CHARACTERIZATION OF FREE-LIVING STEP-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY METRICS AMONG PATIENTS WITH FEMOROACETABULAR IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME

BACKGROUND: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a hip-joint disorder characterized by abnormal bony morphology (femoral-sided, “cam”; or acetabular-sided, “pincer”). FAIS is a precursor to hip arthritis and is often associated with low physical activity (PA) due to pain. Previous studies have relied on self-report questionnaires to assess PA. Device-based measurement (e.g., accelerometry), specifically step-based metrics (e.g., steps/day and cadence indices), may offer a more comprehensive assessment of PA patterns in this population. METHODS: We recruited 25 participants with FAIS (age=31.0±9.2 years, 60% women, BMI=26.1±4.7 kg/m2) and 14 healthy controls (age=28.1±9.1 years, 64% women, BMI=26.3±3.4 kg/m2). Participants were categorized as Cam only, Combined (cam and pincer), or Healthy (controls). Participants wore a waist-mounted accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+, ActiGraph LLC, Pensacola, FL) for 7 days during waking hours. Step-based metrics were computed, including steps/day, peak 1- and 30-min cadence (PK1 and PK30; steps/min), and time spent in various cadence bands (1-19, 20-39, 40-59,⋯100-119 steps/min). One-way ANOVAs with post hoc testing were conducted to examine group differences. Effect sizes (eta squared; η2) were calculated and interpreted as small=0.01, medium=0.06, and large=0.14. RESULTS: We found significant group effects for PK1 and PK30 (p=0.02 and 0.05, η²=0.29 and 0.25, respectively). Post hoc tests showed lower PK1 and PK30 for Cam vs. Healthy (p=0.003 and 0.005, respectively) and Combined vs. Healthy (p=0.02 and 0.05, respectively). Similarly, there were main effects for time spent in slow, medium, and brisk cadence bands (60-79, 80-99, and 100-119 steps/min (p=0.004, 0.02, and 0.02; η²=0.27, 0.26, and 0.19, respectively). Post hoc tests indicated differences in time spent in these cadence bands for Cam vs. Healthy (p=0.007, 0.03, and 0.02, respectively), while Combined differed significantly from Healthy only for the slow and medium cadence bands (p=0.01 and 0.03, respectively). There was no main effect for steps/day between groups (p=0.06, η²=0.1). CONCLUSION: Although there was no main effect of group for steps/day, several cadence-based metrics were lower among the FAIS groups, particularly for Cam vs Healthy. Future studies are encouraged to examine step-based metrics in individuals with FAIS, as they appear to capture real-world differences in walking behaviors

An exploratory cohort study of serum estradiol, testosterone, osteoprotegerin, interleukin-6, calcium, and magnesium as potential biomarkers of cervical spondylosis

Abstract Background Exploration of biomarkers for debilitating diseases such as cervical spondylosis is important to revolutionize clinical diagnosis and management of such conditions. The study aimed to determine the correlation between neck pain and disability and serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteoprotegerin (OPG), estradiol (E2), testosterone (TES), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) among individuals with symptomatic cervical spondylosis. Methods This study was a cohort design. The participants were new referrals to two Nigerian physical therapy clinics. Participants’ neck pain intensity (PI), neck disability index (NDI), IL-6, OPG, E2, TES, Ca, and Mg were measured at baseline and after 13 weeks of follow-up. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t test, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results Forty individuals aged 52.40 ± 8.60 years participated in the study. Women had significantly higher levels of IL-6 (t =  − 2.392, p = 0.026), OPG (t =  − 3.235, p = 0.005), E2 (t =  − 6.841, p = 0.001), but lower TES (t = 17.776, p = 0.001). There were no significant sex differences in PI and NDI. There were significant correlations between PI and OPG (r = 0.385, p < 0.001), NDI and OPG (r = 0.402, p < 0.001), and IL-6 (r = 0.235, p = 0.036). Significant predictors of PI were OPG (β = 0.442, p < 0.001) and E2 (β =  − 0.285, p = 0.011), and NDI were OPG (β = 0.453, p < 0.001), E2 (β =  − 0.292, p = 0.005), and IL-6 (β = 0.225, p = 0.024). Conclusion High serum levels of IL-6 and OPG were associated with cervical spondylosis severity. However, high serum levels of E2 and TES correlated with lesser severity. Moreover, TES inversely correlated with the proinflammatory cytokines