Effects of some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on articular cartilage of rats in an experimental model of osteoarthritis

We evaluate the chondrotoxic effects of some nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on articular cartilage in an experimental model of osteoarthritis (OA). Each of 30 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 0.250 kg and 12 weeks old received weekly injections of sodium iodoacetate (1 mg/0.1 mi NaCl) in the right knees for 8 weeks to induce an experimental model of OA. The left knees served as controls. Four groups were formed of ten rats each. The control group received no medicine. In the other three groups, tiaprofenic acid, diclofenac, and indomethacin were given orally for 12 weeks. At the end of the 20th week, the complete groups were sacrificed and histologic evaluation performed. In the right: knees of the control group, specific morphologic changes for OA were observed. Of the three NSAIDs tested, indomethacin was found to have deleterious effects on articular cartilage of both left and right knees. Diclofenac caused a statistically significant increase in the severity of most of the osteoarthritic parameters that were examined in the right knees, whereas tiaprofenic acid was observed to have some beneficial influences on the articular cartilage of right knees, Both diclofenac and tiaprofenic acid displayed the same deleterious effects on articular cartilage of left knees. We conclude that, in the prescription of NSAIDs for OA, it would be appropriate to choose a drug with a protective effect on chondrocytes and articular cartilage

Melorheostosis: Report of a new case with linear scleroderma

Melorheostosis is a very rare bone disease of unknown etiology characterised by linear hyperostosis and associated with fibrosis of soft tissues and the skin. This uncommon sclerosing bone dysplasia was first described by Leri and Joanny in 1922, and since then, until 1993, approximately 300 cases were reported in the literature. Linear scleroderma is a localised proliferation of connective tissue and has rarely been associated with melorheostosis

Psychosocial skills training on social functioning and quality of life in the treatment of schizophrenia: A controlled study in Turkey

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the impact of a psychosocial skills training program, consisting of psychoeducation, interpersonal group therapy and family education incorporated into social skills training, as an integrative approach on social functioning and quality of life of patients with schizophrenia, in comparison to standard care for an 8-month period. METHOD: Thirty patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia were included in the study. Patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Social Functioning Scale (SFS), and Global Assessment of Function (GAF) at baseline. Fifteen patients underwent an 8-month psychosocial skills training group program and another fifteen patients (waiting list) continued in standard care. Both groups were reassessed and analyzed at the end of the study. RESULTS: Two groups were not statistically different in terms of total PANSS, QLS, SFS, GAF scores, and demographic characteristics at baseline. However, there was a significant improvement in the mean total QLS, SFS, GAF, and even in total PANSS scores (respectively from 64.46 ± 19.58 to 89.67 ± 24.10, P < 0.001, from 93.20 ± 22.85 to 132.60 ± 33.85, P <0.002, from 57.40 ± 8.78 to 63.86 ± 7.57, P <0.012, and from 63.53 ± 14.48 to 53.33 ± 15.71, P <0.029) for those who underwent the PSST program, but there was no statistically significant change for those on standard care at the end of the study. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the 'social functioning' and 'quality of life' benefits of the psychosocial skills training program for patients with schizophrenia. It can be concluded that this comprehensive psychosocial skills training program might be an important contribution to the functioning of the patients

The Femoral Geometrical Measurements in Postmenopausal Turkish Women

Femoral geometric measurements have been suggested to be important in the evaluation of the risk of osteoporotic hip fracture. The aim of this study was to determine the normal values of femoral geometric measurements in Turkish women. 232 women were selected by using suitable sample procedure to reflect Turkish women normal values (%95 interval of confidence). All of them were over 50 years of age postmenauposal women and none have had history of hip fracture. Hip axis length (HAL), femoral neck axis length (FNAL), acetabular width (AW), femoral head width (FHW), femoral neck width (FNW), femoral shaft width (FSW), intertrochanteric width (ITW), cortical bone thickness of the medial femoral neck (NMCT), medial femoral shaft cortical bone thickness (SMCT), lateral femoral shaft (SLCT), cortical bone thickness, femoral neck-shaft angle in degrees (N-SA) were measured bilaterally on standart AP plain pelvic X-ray radiograms. In the subjects mean age , weigth,heigth and body mass index (BMI) were 62.5±7.4, 70.84±12.5, 157.5±6.7, 28.58±4.9 respectively. Mean values of femoral geometric measurements for right and left hip respectively were fallows: HAL:130.5±8.9, 130.1±9.0 ; FNAL: 112.7±6.9, 112.5±6.9 ; FHW:53.3±3.2, 53.0±3.4; FNW:35.8±2.8, 35.9±2.7; FSW:37.6±3.0, 37.7±3.1; ITW: 62.5±5.3, 63.0±3.9; NMCT: 2.1±0.7, 2.0±0.6; SMCT: 7.8±1.4,7.1±1.3; SLCT: 7.0±1.3, 7.1±1.3; N-SA: 128.9±5.9, 128.9±5.8.There were no statistically significant difference between right and left measurements. We think that these values are representatives of Turkish women and similar to the values of Caucasian women according to the literature