Does laser therapy improve pain or pinch strength for thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis as an isolated treatment? A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and prevalent joint disorder that greatly impacts quality of life and has a high economic burden on health resources. Although a number of conservative therapies have proven to be effective for the management of hand OA, only modest treatment effects were reported for most individual interventions. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the effect of laser therapy on pain and pinch strength in subjects with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) Materials and Methods: 43 patients, (mean ± SD age: 71 ±12 years; 57% female) with the diagnosis of CMC joint OA grade 1-2 were randomized to the control (n=21) or experimental (n=23) groups. The primary outcome measures were pain intensity [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)], and the secondary outcome measure was key pinch strength (dynamometer). The experimental group received laser therapy and control group received a placebo treatment. All outcome measures were collected at baseline, immediately following the intervention at 4 weeks, and at 12 weeks following the intervention. Results: The experimental group evidenced a 2-point improvement VAS pain score following the treatment. There was a gain of 0.7 kg of pinch strength in the experimental group following the treatment. The effects of both pinch strength gains and pain reduction diminished by the 12 week follow up. Conclusions: High intensity laser therapy effectively decreases pain intensity when used as a isolated treatment for early CMC OA, but the effect of treatment decreases after 3 months.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Pronator teres rupture in a recreational tennis player

A pronator teres lesion is a relatively uncommon sports injury often associated with a stroke and/or hit traumatic mechanism, and only reported in cricket and golf contexts. Herein we present an unusual case of pronator teres rupture in an amateur tennis player with a forehand stroke mechanism, including the diagnostic process and the approach. The patient presented to our facilities complaining of right anterior forearm tightness and pain. The clinical presentation was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Conservative treatment was chosen and consisted of a relative rest followed by rehabilitative treatment until the patient returned to his previous activity four weeks post-injury. Pronator teres strains are the possible causes of forearm pain and tightness and can be related to tennis-specific actions

Alexithymia and depression in elderly people that get directed physical activity

La relación entre la alexitimia y la depresión y los factores sociodemográficos ha sido estudiada en personas mayores. Sin embargo, el papel atenuador del ejercicio en estas afecciones aún debe ser determinado. En el presente estudio se mide el grado de alexitimia y depresión en adultos mayores, comparando una muestra sedentaria con una de practicantes de actividad física. Se utilizó un diseño descriptivo transversal con una muestra compuesta por 27 participantes, 9 hombres y 18 mujeres de más de 60 años (64 ± 5.1 años), con objeto de medir el grado de alexitimia y depresión que presentaban en el momento de la recogida de datos. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron la escala de depresión de Yesavage, la Escala de Alexitimia de Toronto (TAS-20) y el Cuestionario de Salud SF-12. Los resultados mostraron que los practicantes de actividad física presentaban puntuaciones más bajas en alexitimia y depresión que los sujetos sedentarios, sin que éstas variables estuvieran relacionadas en función del género y la edad. A tenor de los resultados, el ejercicio pudiera jugar algún papel en la modulación de las alteraciones psicológicas

Anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness in elite futsal male players. A systematic review

The purpose of the study was to summarize scientific literature on anthropometric characteristics and physical condition in high-level futsal male players. Potentially relevant publications were identified by searching electronic databases from inception to September 2019. Selected studies were independently reviewed for methodological quality and assigned a level of evidence. A total of 10 articles comprised this review, all of them being observational designs. Physical fitness studies included power, speed, agility, flexibility, and functional tests, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and ventilatory threshold (VT) testing. PEDro scale values ranged from 4 to 7, with an average of 5.7 and low/moderate to moderate/strong methodological quality. Futsal players tend to show different physical profiles depending on their position. In general, field futsal players present higher VO2max, VT, and heart rate values than goalkeepers. Together with these findings, more interventional studies are needed for the purpose of defining proper physiological and anthropometric profile in high-level futsal

Platelet-rich plasma in the management of trigger finger: A case report.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a viable therapeutic alternative for a number of clinical applications and has potential benefit for use in trigger finger. However, PRP use has not been previously reported for this condition. We report a 63-year-old woman sustaining a refractory trigger finger after a series of three PRP injections over a 2-week period. There was resolution of triggering, with no symptom recurrence at 3-month follow-up. On the basis of this report, we can assume that the treatment of trigger finger with PRP is a promising therapeutic option to be further explored with larger samples and high-quality studies

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability: A Case Series

The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) approach may be an effective treatment for joint and cartilage pathologies. However, the rationale for its effectiveness on joint instability is limited. This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of PRP injections in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). This retrospective study was performed at a single-center outpatient clinic between January 2015 and February 2023 and included pre-intervention assessment and short-term follow-up. Patients were excluded if they had received previous surgical treatment or had constitutional hyperlaxity, systemic diseases, or grade II or III osteoarthritis. The clinical and functional evaluation consisted of the Karlsson score, the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT), Good’s grading system, the patient’s subjective satisfaction level, and the time required to return to exercise. The entire PRP therapy regime consisted of three PRP administrations at 7-day intervals and follow-up appointments. PRP was administered both intraarticularly and into talofibular ligaments. A total of 47 consecutive patients with CLAI were included, 11 were female (23.4%), with a mean age at intervention of 31.19 ± 9.74 years. A statistically significant improvement was found in the CAIT and Karlsson scores at 3 months (27.74 ± 1.68 and 96.45 ± 4.28, respectively) relative to the pre-intervention status (10.26 ± 4.33 and 42.26 ± 14.9, respectively, p < 0.000). The mean follow-up of patients with CLAI was 17.94 ± 3.25 weeks. This study represents successful short-term functional and clinical outcomes in patients with CLAI after PRP treatment, with no adverse effects. It demonstrates the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial to further assess this therapy