Current Indications and Future Direction in Heat Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain: A Narrative Review.

Background: Musculoskeletal pain is a non-negligible multifaceted condition affecting more than 30% of the global population. Superficial heat therapy (HT), through increasing tissue temperatures, plays a role in increasing local metabolism and function and relieving pain. Knee (KP) and sports pain represent two relevant fields of superficial HT application.

Osteosarcopenic obesity: A systematic review and a call for consensus on definitions and diagnostic criteria.

Background & Aim: Osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) is a clinical and functional condition characterized by the coexistence of osteopenia/osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and obesity (excess adiposity). Currently, the lack of consensus on diagnostic criteria and cut-off values complicates prevalence estimates and limits its potential role as a predictor for various diseases. This systematic review aimed at examining current definitions and diagnostic criteria adopted in individuals with OSO.

Efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy and nutraceutical supplementation in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Numerous scientific papers have compared different treatment options in the management of lateral epicondylitis. Our study evaluated the efficacy of focal extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) combined with an integrative nutraceutical treatment of hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamin C, and manganese, compared with single treatment in patients with lateral epicondylitis in terms of improvement of pain, functional capacity, muscle strength, and reduction of inflammation on ultrasound images.

Methods: A single-center, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in a population of patients with lateral epicondylitis.

Development of a mobile APP to promote physical activity in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: the "Move for Knee"™ study protocol.

In modern society, physical activity is essential for maintaining both physical and mental health, particularly as technological advancements have contributed to a sedentary lifestyle. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly for adults; however, many individuals, especially those with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), do not meet these guidelines. KOA, the most common form of arthritis, affects millions globally and leads to significant disability, pain, and reduced quality of life.

Transient osteoporosis of the hip and fatty liver disease: Case report and pathogenic hypothesis.

Transient osteoporosis of the hip is a rare, temporary condition characterized by hip pain and functional limitations, which can significantly reduce the quality of life. Bone marrow edema of the proximal femur, identified through magnetic resonance imaging is the primary diagnostic feature of transient osteoporosis of the hip. While the exact cause of transient osteoporosis of the hip remains unclear, several potential pathophysiological mechanisms warrant further investigation to better understand this condition.

Italian inter-societal manifesto for the prevention and therapy of sarcopenia: A way to raise awareness among institutions, the healthcare world and the population by: Ministry of Health, ADI (Italian Association of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition), SIGG (Italian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology), SIMFER (Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine), SINPE (Italian Society of Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism), SINU (Italian Society of Human Nutrition), SINuc (Italian Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism), SIO (Italian Society of Obesity), SISA (Italian Society of Food Science), SISDCA (Italian Society for the study of Eating Disorders).

Sarcopenia, a pathology that concerns the gradual reduction of muscle mass and strength, which entered the international classification of pathologies in 2016, is one of the most critical effects of aging (primary sarcopenia) and of some pathologies, such as oncological pathologies, lung diseases, malnutrition, and obesity (secondary sarcopenia). Going to evaluate the prevalence of the pathology, the scientific literature reports that are sarcopenic: 12-13 % of elderly living at home under 70 years of age, 24 % between 70 and 80, and up to 30-50 % of over 80; 35 % of elderly who access geriatric facilities, 15 % of subjects develop sarcopenia during hospitalization; 87 % of institutionalized elderly; 18 % of diabetic people; 20-70 % of cancer patients; 12-39 % of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 84 % of women and 100 % of men with grade II and III obesity. Given this background, Ministry of Health and the main Italian scientific societies of clinical nutrition, geriatrics and physiatry are signatories of the opinion paper entitled "Inter-society Italian Manifesto for the prevention and therapy of sarcopenia", which is presented in this paper.

Physical exercise for primary sarcopenia: an expert opinion.

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. Recently, research has focused on defining diagnostic criteria for this condition, now recognized as a muscle disease with a specific identifying code (ICD-10: M62.84).

Multidisciplinary analysis of ancient human skeletal remains using computed tomography: A case study from Cumae, Italy.

Background: Radiology is a pivotal clinical method in anthropology, offering minmally destructive examination of ancient human remains. Archaeologists frequently rely on radiology to analyse anthropological and pathological findings without damaging osteological artifacts from archaeological excavations, including those intended for museum display. Imaging plays a critical role in assessing anthropological and pathological aspects of bones in osteoarchaeological studies, providing insights into sex, age at death, stature, and various pathologies such as infections, and neoplasmas, and trauma.

Role for neurological and immunological resilience in the pathway of the aging muscle powerpenia: InCHIANTI study longitudinal results.

The neuromuscular junction shows several degenerative changes with aging, resulting in a reduction of transmission efficacy. These changes, paired with low-grade chronic inflammation, were considered triggers of the aging muscle processes. The main objective of this study is to assess the role of leukocyte count-derived ratios, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) in determining time-dependent reduction in lower limb muscle explosive strength, a condition that has been defined as powerpenia.

Evidence synthesis of health policy and systems research in rehabilitation: a protocol for Cochrane overviews of systematic reviews on delivery, governance, financial arrangements, and implementation strategies.

Cochrane Rehabilitation and the World Health Organization (WHO) Rehabilitation Program are collaborating to produce four Cochrane overviews of systematic reviews that synthesize the current evidence from health policy and systems research (HPSR) in rehabilitation. They will focus on the four pillars of HPSR identified by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) taxonomy: delivery arrangements, financial arrangements, governance arrangements, and implementation strategies. The protocol describes why HPSR is currently needed in rehabilitation, provides detailed information on the four EPOC pillars in interaction with rehabilitation and reports the Cochrane methods that will be followed to produce the overviews.

Pain Management in Knee Osteoarthritis: Insights from an Exploratory Online Survey of Italian Patients and Physicians.

Background: In Italy, knee osteoarthritis (KOA) accounts for over 5 million prevalent cases and requires long-term multidisciplinary management. The most frequent KOA symptom is pain. The aim of the survey is to provide a national overview of the current management of moderate-to-severe pain associated with KOA from both clinicians' and patients' perspectives.

The new hospital discharge form for inpatient rehabilitation in Italy: a step forward to promote the role of rehabilitation in the healthcare system.

Background: In Italy, longstanding limitations in the existing reporting system of the inpatient rehabilitation activities have been reported. The Hospital Discharge form (HDF) primarily uses ICD codes that inadequately capture the functional status and rehabilitation needs of patients, impacting equity of care and service evaluation. Therefore, the Italian Ministry of Health (IMH) launched an initiative aimed at developing a new reporting system to be specifically adopted in the inpatient rehabilitation setting.

The challenge of pharmacotherapy for musculoskeletal pain: an overview of unmet needs.

Musculoskeletal disorders are characterized by several impairments, including pain, affecting muscles, bones, joints and adjacent connective tissue, resulting in temporary or permanent functional limitations and disability. Musculoskeletal pain is particularly prevalent worldwide and greatly impacts the quality of life, social participation and economic burden. To date, several issues persist about the classification of musculoskeletal pain and its management strategies and resources.

The sequential antifracturative treatment: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Subjects with a fragility fracture have an increased risk of a new fracture and should receive effective strategies to prevent new events. The medium-term to long-term strategy should be scheduled by considering the mechanisms of action in therapy and the estimated fracture risk.

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the sequential strategy in patients with or at risk of a fragility fracture in the context of the development of the Italian Guidelines.

Overview of Cochrane Systematic Reviews for Rehabilitation Interventions in Individuals with Upper Limb Fractures: A Mapping Synthesis.

. This overview of Cochrane systematic reviews (CSRs) reports on current evidence on the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for persons with upper limb fractures (ULFs), and the quality of the evidence. .

Bone involvement in the early stages of Parkinson's disease: a case-control study.

Objective: To evaluate the qualitative and quantitative alterations of bone tissue in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) and to measure the associations between bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS) and physical performance.

Methods: This case-control study enrolled patients with early-stage PD and age-matched controls. BMDs for the left femoral neck (L-FN) and lumbar spine (LS) were measured.

An Integrated Care Approach to Improve Well-Being in Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) treatment has recently been revolutionized by the introduction of newer targeted agents, that helped tailoring therapies around the single patient. Along with increased survival rates, a careful evaluation of diet, lifestyle habits, physical activity, emotional and psychological experiences linked to the treatment journey, is now mandatory. However, a true proposal for an omnicomprehensive and "integrative" approach is still lacking in literature.

An update on the pharmacotherapeutic options for complex regional pain syndrome.

Introduction: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a rare and painful condition that has a wide range of triggering factors, often traumatic, and can present various clinical manifestations. The lack of knowledge about the underlying mechanisms has led to numerous treatment approaches, both conservative and surgical, which work through different mechanisms of action.

Areas Covered: In this review, the authors explore the key aspects of CRPS, including definition, diagnostic criteria, pitfalls, pathogenic hypotheses, and treatment strategies with a focus on pharmacotherapy.

Characterization of an Italian population with neurological disorders in a rehabilitation setting using ClinFIT.

Objective: To examine the functioning profile of people with neurological disorders who access rehabilitation services through ClinFIT Generic-30.

Methods: The functioning profile of people with neurological disorders accessing rehabilitation services was examined using the ClinFIT Generic-30, and the results compared with existing core set (neurological health conditions acute and post-acute,stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury,Spinal Cord Injury).

Results: Data for 364 people were analysed.

Neutrophil, lymphocyte count, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predict multimorbidity and mortality-results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging follow-up study.

Immunosenescence is the age-related changes in the immune system, namely, progressively higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers, characteristics changes of circulating immune subset cells and altered immune function. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NL ratio) has been identified as a prognostic indicator for neoplastic disease progression, in predicting chronic degenerative diseases, and as a potential indirect marker of healthy aging. This study aims to examine the longitudinal association of neutrophil, lymphocyte absolute count, and their ratio with longitudinal risk for multimorbidity and mortality.

Correction: Vassallo et al. Hyaluronic Acid-Based Injective Medical Devices: In Vitro Characterization of Novel Formulations Containing Biofermentative Unsulfated Chondroitin or Extractive Sulfated One with Cyclodextrins. 2023, , 1429.

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What We Should Expect from an Innovative Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Product: Expert Opinion Based on a Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Background: Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IAHA) products are often used in the treatment of adults with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The International Symposium on Intra-Articular Treatment (ISIAT) convened a multidisciplinary technical expert panel to define characteristics for an innovative IAHA product that should answer unmet needs in the clinical management of adults with mild-to-moderate KOA.

Methods: An initial set of evidence-based statements was developed based on data extracted from articles identified through a comprehensive literature search.

Filamin A cooperates with the androgen receptor in preventing skeletal muscle senescence.

Aging induces a slow and progressive decrease in muscle mass and function, causing sarcopenia. Androgens control muscle trophism and exert important anabolic functions through the binding to the androgen receptor. Therefore, analysis of the androgen receptor-mediated actions in skeletal muscle might provide new hints for a better understanding of sarcopenia pathogenesis.