Longitudinal stability of molecular endotypes of knee osteoarthritis patients.

Objective: To assess the longitudinal stability of biomarker-based molecular endotypes of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) participants from APPROACH and to evaluate the consistency of findings in an independent KOA population.

Methods: Nineteen biomarkers were measured longitudinally in 295 KOA participants from the APPROACH cohort. K-means clustering was used to identify the structural damage, inflammation, and low tissue turnover endotypes at the six-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups.

Multidisciplinary collaborative consensus statement on the barriers and solutions to care access, patient and caregiver support, and clinical capacity and capability for patients with spasticity.

Background: There is evidence that patients with spasticity are not receiving adequate care. Identifying the unmet needs of patients with spasticity is essential to develop services and treatment strategies to better support this population This is an effort to identify challenges related to treatment of spasticity and provide the springboard for the implementation of identified solutions.

Objective: To identify the main barriers to spasticity care and identify potential solutions.

Interrater reliability of quantitative ultrasound measures of muscle in critically ill patients.

Background: Quantitative neuromuscular ultrasound is increasingly used to study muscle pathology and changes in muscle mass during critical illness. Advantages of ultrasound are high axial resolution, low procedural risks, no ionizing radiation, and ease of use early in the course of disease. However, ultrasound is known to be an operator dependent imaging modality and the intensive care unit setting poses additional challenges to obtaining reliable measurements.

Feasibility and impact of a musculoskeletal health for musicians (MHM) program for musician students: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: There is a high incidence of performance-related musculoskeletal disorders in musicians that may be reduced via education programs. However, the efficacy of formalized injury prevention programs has not been rigorously studied.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and effect of a formalized injury prevention education workshop on incidence and severity of musculoskeletal pain in a cohort of musician-students attending an intensive summer music festival compared to controls.

Outcomes of a COVID-19 recovery program for patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection in New York City: A prospective cohort study.

Background: In the spring of 2020, New York City was an epicenter of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The post-hospitalization needs of COVID-19 patients were not understood and no outpatient rehabilitation programs had been described.

Objective: To evaluate whether a virtual rehabilitation program would lead to improvements in strength and cardiopulmonary endurance when compared with no intervention in patients discharged home with persistent COVID-19 symptoms.

Post-Procedure Protocols Following Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been increasingly studied as a treatment for tendinopathy. Many factors may influence outcomes after PRP, including different protocols following administration. It was hypothesized that there would be heterogeneity in post-PRP protocols.

The Effectiveness of Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma for Osteoarthritis of the Hip: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a minimally invasive treatment option to reduce pain and promote tissue healing. At the time this study was performed, there was limited published literature analyzing outcomes for patients treated with PRP for hip osteoarthritis.

Methods: Thirty-six patients aged 49-85 (66.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Use in Musculoskeletal Disorders: Are the Factors Important in Standardization Well Understood?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a novel therapeutic treatment option for joint and tendon disease, but preparation methods are varied. This article summarizes research on uses of PRP, compares classification systems to standardize various PRP compositions, and discusses the most common methodologies to produce PRP. Even with advances in understanding PRP, there are unknowns about the factors and processes that may have an impact on treatment efficacy for musculoskeletal conditions.

Ultrasound measures of muscle thickness may be superior to strength testing in adults with knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Evaluation of muscle strength as performed routinely with a dynamometer may be limited by important factors such as pain during muscle contraction. Few studies have compared formal strength testing with ultrasound to measure muscle bulk in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: We investigated the muscle bulk of lower limb muscles in adults with knee OA using quantitative ultrasound.

The Use of Dehydrated Human Amnion/Chorion Membrane Allograft Injection for the Treatment of Tendinopathy or Arthritis: A Case Series Involving 40 Patients.

Background: Degenerative joint and tendon injuries remain difficult to treat, with few effective conservative treatment options available. Regenerative approaches aim to promote the inherent healing capacity of injured tissues. Micronized dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) injection is an emerging regenerative option with promising preclinical results.

Soleus Muscle Herniation With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound Correlation in a Female Long-Distance Runner: A Case Report.

Unlabelled: This is a case of a 40-year-old female endurance athlete with right leg pain while running. A comprehensive workup revealed a fascial defect with soleus muscle herniation. Although historically in many practice settings magnetic resonance imaging is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice for suspected muscle herniation through the fascia, the use of ultrasound is increasing because of lower cost, ease of access, and dynamic evaluation.

The Healing Cascade: Facilitating and Optimizing the System.

Healing is a complex process of orchestrated reactions and interactions with the goal of restoring structure and physical properties to damaged tissues. The musculoskeletal system is composed of different types of connective tissues. When healthy, each has a unique structure, function, and remodeling process.

Lumbar Muscle Cross-Sectional Areas Do Not Predict Clinical Outcomes in Adults With Spinal Stenosis: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: Minimal longitudinal data exist regarding the role of lumbar musculature in predicting back pain and function. In cross-sectional study designs, there is often atrophy of the segmental multifidus muscle in subjects with low back pain compared with matched controls. However, the cross-sectional design of these studies prevents drawing conclusions regarding whether lumbar muscle characteristics predict or modify future back pain or function.

Subsequent health-care utilization associated with early physical therapy for new episodes of low back pain in older adults.

Background: The association between early physical therapy (PT) and subsequent health-care utilization following a new visit for low back pain is not clear, particularly in the setting of acute low back pain.

Purpose: This study aimed to estimate the association between initiating early PT following a new visit for an episode of low back pain and subsequent back pain-specific health-care utilization in older adults.

Design/setting: This is a prospective cohort study.

Timing of Physical Therapy Initiation for Nonsurgical Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Effects on Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Background: Current US practice guidelines suggest an initial "wait-and-see" approach following onset of musculoskeletal pain, particularly for spinal pain. Several studies suggest that early, compared with delayed, initiation of physical therapy for musculoskeletal conditions may decrease health costs and improve outcomes.

Intense focused ultrasound stimulation of the rotator cuff: evaluation of the source of pain in rotator cuff tears and tendinopathy.

The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the ability of individual 0.1-s long pulses of intense focused ultrasound (iFU) emitted with a carrier frequency of 2 MHz to evoke diagnostic sensations when applied to patients whose shoulders have rotator cuff tears or tendinopathy. Patients were adults with painful shoulders and clinical and imaging findings consistent with rotator cuff disease.

Quantitative neuromuscular ultrasound in intensive care unit-acquired weakness: A systematic review.

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) causes significant morbidity and impairment in critically ill patients. Recent advances in neuromuscular ultrasound (NMUS) allow evaluation of neuromuscular pathology early in critical illness. Here we review application of ultrasound in ICU-AW.

Clinical outcomes of early and later physical therapist services for older adults with back pain.

Background Context: The timing of physical therapy (PT) services and its association with later function and pain are not clear, especially in older adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of patients receiving early or later PT services with those not receiving PT among older adults presenting to primary care for a new visit for back pain.

Study Design/setting: Prospective cohort study using the Back Pain Outcomes Using Longitudinal Data registry.

Inter-rater, intra-rater, and inter-machine reliability of quantitative ultrasound measurements of the patellar tendon.

The use of ultrasound (US) to perform quantitative measurements of musculoskeletal tissues requires accurate and reliable measurements between investigators and ultrasound machines. The objective of this study was to evaluate inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of patellar tendon measurements between providers with different levels of US experience and inter-machine reliability of US machines. Sixteen subjects without a history of knee pain were evaluated with US examinations of the patellar tendon.