Yoshimi Katayama

The Effect of Service Dogs on the Improvement of Health-Related Quality of Life

To assess the effects of service dogs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), we conducted a survey of 10 service dog owners using SF-36v2 (Medical Outcomes Study 36 Item Short-Form Health Survey Version 2.0) and compared it with a matched control group of people with physical disabilities who did not have service dogs but were eligible for one. The scores for mental health and role emotional of service dog owners were relatively high, and their mental component summary was higher than the general population norm. These results indicate that service dogs affect the mentality of their owners. The comparison with the control group indicated that service dogs alleviate the mental burden of daily activities, and subjectively improved the physical functioning of their owners. This study showed that service dogs have positive functional and mental effects on their disabled owners.

Characteristics of Postural Sway during Quiet Standing Before and After the Occurrence of Neurogenic Intermittent Claudication in Female Patients with Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis

[Purpose] This study investigated the effect of neurological symptoms and/or signs after the occurrence of neurogenic intermittent claudication (NC) on postural sway during quiet standing of patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS). [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-two female patients with LSS at the L4/5 level were studied. We measured the path of center of foot pressure (COP) during quiet standing with eyes open for 30 s using a stabilometer before and after the occurrence of NC. [Results] The total path length of COP (LC) and area surrounded by the outline of the path of COP (AC) significantly increased after NC. Body mass index (BMI) correlated with both the NC rate (after NC/before NC) of LC and that of AC. The average lateral COP displacement from the center of the base of support (COPRL) before NC was located on the asymptomatic side from the center of the base of support in 29 of 32 patients. After NC, COPRL moved to the symptomatic side in 31 patients. [Conclusion] These results suggest that patients with LSS are at risk of falling after NC, especially those with high BMI.

O-3-14. Treatment of ulnar neuropathy after total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) and nerve conduction test

Ulnar neuropathy is one of complications of TEA (total elbow arthroplasty, incidence; 5 to 10%), yet there are not many evaluations and clinical course reports. Out of 117 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who underwent TEA, 8 patients showed numbness and muscle weakness of the ulnar nerve region after surgery, and received electromyography (EMG). EMG examinations revealed ulnar neuropathy at the elbow in 6 subjects, 5 of whom performed neurolysis. Two patients were diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. A 50-year-old female developed RA in 1998. She underwent left TEA (JACE) in June 2014. As numbness appeared, we performed EMG to her in October 2014. Delay of sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) was observed at cubital tunnel. In April 2015 left ulnar nerve neurolysis was performed. After that, both EMG finding and symptoms were improved. However, EMG in June 2016 again confirmed a delay in SCV and we performed a second ulnar nerve neurolysis in September 2016. Evaluations of ulnar neuropathy are important because RA also causes cervical spinal lesions such as atlantoaxial subluxation. Adhesion and scars are recognized at the elbow joint in the five patients who underwent neurolysis. Thus, it is necessary to follow up with electromyogram examination, for diagnosis of neuropathy and postoperative evaluation.