Pain Relief Improvement Research Articles

Incidence and Reason for Readmission and Unscheduled Health Care Contact After Distal Radius Fracture.

Background: Understanding risk factors for readmission may help decrease the rate of these costly events. The purpose of this study is to define the incidence of 30-day readmission and unscheduled health care contact (UHC) after distal radius fracture (DRF). In addition, we aim to define risk factors for readmission and UHC. Methods: A retrospective review of patients who sustained a DRF at our trauma center was performed. We recorded baseline demographics, fracture characteristics, and treatment. Any UHC or readmission (including emergency department [ED] visits) was documented. Reasons for readmission and UHC were stratified by cause. We utilized a case-control design comparing patients readmitted within 30 days after DRF versus those who were not, as well as patients with and without UHC. Results: About 353 patients were identified. The 30-day incidence of readmission after DRF was 7% with 2% of patients readmitted for reasons related to their fracture. Twenty percent of patients had UHC within 30 days, most frequently due to pain. Patients with anxiety or depression and those with open fractures were more likely to be readmitted. Patients with UHC were younger, more likely to have depression or anxiety, and more likely to have undergone operative treatment. Conclusions: For patients sustaining DRF, we report a 30-day readmission rate of 7% with 20% of patients having UHC. Patients with depression or anxiety were more likely to be both readmitted and have UHC. Identifying risk factors for readmission during initial presentation may help reduce readmissions. Improving pain relief strategies early may aid in decreasing the burden of UHC.

Fresh Allograft Replacement for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus

Category: Basic Sciences/Biologics Introduction/Purpose: Large osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) can be difficult to treat. Although many treatment options exist, fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation has demonstrated promise as the primary treatment for OLTs with substantial cartilage and bone involvement as well as a secondary treatment option after failure of other cartilage repair techniques. Fresh osteochondral allografts are size-matched from organ donors and, in theory, have healthy articular cartilage and bone. However, the quality of allograft cartilage and bone has never been examined with respect to the OLT cartilage and bone being replaced. The purpose of this study was to perform a matched comparison of the cartilage and bone from patients OLTs to the fresh osteochondral allograft replacement. Methods: Discarded intact osteochondral specimens were collected from 8 patients undergoing surgery for an OLT. The specimens included the excised OLT and a portion of the fresh allograft replacement that the same patient received at the time of surgery. Histologic analysis was performed. The safranin-o histology was then scored using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) histopathology grading and staging system. In this system the grade determines cartilage and bone destruction on a scale of 0 to 6.5, the stage determines the percentage of involvement in the specimen on a scale of 0 to 4, and the total score is the grade multiplied by the stage. The surface roughness was also compared between the OLT and allograft cartilage using ImageJ software (NIH). Paired t-tests were performed on the ICRS grade, stage, and total score, and surface roughness comparing the OLTs and allografts. Significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Gross histological inspection of the samples demonstrated cartilage erosion and subchondral bone destruction in the OLTs. In constrast, the osteochondral allografts demonstrated intact cartilage surface and normal subchondral bone in the allografts (Figure 1). The ICRS grade, stage, and total score were significantly higher in the implanted allografts compared to the resected OLTs (Figure 2); indicating better cartilage and bone morphology for the allografts compared to the OLTs. In fact, the mean grade and stage for the allograft samples were both less than a score of 1 which corresponds to healthy cartilage and bone with less than 10% surface fibrillations. Moreover, the surface roughness of the allograft cartilage was significantly smoother than the OLT cartilage. Conclusion: This is the first study to demonstrate that the use of fresh allograft transplantation for the treatment of OLTs replaces the damaged cartilage and bone with normal or near normal cartilage and bone. The replacement of damaged cartilage and subchondral bone with normal or near normal cartilage and bone may be the reason for improved pain relief and functional outcomes after fresh allograft transplantation for OLTs.

An Open-Label, Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Pituitary Radiosurgery for Patients With Opioid-Refractory Pain: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Hypophysectomy performed by craniotomy or percutaneous techniques leads to complete pain relief in more than 70% to 80% of cases for opioid refractory cancer pain. Radiosurgery could be an interesting alternative approach to reduce complications. To assess the analgesic efficacy compared with standard of care is the primary goal. The secondary objectives are to assess ophthalmic and endocrine tolerance, drug consumption, quality of life, and mechanisms of analgesic action. The trial is multicenter, randomized, prospective, and open-label with 2 parallel groups. This concerns patients in palliative care suffering from nociceptive or mixed cancer pain, refractory to standard opioid therapy. Participants will be randomly assigned to the control group receiving standards of care for pain according to recommendations, or to the experimental group receiving a pituitary GammaKnife (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden) radiosurgery (160 Gy delivered in pituitary gland) associated with standards of care. Evaluation assessments will be taken at baseline, day0, day4, day7, day14, day28, day45, month3, and month6. We could expect pain improvement in 70% to 90% of cases at day4. In addition we will assess the safety of pituitary radiosurgery in a vulnerable population. The secondary endpoints could show decay of opioid consumption, good patient satisfaction, and improvement of the quality of life. The design of this study is potentially the most appropriate to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of radiosurgery for this new indication. New recommendations could be obtained in order to improve pain relief and quality of life.

COMPARISON OF SUSTAINED PRESSURE VS ISCHEMIC COMPRESSION ON TRIGGER POINTS IN CHRONIC MYOFACIAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of different trigger points approaches in improving chronic myofascial pain.METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Railway General Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from July-December 2016. Patients were randomly divided into two treatment groups through lottery method, in which 37 male participants who full filled the inclusion criteria (persistent pain >6 months, gradual onset of pain and impaired level of activity) were randomly allocated to sustained pressure (Group A) and ischemic compression (Group B) treated groups. Both groups received eight treatments sessions. They were evaluated at baseline and after 8th visit through Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ).RESULTS: Within the group-A the pre and post-treatment mean for NPRS were 5.05±1.17 and 2.63±0.955 (p 0.05). Pre and post treatment values for CPAQ sum were 64.61±2.42 and 75.72±1.12 (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Improvement in pain relief was observed in both groups but there was no significant improvement in pain relief between ischemic compression and sustained pressure groups.KEY WORDS: Chronic Pain (MeSH); Facial Neuralgia (MeSH); Myofacial Pain Syndrome (MeSH); Trigger Points (MeSH); Pain Measurement (MeSH)

Intra-articular, single-shot co-injection of hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids in knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the co-injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) and corticosteroids (CS) was superior to HA alone in the treatment of knee OA. A total of 120 participants with symptomatic knee OA were recruited and formed the intention-to-treat population for a 6-month follow-up. In the HA group, patients received a single-shot injection of 4 ml HA. In the HA&CS group, patients received a co-injection of 3 ml compound betamethasone solution and 4 ml HA. Visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and knee flexion motion were assessed as primary outcomes. Patients in the HA&CS group exhibited better pain relief and knee function at the time points of week 1, month 1 and month 3 (P<0.05). For the last follow-up at month 6, the values did not differ significantly between these two groups. Patients in both groups exhibited improvement in pain, knee function, and range of motion following injection. For the final follow-up at month 6, the mean VAS score, WOMAC score and knee flexion motion were still superior to that prior to treatment, but the values did not differ significantly. The co-injection of HA and CS provided a rapid improvement in pain relief, knee function, and range of motion, but did not differ significantly from that of HA alone in the long term effect.

The effect of morphine added to periarticular multimodal drug injection or spinal anesthesia on pain management and functional recovery after total knee arthroplasty

BackgroundThe efficacy of morphine added to periarticular multimodal drug injection (PMDI) for pain management after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is controversial. Adding morphine to spinal anesthesia has reportedly improved pain relief for the first 24 h. We examined the effect of morphine added to PMDI or spinal anesthesia on pain management and functional recovery after TKA. MethodsA total of 97 patients were randomized into three groups: in Group A (34 patients), 10 mg morphine was added to PMDI; Group B (31 patients), 0.1 mg morphine was added to spinal anesthesia; and Group C (32 patients), morphine was added to neither the PMDI nor spinal anesthetic. To evaluate the efficacy of added morphine for pain management, we assessed rest pain, the number of times analgesics were used, and the time period until the first analgesic use. The adverse effects of morphine were assessed by counting the numbers of times vomiting occurred and antiemetics were used. Functional recovery was evaluated by recording the range of motion of the knee and the date of ability to walk. ResultsRest pain was the least in Group B at 6 and 12 h after operation. The number of times analgesics were used was the least in Group B. The time period until the first analgesic use was the longest in Group B. The number of vomiting episodes was the least in Group C. The number of times antiemetics were used was higher in Group A than in Group C. There were no significant differences in the range of motion and date of ability to walk among the three groups. ConclusionsThe efficacy of morphine added to PMDI was limited, and that of morphine added to spinal anesthesia disappeared within 20 h postoperatively. Adding morphine to PMDI or spinal anesthesia did not improve functional recovery and caused some adverse effects.

The Effectiveness of High-frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Persistent Somatoform Pain Disorder: A Case Series

Somatoform pain disorders (SPD) are common, disabling and do not respond well to existing treatment modalities. We investigated the usefulness of 18 sessions of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in five right-handed patients with SPD. All patients reported significant improvement in pain relief and activities of daily living. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered at the left DLPFC may be useful in SPD.

Percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty, a good minimally invasive surgical option for osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture

The aim of this study is to evaluate balloon kyphoplasty as a surgical option for osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture. The study was conducted on 30 patients from January 2014 to December 2017. The anterior vertebral height, kyphotic angle and functional evaluation by Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were recorded preoperatively, immediate post-operatively at 3, 6, 12 months and yearly then on. All patients showed improvement in mean kyphotic angle from 16.4 ± 3.5 to 5.6 ± 1.7 post-operatively and 8.4 ± 1.6 at final follow-up. There was significant increase in mean anterior vertebral height from 51 ± 7.3% before surgery to 75.5 ± 7.4% at one day after surgery and 71.2 ± 3.2% at the last follow-up. There was significant improvement in mean VAS score from 8.1 ± 0.9 before surgery to 2.2 ± 0.4 at one day, and 2.4 ± 0.3 at final follow-up. The improvement in patients’ ODI score after surgery from 71.4 ± 3.4 to 26.0 ± 4.8 at one day and 21.2 ± 5.5 at final follow-up was noted. The mean operating time was 45.5 ± 15.5 min for each vertebra. Within first day of surgery improvement in pain relief and mobility was experienced by all patients. The orthopedic balloon ruptured in one patient and it was replaced then procedure was continued with no complications. There were no neurological complications in all cases and there was no infections and any occurrence of symptomatic pulmonary embolism. In conclusion, balloon kyphoplasty is a good minimally invasive procedure where along with reduction of pain and disability there is also restoration of sagittal alignment post-operatively.

The Effects of a Single Electronic Music Improvisation Session on the Pain of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience acute pain that is multidimensional. Despite recent improvements in treatment, pain management remains a significant challenge for these individuals. Music therapy interventions have the potential to address several dimensions of SCD pain, but they require systematic investigation. This study investigated feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a single-session electronic music improvisation with a music therapist to diminish pain intensity and improve pain relief and mood in adults with SCD. Using a three-group mixed methods intervention design, we randomized 60 adults with SCD to standard care plus one of three 20-minute study conditions: 1) electronic music improvisation with a music therapist (MT); 2) recorded music listening (ML); or 3) no intervention (control). Measures of pain intensity (VASPI), pain relief (VASPR), and mood (VASMOOD) were assessed before and after the study conditions, with a subset of MT and ML participants interviewed after measure completion. Compared to control, MT produced significant improvements in VASPI (odds ratio (OR) = 5.12, P = 0.035) and VASMOOD (OR = 11.60, P = 0.005). ML produced significant improvements in VASMOOD compared to control (OR = 5.76, P = 0.040). Qualitatively, there were two prominent themes directly related to music: 1) ML and MT offered many positive and few negative effects; and 2) music therapists provided comfort beyond the music. Preliminary findings were promising and support the need for additional studies evaluating improvisational music therapy interventions for acute pain management in adults with SCD.

Efficacy and safety of pregabalin versus amitriptyline in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy

Background: Painful diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of long standing diabetes mellitus. Amitriptyline is commonly used to treat painful diabetic neuropathy. Pregabalin has been shown to be effective in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy with lesser adverse effects. Sustained release (SR) of pregabalin has the advantage of once daily dosing and a better patient compliance. Hence, this study was planned to compare the efficacy and safety of pregabalin-SR with amitriptyline in painful diabetic neuropathy.Methods: It is a prospective, open labelled, randomized controlled study. A total of 80 patients diagnosed with painful diabetic neuropathy based on Diabetic neuropathy symptom score and Michigan neuropathy screening instrument, were randomized into two groups to receive amitriptyline and pregabalin SR. Amitriptyline was started at 25mg OD and pregabalin SR 75mg OD for 6 weeks with optional dose titration. Patients were assessed for pain relief by using visual analogue scale and an overall improvement in their general condition by patient’s global impression of change scale. Adverse drug reactions were recorded on each follow up.Results: All patients had significant improvement in pain relief in both the treatment groups. The median VAS (visual analogue scale) score was slightly higher in pregabalin SR group (25 vs 22) however it was not statistically significant. Intergroup comparison did not show any significant differences between the treatment groups. Good and moderate pain relief were noted in 37(92.5%) and 3(7.5%) patients on amitriptyline and 36 (90%) and 4 (10%) patients on pregabalin SR respectively. The common adverse effects reported in amitriptyline group were drowsiness (27.5%) and dry mouth (17.5%) and in pregabalin-SR group were drowsiness (15%) and dizziness (5%). No serious adverse event was reported in either of the groups.Conclusions: In patients with painful diabetic neuropathy both amitriptyline and pregabalin-SR are equally effective in alleviating pain and improving the patient’s general condition, but pregabalin-SR has the advantage of fewer adverse effects and convenient dosage timing.

Long-term Functional Impact of Viscosupplementation Versus True Placebo in Symptomatic Hip Osteoarthritis; A Randomized Control Trial

INTRODUCTION: Degenerative hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a common progressive disorder causing disability. The injection of exogenous hyaluronic acid (HA), or viscosupplementation (VS), can potentially help restore the properties of synovial fluid. There is little literature available evaluating the long-term effects and the functional impact of VS in hip OA. PURPOSE: To determine if a single intra-articular injection of a high-molecular weight (HMW) VS would improve function and decrease pain in persons suffering from hip OA. METHODS: A double-blinded randomized control trial was conducted at a University Hospital Center in Canada. Patients were randomly allocated to either the treatment group, an ultrasound guided single intra-articular injection of a HMW HA, or the placebo group, a single extra-articular injection of local anesthetic. Participants underwent evaluations at 2 weeks prior to the injection (T0), and at 1 month (T1), 3 months (T2) and 6 months (T3) post injection. Patients completed two questionnaires; the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) and the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Gait biomechanics were evaluated in a lab. RESULTS: Between May 2014 and September 2017, 38 participants were evaluated in this study over the course of 6 months. In the treatment group, N = 19 and in the placebo group, N = 18. The mean age at the time of injection was 55. On the HOOS symptom subscale, the placebo group worsened from T0 to T3 by 6.29% compared to the treatment group. The VS group improved their pain subtotal from T0 to T2 by 4.73%. The control group worsened by 1.22% during that same time and continued to deteriorate by 6.09% at T3. There were also improvements in the activities of daily living subscale from T0 to T3, with the treatment group improving by 5.29% while the placebo group worsened by 5.15%. The most important change occurred in the sports and recreational subscale of the HOOS. Between T0 and T3, the placebo group worsened by 7.611 points (- 17.82%). The treatment group improved by 6.67%. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results suggest that a HMW VS hip injection for degenerative OA, when compared to true placebo, may lead to long-term improvements in pain relief, increase in function and in activity participation. NIH Clinical Trials Registry: NCT02086474

Intra-articular injection of methylprednisolone for reducing pain in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intra-articular methylprednisolone for reducing pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.Methods:We conduct electronic searches of Medline (1966-2017.11), PubMed (1966-2017.11), Embase (1980-2017.11), ScienceDirect (1985-2017.11), and the Cochrane Library (1900-2017.11) for randomized clinical trials comparing the use of methylprednisolone to treat knee osteoarthritis. The primary outcomes are Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores and WOMAC function scores. Each outcome was combined and calculated using the statistical software STATA 12.0. Fixed/random effect model was adopted based on the heterogeneity tested by I2 statistic.Results:A total of 739 patients were analyzed across 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The present meta-analysis revealed that there were significant differences between groups regarding the WOMAC pain scores at 4 weeks (WMD = −1.384, 95% CI: −1.975 to −0.793, P = .000), 12 weeks (WMD = −1.587, 95% CI: −2.489 to −0.685, P = .001), and 24 weeks (WMD = −1.563, 95% CI: −2.245 to −0.881, P = .000). Significant differences were identified in terms of physical function at 4 weeks (WMD = −7.925, 95% CI: −13.359 to −2.491, P = .004), 12 weeks (WMD = −7.314, 95% CI: −13.308 to −1.320, P = .117), and 24 weeks (WMD = −6.484, 95% CI: −11.256 to −1.711, P = .008).Conclusion:Intra-articular methylprednisolone injection was associated with an improved pain relief and physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Additionally, no severe adverse effects were observed. Due to the limited quality of the evidence currently available, higher quality RCTs were required.

Effect of interferential current in patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review

ABSTRACT High-intensity and widespread muscle pain is the main complaint of patients with fibromyalgia. Interferential current is a treatment often used in pain relief; however, its effects on these patients are unclear. The objective of this review was to analyze the effects of interferential current therapy on the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia in previously published scientific articles. We searched the following databases: Central, CINAHL, Lilacs, PEDro, Medline (PubMed), SciELO, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science on November 2016. We included only controlled clinical trials and had no restrictions for language and date of publication. We used the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool to assess the risk of bias of the articles. We found a total of 415 articles, however, only four of them were selected for analysis. Three of these studies were excluded because they were not controlled clinical trials. Thus, only one study was analyzed for this review. According to the study the combination of ultrasound and interferential current improved pain relief and the sleep quality of patients with fibromyalgia. However, the study presented a high risk of bias, being impossible to verify the isolated effect of the interferential current in those patients. Randomized controlled studies on the use of interferential current in patients with fibromyalgia are lacking on literature. The results of this review evidence the importance of developing future studies with adequate methodological design and using only interferential current therapy to improve the use of this therapy for these patients in this clinical setting.

Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement: 15-Year Follow-up.

Over the past decade, total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has become a mainstay in the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis. Currently in its fourth generation, the Scandanavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) is the only 3-piece mobile bearing ankle prosthesis available in the United States. Our current study reports implant survivorship at 15 years and patient outcomes for a subset of these survivors available for study. Eighty-four TAAs were performed between 1998 and 2000. Metal component survivorship at 15 years was calculated with a Kaplan-Meier curve. Twenty-four (29%) of 84 patients were available for participation with a minimum 15-year follow-up. Any radiographic changes were documented. All additional procedures and complications were recorded. Clinical findings, self-reported performance and pain evaluations, and AOFAS ankle/hindfoot scores were noted. Metal implant survival was 73% at 15 years. Of the 24 patients available for clinical evaluation, 18 of 24 patients (70.7%) had no change in prosthetic alignment from the immediate postoperative radiograph. Only 1 subtalar fusion was required for symptomatic adjacent joint arthritis. Three patients sustained a broken polyethylene component. AOFAS scores improved from an average of 39.6 points preoperatively, to an average of 71.6. More than half (52.4%) of patients with retained implants required an additional surgical procedure; 3 required 2 additional procedures. The average time to subsequent procedure was 10.2 years. Our small cohort demonstrated STAR ankles with retention at 9 years were highly likely to survive to 15 years, and patients continued to have significant improvement in pain relief and minimal decrease in function. At 15 years from TAA, metal survivorship was 73%. As with all ankle replacements, supplementary procedures were common. Level IV, case series.

Early Impact of Postoperative Bracing on Pain and Quality of Life After Posterior Instrumented Fusion for Lumbar Degenerative Conditions: A Randomized Trial.

A randomized controlled trial. To investigate whether bracing after posterior spinal instrumented fusion (PSIF) can improve pain relief and quality of life (QoL) 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Braces are commonly prescribed after PSIF in patients with lumbar degenerative conditions with the aim of improving pain relief and QoL. However, there is a lack of evidence on the indication for postoperative bracing, as surgeons use braces mainly based on their experience and training. A randomized blinded and controlled trial of 43 patients with PSIF for lumbar degenerative conditions were recruited. The caregivers were blinded but not the orthotist in the present study. There were 25 patients in the brace group and 18 patients in the control group with similar baseline characteristics. All patients completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the short form (SF)-12v2 General Health Survey and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for back pain preoperatively, at 6 weeks and 3 months follow-up. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and a level of significance of 0.05 were used for statistical analyses. Both groups had comparable demographic characteristics, and preoperative SF-12v2, ODI, and VAS scores. The ODI, SF-12v2, and VAS for back pain were improved in comparison to preoperative scores. The improvement was significant at 3 months follow-up regarding ODI and VAS for both groups and significant only for the control group regarding SF-12v2 scores. The improvement in ODI, SF-12v2, and VAS was significantly greater for control group at 3 months postoperatively. Moreover, larger proportion of patients in the control group reached minimum clinically important difference as compared to brace group at 6 weeks and 3 months. Postoperative bracing did not result in better improvement in QoL or pain relief up to 3 months after PSIF in patients with lumbar degenerative conditions. 1.

Regenerative efficacy of therapeutic quality platelet-rich plasma injections versus phonophoresis with kinesiotaping for the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis: A prospective randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND:Plantar fasciitis (PF) a common chronic musculoskeletal pain routinely diagnosed and treated in rehabilitation practices. When conservative management fails in this degenerative disease, local injections of corticosteroids, platelet rich plasma (PRP), botulinum toxin, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, surgical release are used. In our prospective randomized pilot study we compared the regenerative efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma vs Kinesiotaping with phonophoresis who were resistant to conservative management of PF.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sixty-four chronic plantar fasciitis patients nonresponding to conservative management were evaluated for two interventions.36 patients received ultrasound guided 2.5 ml autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection and 28 participant received phonophoresis and total10 Kinesiotaping on alternate days. 54 participants 33 in PRP intervention group and 21 in KT group were analyzed, by Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), plantar fascia thickness (ultrasound guided) and disability and activity limitation measured by foot function index in every two weeks up to 6 months.RESULTS:Post intervention assessment at 2 weeks revealed improvement in pain relief was better in Kinesiotaping group (NRS-4.619) as compared to PRP group (NRS- 6.061). But evaluation at 12 and 24 weeks showed statistically significant improvement in NRS and Foot function index in PRP group than in Kinesiotaping. Similarly, at the end of 24-week improvement in foot function index (FFI) was more in PRP group (P<0.0001). At end of 12 and 24 weeks there was significant reduction in plantar fascia thickness in PRP group (p<0.0001) as compared to KT group (p<0.05).CONCLUSION:Our study concluded that therapeutic quality autologous PRP injection (1x106 platelets/μl) has regenerative effect with long and better efficacy in pain management of chronic recalcitrant plantar fasciitis than Phonophoresis and Kinesiotaping.

Cell-Based Therapies for Lumbar Discogenic Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Single-Arm Meta-analysis.

A systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis of clinical trials. To assess the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells or chondrocyte in patients with discogenic low back pain. There is no previous review evaluated the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell or chondrocyte therapy in adults with discogenic low back pain. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, EBSCO, and Web of Science from database inception through on September 10th, 2015. We included clinical trials that evaluated stem cells or chondrocyte-based therapy in patients with discogenic back pain. The primary outcomes of interest were pain score and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). We performed random-effects model meta-analyses to assess net changes in the same outcome variables. Heterogeneity between studies was estimated by I statistic. The initial search identified 1393 articles, of which 6 studies were eligible for this review. The pooled mean difference in pain score from baseline to follow-up points was 44.2 points decreased (95% CI: -61.8 to -26.5, P < 0.001, I = 99.4%). Meanwhile, the pooled mean difference in ODI from baseline to follow-up points was 32.2 points decreased (95% CI: -41.6 to -22.9, P < 0.001, I = 99.5%). No related adverse effects were reported by the included studies. Cell-based therapy is for patients who have discogenic low back pain associated with improved pain relief and ODI. More stringently designed randomized double-blind clinical trials with appropriately determined sample sizes will be needed to confirm its clinical efficacy and safety. 4.

Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of Subcutaneous Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation for the Treatment of Refractory Low Back Pain: A Two-year Single-center Study

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is challenging to treat. Minimal invasive neurostimulation therapies, such as subcutaneous peripheral nerve field stimulation (SPNS), improve pain relief and quality of life. The goal of the present study was to assess the usefulness, safety, and efficacy of SPNS in patients with CLBP.Twenty-six consecutive patients with CLBP were prospectively included in the study. For trial neurostimulation, two electrodes were implanted vertically at a depth of 1 cm into the subcutaneous tissue, ≤10 cm from the region of maximum pain. Trial neurostimulation was performed in all patients for 14 days. A successful outcome was defined as at least 50% pain relief. To monitor the effects of permanent neurostimulation, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and quality of life (EQ-5D-3L) were scored preoperatively and at 6-month and 24-month follow-ups.Thirteen patients responded to trial stimulation and had a permanent neurostimulator implanted. The use of pain medication, including opioid analgesics, was reduced in 92% of patients after 24 months. VAS, ODI, and EQ-5D-3L scores were significantly improved in these patients at the 24-month follow-up. The complication rate was 23% (3/13 patients). In non-responders, VAS and ODI at 24 months dropped significantly as well but the decrease was less pronounced compared to responders and had not led to a decrease in pain medication.SPNS is a novel, safe, and effective treatment for CLBP and may have advantages over interventional treatments including intrathecal therapy and spinal cord stimulation.

The efficiency and safety of local liposomal bupivacaine infiltration for pain control in total hip arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective:This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficiency and safety of local liposomal bupivacaine infiltration and traditional cocktail analgesia for pain management in total hip arthroplasty (THA).Methods:PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Medline, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched. Inclusion criteria: Participants: patients planned for a THA with a diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis. Interventions: liposomal bupivacaine was administrated in the experimental groups for pain control. Comparisons: the control groups received local infiltration of traditional analgesics. Outcomes: pain scores, opioids consumption, and postoperative complications among the patients. Study design: randomized control trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs. Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was conducted by Stata 11.0 software. Systematic review registration number is CRD42017120981.Results:Four articles involving 308 participants were included. Current meta-analysis revealed that there were significant differences regarding postoperative pain score at 12 hours (standard mean difference [SMD] = −0.496, 95% CI: −0.717 to −0.275, P = .000), 24 hours (SMD = −0.537, 95% CI: −0.760 to −0.313, P = .000), and 48 hours (SMD = −0.802, 95% CI: −1.029 to −0.576, P = .000). Liposomal bupivacaine intervention was found to significantly decrease opioid consumption at 12 hours (SMD = −0.544, 95% CI: −0.766 to −0.323, P = .000), 24 hours (SMD = −0.357, 95% CI: −0.577 to −0.138, P = .001), and 48 hours (SMD = −0.370, 95% CI: −0.589 to −0.151, P = .001).Conclusion:Local liposomal bupivacaine infiltration could significantly reduce visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and opioid consumption within the first 48 hours following THA surgery. In addition, there was a decreased risk of nausea and vomiting in liposomal bupivacaine groups. The overall evidence level was low, which means that further research is likely to significantly alter confidence levels in the effect, as well as potentially changing the estimates. In any subsequent research, further studies should focus on the optimal dose of local anesthetics and the potential adverse side effects. In addition, surgeries that can improve pain relief and enable faster rehabilitation and earlier discharges should also be explored. Several potential limitations of this study should be noted. Four articles are included and the sample size in each trial is small. Some important outcome parameters such as range of motion were not fully described and could not be included in the meta-analysis. All included studies were retrospectives which may decrease evidence levels for the meta-analysis. The evidence quality for each outcome was low which may influence the results of the meta-analysis. Short-term follow-ups may lead to the underestimation of complications, such as neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. Publication bias is an inherent weakness that exists in all meta-analyses.

Liposomal Bupivacaine: Market Penetration Versus Scientific Evidence: Only the Facts

Hip and knee replacement continue to be two of the most reliable surgical procedures in relieving pain. The number of joint replacements performed in the United States are expected to continue to increase exponentially. Shorter hospital stays and rapid recovery protocols require optimal pain management to allow early or outpatient discharges. Traditional pain protocols based on opioids are associated with adverse events and complications. Growing literature has shown that the use of opioids even in association with elective joint replacement can lead to abuse and chronic use. Periarticular injections have offered the potential for improved pain relief while avoiding systemic side effects. Liposomal bupivacaine has gained rapid interest and broad use, despite conflicting results in the literature. The balance of market penetration and scientific evidence before widespread use requires careful analysis of the available literature. This review summarizes the current studies of liposomal bupivacaine used in total joint replacement.