that the long‐term decrease in pain and the improvement of function are not related to active physical therapy.

The importance of early internal fixation in multiply injured patients to prevent late death due to sepsis

Three hundred and seventy-one multiply injured patients with 1063 fractures, who were admitted to our service over an 8-year period (1978-1985), were studied retrospectively. The impact of early osteosynthesis on the overall, and especially of the late, mortality due to sepsis was analysed. The patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they were treated with osteosynthesis (group I) or underwent conservative fracture treatment (group II). The late mortality (more than 7 days after injury) due to sepsis fell to 1.8 per cent in patients treated with osteosynthesis compared with 13.5 per cent (P less than 0.001) in patients treated conservatively. The best results were obtained when the osteosynthesis was performed within 24 hours after injury; less than 1 per cent died from late sepsis. We feel that fractures in multiply injured patients should be treated with early osteosynthesis in order to reduce the late mortality from sepsis.

Pertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients: treatment with Ender's nails, blade-plate or endoprosthesis?

Three comparable groups of elderly patients with unstable and displaced fractures of the trochanteric region of the femur were studied; 46 fractures had been fixed with Enders nails, 53 with blade-plates and 69 with endoprostheses. Endoprostheses gave better results because of fewer mechanical complications and because of the best walking ability.

Effect of size and pressure of surface recording electrodes on amplitude of sensory nerve action potentials.

The influence of electrode size on sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LACN) and sural nerve (SN) was studied in 63 healthy volunteers. The SNAP amplitudes were measured using surface recording electrodes of three different sizes, positioned across the nerve. Mean amplitudes using a 5‐mm electrode were 9.0% (SN) and 15.3% (LACN) higher than with a 20‐mm electrode and 19.4% (SN) and 25.8% (LACN) higher than using a 40‐mm electrode. To study the influence of pressure on surface recording electrodes, studies were performed on the LACN in 31 healthy volunteers. Light pressure of the recording electrodes on the skin gave lower amplitudes (15.3%) than did greater pressure or pressure applied between active and reference electrodes. These studies demonstrate that standardized surface recording electrode size and pressure are imperative for obtaining valid and reliable results in experimental studies or in clinical follow‐up of patients undergoing nerve conduction studies. Muscle Nerve 30: 234–238, 2004

One-year evaluation of the effect of physical therapy for masticatory muscle pain: A randomized controlled trial: Physical therapy for masticatory muscle pain

Physical therapy is widely used to decrease pain and restore function in patients suffering from masticatory muscle pain. Controlled studies on its efficacy are scarce. This study evaluated the 1‐year effect of a 6‐week physical therapy programme in a single blind, randomized, controlled trial. Fifty‐three subjects were randomly assigned to either a physical therapy group [n = 26; 19 women, mean age (SD) 36.6 years (15.5 years)] or a control group [n = 27; 20 women, mean age (SD) 42.9 years (15.1 years)]. In the physical therapy group, the patients received education, muscle stretching, exercises and homework for nine treatments in 6 weeks. In the control group, the patients received education on the evaluation days only. At baseline and after 3, 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks, pain and masticatory function were evaluated using visual analogue scales, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, pressure pain thresholds of the masseter and temporalis muscles, the mandibular function impairment questionnaire, and active and passive maximal mouth opening. All pain rating variables decreased and all function variables increased significantly over time in both groups. No significant differences in improvement between the groups (time–treatment interaction) were found. These data suggest that the long‐term decrease in pain and the improvement of function are not related to active physical therapy.

One-year evaluation of the effect of physical therapy for masticatory muscle pain

Physical therapy is widely used to decrease pain and restore function in patients suffering from masticatory muscle pain. Controlled studies on its efficacy are scarce. This study evaluated the 1‐year effect of a 6‐week physical therapy programme in a single blind, randomized, controlled trial. Fifty‐three subjects were randomly assigned to either a physical therapy group [n = 26; 19 women, mean age (SD) 36.6 years (15.5 years)] or a control group [n = 27; 20 women, mean age (SD) 42.9 years (15.1 years)]. In the physical therapy group, the patients received education, muscle stretching, exercises and homework for nine treatments in 6 weeks. In the control group, the patients received education on the evaluation days only. At baseline and after 3, 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks, pain and masticatory function were evaluated using visual analogue scales, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, pressure pain thresholds of the masseter and temporalis muscles, the mandibular function impairment questionnaire, and active and passive maximal mouth opening. All pain rating variables decreased and all function variables increased significantly over time in both groups. No significant differences in improvement between the groups (time–treatment interaction) were found. These data suggest that the long‐term decrease in pain and the improvement of function are not related to active physical therapy.