Meltem Esenyel

Myofascial pain syndrome: Efficacy of different therapies

We have read the letter by Majlesi and Unalan expressing their concerns and contributions to our previously published article on chronic myofascial pain. As they mentioned, it was the first published paper aimed to investigate the effects of high power pain threshold ultrasound technique in the treatment of chronic myofascial pain patients. We aimed to detect whether this technique would be as effective as it was found on acute myofascial pain patients. In this study, we also investigated the effects of conventional ultrasound technique, trigger point injections by using local anesthetic and botulinum toxin which are also commonly used methods for treating acute or chronic myofascial pain. As we stated in the discussion part of our paper, we believed that the high power pain threshold technique might better be used for patients with acute myofascial pain syndrome as the authors had been recommended. We agree that while using this method, the pain subsides quickly and can not be considered as an adverse effect. We also agree that, exercises, good functional status and biomechanical factors are all very important in chronic myofascial pain patients; therefore we gave exercise programs with the emphasis on stretching in all groups of patients participated in this study. We appreciate the authors’ comments and contributions.

Comparison of carpal tunnel injection techniques: A cadaver study

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of injections into the carpal tunnel using three different portals in cadavers, and to define safe guidelines. In this study, 150 wrists of 75 cadavers (54 male, 21 female) were included. To compare three injection sites, 50 wrists of 25 cadavers were used for each technique; we used 23 gauge needles, and acrylic dye. The first injection technique: the needle was inserted 1cm proximal to the wrist crease and directed distally by roughly 45 in an ulnar direction through the flexor carpi radialis tendon. The second injection technique: the needle was inserted into the carpal tunnel from a point just ulnar to the palmaris longus tendon and 1cm proximal to the wrist crease. The third injection technique: the needle was inserted just distal to the distal skin crease of the wrist in line with the fourth ray. The first injection technique gave the highest accuracy rate, and this was also the safest injection site. Median nerve injuries caused by injection was seen mostly with the second technique. Although a steroid injection may provide symptomatic relief in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, the median nerve and other structures in the carpal tunnel are at risk of injury. Because of that, the injection should be given using the correct technique by physicians skilled in carpal tunnel surgery.

Effects of calcitonin on the biomechanics, histopathology, and radiography of callus formation in rats

BackgroundThis study was designed to examine the effect of salmon calcitonin on fracture repair.MethodsA transverse middiaphyseal fracture of the right tibia was surgically induced, and stabilized by an intramedullary Kirschner wire. Eighty male Wistar rats were arbitrarily assigned to four groups of 20 animals each. Groups I and II were the controls and did not receive any medication but did receive placebo injections. The other two groups received 5 IU/kg/day salmon calcitonin intramuscularly for 6 weeks (Group III) or for 10 weeks (Group IV) postoperatively. The formation and healing of the bones were determined by radiographic and histopathological analyses and by biomechanical tests.ResultsIn radiographic examinations, there were no statistically significant differences between groups I and III at week 6 or between groups II and IV at week 10. However, the histopathological evaluation scores were higher in the calcitonin group at the early stage (6 weeks) of fracture healing, which indicates a more mature callus formation (P < 0.05). The values for maximum torsional moment during fracture were higher in the calcitonin group in both stages of fracture healing (P < 0.01).ConclusionsThis study could have two important clinical implications. (1) Higher scores for the histopathological evaluation and a greater resistance to moment force applied at an early stage (week 6) of fracture healing imply that calcitonin intake might enable us to allow earlier mobilization and weight-bearing in clinical cases with rigid fixation. (2) At a late stage of fracture healing (week 10), the significantly better (P < 0.0001) results obtained in the biomechanical parameters used might imply that calcitonin intake could enable us to perform early implant removal, and strongly suggest that the strength and quality of the callus formation could be improved by administering calcitonin following a fracture.

Shoulder pain and functional consequences: Does it differ when it is at dominant side or not?

PURPOSE The shoulder complex plays an integral role in the activities of daily living and the limitation of its function can greatly affect the patient. The aim of this study was to research the functional consequences of painful conditions in the shoulder region. METHODS Sixty five adult patients with shoulder pain for longer than one month in duration were included to the study. Dominant hands of the patients were determined. The subjects were divided into two groups: shoulder pain at the dominant upper extremity (Group I) or the nondominant one (Group II). The subjects were evaluated for shoulder pain with visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion and functional status with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. RESULTS In Group I, DASH score was significantly correlated with the VAS score measuring the pain during activity (p< 0.0001, r=0,625). In Group II, no relationship between DASH score, VAS scores and any other parameters was detected. CONCLUSION The most important parameter disturbing the daily living of a patient with shoulder disease is the pain at the shoulder of dominant extremity occurring in active movement.

Surgical Treatment of the Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture with Hyalonect

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to report the management and outcomes of ten patients with chronic Achilles tendon rupture treated with a turndown gastrocnemius-soleus fascial flap wrapped with a surgical mesh (Hyalonect). METHODS Ten men with neglected Achilles tendon rupture were treated with a centrally based turndown gastrocnemius fascial flap wrapped with Hyalonect. Hyalonect is a knitted mesh composed of HYAFF, a benzyl ester of hyaluronic acid. The Achilles tendon ruptures were diagnosed more than 1 month after injury. The mean patient age was 41 years. All of the patients had weakness of active plantarflexion. The mean preoperative American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was 64.8. RESULTS The functional outcome was excellent. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was 97.8 at the latest follow-up. There were significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative scores. Ankle range of motion was similar in both ankles. Neither rerupture nor major complication, particularly of wound healing, was observed. CONCLUSIONS For patients with chronic Achilles tendon rupture with a rupture gap of at least 5 cm, surgical repair using a single turndown fascial flap covered with Hyalonect achieved excellent outcomes.

Relationship between meniscal tears and tibial slope on the tibial plateau.

OBJECTIVE The geometry of the tibial plateau has a direct influence on the translation and the screw home biomechanics of the tibiofemoral joint. Little information on the relationship between the tibial slope and meniscal lesions is available. The objective of this retrospective study was to examine the effect of the tibial slope on the medial and lateral meniscus lesions in patients with intact ACLs. MATERIALS AND METHODS The MRIs and lat roentgenograms of 212 patients with meniscus lesions were examined to determine the possible effect of the tibial slope on meniscal tears. First, the anatomic axis of the proximal tibia was established. Then, the angle between the line drawn to show the tibial slopes (medial and lateral) and the line drawn perpendicular to the proximal tibial anatomic axis was established on MRI. The patients with previously detected meniscus lesions were classified into three categories: patients with only medial meniscal tear (Group 1, 90 patients); patients with only lateral meniscal tear (Group 2, 15 patients); and patients with both medial and lateral meniscal tear (Group 3, 19 patients). Group 4 had no meniscal tear (88 patients). The MRIs of the patients who had applied to the Orthopedic Outpatient Clinic with patellofemoral pain and no meniscal tear were included as the control group. RESULTS The average tibial slope of the medial tibial plateau was 3.18° in group 1, 3.64° in group 2, 3° in group 3, and 3.27° in group 4. The average tibial slope of the lateral tibial plateau was 2.88° in group 1, 3.6° in group 2, 2.68 in group 3, and 2.91 in group 4. The tibial slope on the medial tibial plateau was significantly larger than the lateral tibial plateaus in group 1 and group 4 (p<0.05). In group 2, there was no statistically significant difference between the tibial slopes of the two sides (p>0.05). In addition, the tibial slope on the lateral side of group 2 was significantly larger than that of groups 1, 3, and 4 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION An increase in the tibial slopes, especially on the lateral tibial plateau, seems to increase the risk of meniscal tear.

Hip Structural Changes and Fracture Risk in Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

OBJECTIVE Although bone mineral density (BMD) is an important predictor of hip fracture, there is a large overlap of BMD values between those who fracture their hips and those who do not. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the structural parameters of the hip in patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis in the hip region and to assess their relationship with osteoporotic fracture risk, age and gender. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this observational retrospective study, 150 patients with osteopenia (100 postmenopausal women and 50 men ≥50 years of age) and 125 patients with osteoporosis in the hip (100 postmenopaussal women and 25 men ≥50 years of age) were included. In addition to densitometry measurements by DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorbimetry), structural variables were determined using the Hip Strength Analysis program (HSA). RESULTS In logistic regression analyses, the femoral neck BMD (odds ratio (OR), 2.6; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.8-3.8), age (OR per 10 years 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9), femoral neck shaft angle (NSA) (OR 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-2.1), Femur Strength Index (FSI) (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.3-2.2), and Cross sectional area (CSA) (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.2-2.1) were all associated with osteoporotic fractures in women and men. Osteopenic patients had smaller femoral neck-shaft angles (NSA) compared to osteoporotic patients (p<0.05). This angle was larger in women (p<0.05); and women had decreased (FSI) (p<0.001) and CSA (p<0.05), which cause increased fracture risk. CONCLUSION Spatial distribution of bone tissue is a useful determinant of fracture risk.

Hyalonect in the treatment of pseudarthrosis

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate union rates and complications of Hyalonect, a knitted mesh composed of HYAFF, a benzyl ester of hyaluronic acid, and a naturally occurring constituent of the extracellular matrix, for the treatment of pseudarthrosis. METHODS The study included 11 patients (8 male, 3 female; mean age: 44.6 years; range: 23 to 57 years) operated for pseudarthrosis using Hyalonect. Average time between initial treatment and surgical procedure was 12.9 (range: 8 to 48) months. Pseudarthrosis of the tibia, femur and humerus was present in 4, 2 and 5 patients, respectively. All patients had undergone prior surgery (1 to 6 times). Each patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation. Allograft was applied to the pseudarthrosis area and covered with Hyalonect. Mean follow up period was 31 (range: 12 to 48) months. RESULTS Union was achieved in all patients after an average of 6 (range: 4 to 8) months. One patient had a discharge for two weeks. Another developed an infection which responded well to appropriate antibiotic treatment. No malunion or implant failure was observed. One patient with pre-existing radial nerve palsy maintained the condition. CONCLUSION Use of Hyalonect appears to be a safe method with a positive impact on union in the surgical treatment of pseudarthrosis, particularly in the absence of any infection.