Elderly Osteoarthritis Patients Research Articles

Electrotherapeutic rehabilitation of the quadriceps in elderly osteoarthritic patients: a double blind assessment of patterned neuromuscular stimulation

Recent studies, in combination with advances in modern electronics, suggest a role for electrotherapy in reversing muscle wasting. However, its effects on human subjects are not always clear-cut. The authors propose that conventional uniform frequency stimulation may deprive the muscle of adaptive information normally encoded in the nonuniform discharge of its motoneuron. This hypothesis was tested in a double blind control trial by stimulating the quadriceps femoris (QF) of elderly subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee. A stimulation pattern replicating that occurring in a normal, fatigued QF motor unit (patterned neuromuscular stimulation) was compared with uniform stimulation of the same mean frequency and random pattern stimulation (created by shuffling the order of the interpulse intervals in the replicated stimulus train). A'sham' stimulation protocol provided an effective placebo. Subjects were assessed at the level of impairment (muscle strength, endurance and cross-sectional area), disability (timed 10-metre walk, timed sit-to-stand) and handicap (part II of the Nottingham Health Profile).Following stimulation, some descriptive improvements in outcome measures were observed in favour of PNMS, particularly in functional tests such as walking speed and sit-to-stand time. No stimulation pattern emerged as being significantly better than another, although statistically significant ( p ≤ 0.05) differences between individual stimulation patterns were observed at a number of assessment weeks.

Dietary habits, weight history, and vitamin supplement use in elderly osteoarthritis patients

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disabling disease in the elderly, but few studies have examined nutritional parameters of osteoarthritis patients. For 82 ambulatory elderly osteoarthritis patients, a registered dietitian assessed the following: consumption of 72 food items, using a food-frequency questionnaire; weight history, by measuring current weight and asking the weight at age 20, maximum adult weight, and minimum adult weight; dietary habits; and vitamin supplement consumption. Joint pain and activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed by a physician. On the basis of the Four Food Group guidelines, dietary intakes were suboptimal in the dairy and grain groups, which are important sources of calcium, vitamin D, thiamin, iron, and riboflavin. Eighty percent of the sample were obese (BMI greater than or equal to 27). The average weight change since early adulthood was a gain of 59 lb. Current joint pain and ADL restrictions were not related to obesity or weight gain. Vitamin/mineral supplements were consumed by 37% of the sample.

Relation of perceived health with psychosocial variables in elderly osteoarthritis patients.

Self-perceived health is related to physical health status and frequently assessed in research on elderly persons. The association of perceived health with sociodemographic, psychological, social functioning, and physical functioning variables was examined in 86 elderly osteoarthritis patients. Psychological well-being (especially depression and anxiety), size of household, physical activity, and education were the most important predictors of self-perceived health (R = .70). Poor perceived health may suggest problems in elderly patients in several psychosocial areas, but good perceived health does not rule out psychosocial problems.

A Comparison of Naproxen and Diclofenac Sodium in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Elderly Patients

International Journal of Clinical PracticeVolume 39, Issue 7 p. 276-281 Clinical Study A Comparison of Naproxen and Diclofenac Sodium in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Elderly Patients George Vetter MD, George Vetter MD Facharzt f. Innere Krankheiten, Klinik Auerbach, 6140 Bensheim 3, Auerbach, West GermanySearch for more papers by this author George Vetter MD, George Vetter MD Facharzt f. Innere Krankheiten, Klinik Auerbach, 6140 Bensheim 3, Auerbach, West GermanySearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 July 1985 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-1241.1985.tb07837.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Volume39, Issue7July 1985Pages 276-281 RelatedInformation

Unicondylar unicompartmental replacement for osteoarthritis of the knee.

Unicompartmental knee replacement is an attractive concept that offers several potential advantages over bicompartmental or tricompartmental replacement, including preservation of bone stock, of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, of the patellofemoral joint, and of the normal opposite compartment. Of our first 100 consecutive knees that had unicompartmental arthroplasty for osteoarthritis and were followed for two to six years (average, three and one-half years), eighty-eight were medial and twelve were lateral replacements. The ages of the patients at the time of operation ranged from forty-six to eighty-five years, with an average age of seventy-one years. At follow-up, pain relief was good to excellent in 92 per cent of the knees. The average amount of flexion was 114 degrees (range, 90 to 140 degrees); one-half of the knees had at least 120 degrees of flexion. The average flexion contracture was 1 degree. There were no infections and no peroneal palsies. At the time of writing, three failures had required revision. Radiolucent lines at the bone-cement interface were present around 8 per cent of the femoral components and 27 per cent of the tibial components. Two femoral components subsided in obese patients. There was no tibial loosening in the series. The most common complications, per anserinus bursitis, occurred in 12 per cent of the knees and was treated satisfactorily by injection of local anesthetics and steroids. Surgical technique must be precise to prevent subluxation of the tibia on the femur due to either improper positioning of the components or too tight a fit (too much pressure) between them. We view unicompartmental replacement as an attractive alternative for the treatment of unicompartmental osteoarthritis in elderly patients. However, we are strong advocates of proximal tibial osteotomy for unicompartmental osteoarthritis associated with a varus deformity in selected patients.