Efficacy of high-intensity home mechanical stretch therapy for treatment of shoulder stiffness: a retrospective review

Background

Shoulder stiffness resulting in motion loss can be caused by numerous conditions, the most common of which is adhesive capsulitis. Surgical intervention is often necessary when conservative methods fail. High-intensity stretch (HIS) treatment may be able to provide increased motion gains while avoiding the cost and complications of surgery.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to review data from patients who were prescribed a HIS device to recover their shoulder motion to determine the efficacy of the device. The hypotheses were that patients would achieve significant range of motion (ROM) gains and that ROM would increase to a level at which patients would be able to avoid a motion loss surgery and perform activities of daily living.

Methods

Clinical notes were reviewed for patients whose progress plateaued after 4 weeks of therapy and were subsequently prescribed the HIS device after failing to meet their treatment goals. ROM data were recorded for external rotation, abduction, forward flexion, and internal rotation. Pre- and post-treatment ROM data were compared using t-tests.

Results

Significant ROM gains were seen in all planes of motion (p < 0.001). Patients gained an average of 29.9° in external rotation with a last recorded rotation of 59.2°. In abduction, patients gained 40.5° with a last recorded abduction of 123.3°. In forward flexion, patients gained 30.3° with a last recorded flexion of 138.7°. In internal rotation, patients gained 15.2° with a last recorded rotation of 57.6°. These last recorded ranges of motion were sufficient to perform nearly all activities of daily living.

Conclusions

The HIS device was effective in treating patients with shoulder motion loss as demonstrated by the significant ROM gains in all planes of motion. The ability for a patient to recover lost motion quickly without surgery is of great value to quality of life and in healthcare cost savings. We believe this high-intensity stretch device should be considered for use by patients who are at risk for a motion loss surgery.

Conservative Therapy for Peyronie's Disease: a Contemporary Review of the Literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To analyze the literature on current conservative treatment options for Peyronie's disease (PD).

RECENT FINDINGS

Conservative therapy with intralesional collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) is safe and efficacious in either the acute or chronic phases of PD. Combination treatment with penile traction therapy (PTT) can produce even better results. While most PTT devices require extended periods of therapy up to 8 h per day, the RestoreX® device can be effective at 30-90 min per day. A variety of conservative therapies are available for treatment of PD. The available literature does not reveal any treatment benefit of oral therapies. Intralesional therapy is the mainstay conservative treatment of PD. Intralesional CCH therapy is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved intralesional therapy and represents the authors' preference for medical therapy. The most effective conservative management of PD likely requires a combination of therapies.

Systematic review with network meta-analysis: dual therapy for high-risk bleeding peptic ulcers

BACKGROUND

Adding a second endoscopic therapy to epinephrine injection might improve hemostatic efficacy in patients with high-risk bleeding ulcers but the optimum modality remains unknown. We aimed to estimate the comparative efficacy of different dual endoscopic therapies for the management of bleeding peptic ulcers through random-effects Bayesian network meta-analysis.

METHODS

Different databases were searched for controlled trials comparing dual therapy versus epinephrine monotherapy or epinephrine combined with another second modality until September, 30 2016. We estimated the ORs for rebleeding, surgery and mortality among different treatments. Adverse events were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Seventeen eligible articles were included in the network meta-analysis. The addition of mechanical therapy (OR 0.19, 95% CrI 0.07-0.52 and OR 0.10, 95% CrI 0.01-0.50, respectively) after epinephrine injection significantly reduced the probability of rebleeding and surgery. Similarly, patients who received epinephrine plus thermal therapy showed a significantly decreased rebleeding rate (OR 0.30, 95% CrI 0.10-0.91), as well as a non-significant reduction in surgery (OR 0.47, 95% CrI 0.16-1.20). Although differing, epinephrine plus mechanical therapy did not provide a significant reduction in rebleeding (OR 0.62, 95% CrI 0.19-2.22) and surgery (OR 0.21, 95% CrI 0.03-1.73) compared to epinephrine plus thermal therapy. Sclerosant failed to confer further benefits and was ranked highest among the 5 treatments in relation to adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Mechanical therapy was the most appropriate modality to add to epinephrine injection. Epinephrine plus thermal coagulation was effective for controlling high risk bleeding ulcers. There was no further benefit with sclerosants with regard to rebleeding or surgery, and sclerosants were also associated with more adverse events than any other modality.

Local Drug Delivery with Tetracycline Fiber : An Alternative to Surgical Periodontal Therapy

BACKGROUND

Scaling and root planing is the basic treatment modality for periodontal disease. Mechanical treatment is limited by physical impediments and biochemical considerations. Antimicrobial agents may be used as an adjunct to overcome limitations of mechanical therapy.

METHODS

A case-control study was carried out on 30 patients suffering from chronic periodontitis. In Group A only scaling and root planing was carried out whereas in Group B tetracycline fibers were used along with scaling and root planing.

RESULT

Tetracycline fibers as an adjunct to scaling and root planing was found to be more effective in reducing inflammation. The number of sites with bleeding on probing were 12 in Group A as compared to four in Group B after 30 days. The mean decrease in probing depth was more in Group B than Group A after 30 and 90 days. General linear model showed that decrease in probing depth was statistically significant with both mechanical therapy as well as adjunctive use of tetracycline fibers.

CONCLUSION

Local drug delivery with tetracycline fiber is an effective and simple non surgical method to improve periodontal health which can be practiced even by a general dental practitioner.