Tomoko Tetsunaga

Comparison of Continuous Epidural Analgesia, Patient-Controlled Analgesia with Morphine, and Continuous Three-in-One Femoral Nerve Block on Postoperative Outcomes after Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background Postoperative pain relief can be achieved with various modalities. However, there are only few reports that have analyzed postoperative analgesic techniques in total hip arthroplasty patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the postoperative outcomes of three different analgesic techniques after total hip arthroplasty. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the influence of three analgesic techniques on postoperative rehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty in 90 patients divided into three groups (n = 30 patients per group). Postoperative analgesia consisted of continuous epidural analgesia (Epi group), patient-controlled analgesia with morphine (PCA group), or a continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB group). We measured the following parameters relating to postoperative outcome: visual analog scale scores, the use of supplemental analgesia, side effects, length of the hospital stay, plasma D-dimer levels, and the Harris hip score. Results Each group had low pain scores with no significant differences between the groups. The PCA group had a lower frequency of supplemental analgesia use compared to the Epi and CFNB groups. Side effects (nausea/vomiting, inappetence) and day 7 D-dimer levels were significantly lower in the CFNB group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the length of the hospital stay or the Harris hip score. Conclusions Although there were no clinically significant differences in outcomes between the three groups, the CFNB provided good pain relief which was equal to that of the other analgesics with fewer side effects and lower D-dimer levels in hospitalized patients following total hip arthroplasty.

Effect of Tramadol/Acetaminophen on Motivation in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Background. The contribution of apathy, frequently recognized in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, to chronic low back pain (LBP) remains unclear. Objectives. To investigate levels of apathy and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic LBP treated with tramadol-acetaminophen. Methods. A retrospective case-control study involving 73 patients with chronic LBP (23 male, 50 female; mean age 71 years) treated with tramadol-acetaminophen (n = 36) and celecoxib (n = 37) was performed. All patients were assessed using the self-reported questionnaires. A mediation model was constructed using a bootstrapping method to evaluate the mediating effects of pain relief after treatment. Results. A total of 35 (55.6%) patients met the criteria for apathy. A four-week treatment regimen in the tramadol group conferred significant improvements in the Apathy scale and numerical rating scale but not in the Rolland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Pain Disability Assessment Scale, or Pain Catastrophizing Scale. The depression component of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was lower in the tramadol group than in the celecoxib group. The mediation analysis found that the impact of tramadol-acetaminophen on the change in apathy was not mediated by the pain relief. Conclusions. Tramadol-acetaminophen was effective at reducing chronic LBP and conferred a prophylactic motivational effect in patients with chronic LBP.

Four-year results of Summit stems for total hip arthroplasty in Japanese patients.

Purpose A retrospective study to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of the Summit primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) at a minimum follow-up of 4 years. Methods 87 hips in 84 Japanese patients underwent THA using Summit stems. 3 patients were lost to follow-up, and 4 patients were excluded because a Summit stem was judged to be inappropriate for their narrow femoral canals. The remaining 80 hips in 77 patients were evaluated. Mean age was 66 years (range, 33-86 y). Mean postoperative follow-up period was 52 months (range, 48-66 m). Results There was no early stem subsidence after surgery. Of the 80 hips, 60 (75%) showed radiographic signs of stem osseointegration including zones 3 and 5 at final follow-up. Stress shielding occurred in 50 hips (62.5%), and third-degree stress shielding was observed in 12 hips (15%). 3 patients experienced postoperative thigh pain due to distal fixation. Conclusions These short-term results indicate that the Summit stem achieved good initial fixation, although there were some cases of distal fixation. Careful long-term follow-up and observation will be necessary for hips in which stress shielding occurs.

Calcar Femorale in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Hip Secondary to Developmental Dysplasia

Background We investigated whether the calcar femorale, a cortical septum in the region of the lesser trochanter of the femur, correlates with results of femoral stem implantation in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip secondary to developmental dysplasia using computed tomography. Methods This retrospective study included 277 hips (41 males and 236 females; age, 37 to 92 years) of patients who had presented to Okayama Medical Center with hip pain. Of these, a total of 219 hips (31 males and 188 females) had previously undergone total hip arthroplasty. According to the Crowe classification, 147 hips were classified as Crowe grade I, 72 hips as Crowe grade II–IV, and 58 hips as normal. Results The calcar femorale was identified in 267 hips (96.4%). The calcar femorale was significantly shorter and more anteverted in Crowe grade II–IV hips than in Crowe grade I or normal hips. Significant differences in the shape of the calcar femorale were found according to the severity of hip deformity. Three stem designs were analyzed: single-wedge (59 hips), double-wedge metaphyseal filling (147 hips), and modular (13 hips). Single-wedge stems were inserted more parallel to the calcar femorale rather than femoral neck anteversion, while other types of stems scraped the calcar femorale. Conclusions The angle of the calcar femorale differs according to the severity of hip deformity, and the calcar femorale might thus serve as a more useful reference for stem insertion than femoral neck anteversion in total hip arthroplasty using a single-wedge stem.

Combination Therapy with Continuous Three-in-One Femoral Nerve Block and Periarticular Multimodal Drug Infiltration after Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background. Various postoperative pain relief modalities, including continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB), local infiltration analgesia (LIA), and combination therapy, have been reported for total knee arthroplasty. However, no studies have compared CFNB with LIA for total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of CFNB versus LIA after THA. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the postoperative outcomes of 93 THA patients (20 men, 73 women; mean age 69.2 years). Patients were divided into three groups according to postoperative analgesic technique: CFNB, LIA, or combined CFNB+LIA. We measured the following postoperative outcome parameters: visual analog scale (VAS) for pain at rest, supplemental analgesia, side effects, mobilization, length of hospital stay, and Harris Hip Score (HHS). Results. The CFNB+LIA group had significantly lower VAS pain scores than the CFNB and LIA groups on postoperative day 1. There were no significant differences among the three groups in use of supplemental analgesia, side effects, mobilization, length of hospital stay, or HHS at 3 months after THA. Conclusions. Although there were no clinically significant differences in outcomes among the three groups, combination therapy with CFNB and LIA provided better pain relief after THA than CFNB or LIA alone, with few side effects.

The Effect of Guidance regarding Home Exercise and ADL on Adolescent Females Suffering from Adverse Effects after HPV Vaccination in Japanese Multidisciplinary Pain Centers

Background. Two prophylactic papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been available for primary prevention of cervical cancer. Although serious adverse effects (AE) were rare, more than 230 women have been suffering from severe AEs such as persistent pain and headache in Japan. Our research group started to treat adolescent females suffering from the AEs. Objective. To survey the characteristics of and the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on adolescent female suffering from the AEs in Japanese multidisciplinary pain centers. Methods. One hundred and forty-five patients suffering from the AEs were reviewed retrospectively and 105 patients of them were provided guidance on home exercise and activities of daily living based partially on a cognitive-behavioral approach. The intensity of pain was rated by the patients using a numerical rating scale (NRS). Furthermore, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) were used. Results. Eighty out of the 105 patients who received the guidance were followed up, 10 displayed a marked improvement, and 43 showed some improvement. Conclusions. Guidance on home exercise and activities of daily living based on a cognitive-behavioral approach alleviated the AEs that women suffered from after HPV vaccination in Japan.

Microgeodic Disease Affecting the Fingers and Toes in Childhood: A Case Report

Microgeodic disease is a disease of unknown etiology that affects the fingers and toes of children, with ≥ 90% of cases involving the fingers alone. We present a rare case of microgeodic disease affecting an index finger and two toes simultaneously in a 7-year-old girl. X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple small areas of osteolysis in the middle phalanges of the left index finger, hallux, and second toe. Microgeodic disease was diagnosed from X-ray and MRI findings, and conservative therapy involving rest and avoidance of cold stimuli was provided. Although pathological fractures occurred in the course of conservative treatment, the affected finger healed under splinting without any deformity of the finger.

T-Reflex Studies in Human Upper Limb Muscles During Voluntary Contraction: Normative Data and Diagnostic Value for Cervical Radiculopathy

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic utility of the T reflexes elicited from the upper limb muscles during standardized volitional contraction monitored by a real-time integrating electromyographic analyzer. DESIGN Prospective descriptive study. SETTING Department of orthopedic surgery at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS Healthy subjects (n=80) evenly distributed across decades of age from 21 to 79 years, and 12 consecutive patients with a single cervical root lesion based on clinical and magnetic resonance imaging studies and diagnostic block. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Using a special hammer, which externally triggers the sweep on skin contact, we evoked T reflexes in the biceps (C5), brachioradialis (C6), triceps (C7), and the first dorsal interosseous muscles (C8). RESULTS Simultaneous regression analyses yielded clinically useful upper limits of normative values for latencies, side-to-side differences, and amplitude ratios adjusted to age and arm span. Comparison of the T reflexes between the 2 sides localized the solitary root lesions with a high sensitivity (92%), specificity (81%), and accuracy (83%). T-reflex studies proved helpful to localize the lesion even in patients who solely complained of upper limb pain. CONCLUSIONS The T reflexes with a standardized facilitation of the upper limb muscles provide a clinically useful, noninvasive measure to localize the C5 to C8 radiculopathies. This study contributes in reassessing the currently underused T reflex as an electrodiagnostic technique.