scholarly journals POS0438 IS IMAGING DETECTED JOINT INFLAMMATION HELPFUL IN EXPLAINING FATIGUE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AT DIAGNOSIS AND DURING THE DISEASE COURSE? – A LARGE MRI STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 448.1-448
Author(s):  
X. Matthijssen ◽  
F. Wouters ◽  
N. Sidhu ◽  
A. van der Helm - van Mil

Background:Fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is hypothesized to be caused by inflammation. Still ~50% of fatigue in RA cannot be explained by the disease activity score (DAS), nor by generic or psychological factors.Objectives:Since MRI can detect joint inflammation more sensitively than DAS, we hypothesized that residual inflammation detected by MRI could aid in explaining fatigue in RA at diagnosis and during follow-up.Methods:526 consecutive RA-patients were followed longitudinally. Fatigue was assessed yearly on a numerical rating scale. Hand and foot MRIs were performed at inclusion, after 12 and 24-months in 199 patients and were scored for inflammation (synovitis, tenosynovitis and osteitis combined). We studied whether RA-patients with more MRI-inflammation were more fatigued at diagnosis (linear regression), whether the 2-year course of MRI-inflammation associated with the course of fatigue (linear mixed models) and whether decrease in MRI-inflammation in year-1 associated with subsequent improvement in fatigue in year-2 (cross-lagged models). Similar analyses were done with DAS as inflammation measure.Results:At diagnosis, higher DAS-scores were associated with more severe fatigue (p<0.001). However, patients with more MRI-inflammation were not more fatigued (p=0.94). During 2-year follow-up, DAS decrease associated with improvement in fatigue (p<0.001), but MRI-inflammation decrease did not (p=0.96). DAS decrease in year-1 associated with fatigue improvement in year-2 (p=0.012), as did MRI-inflammation decrease (p=0.039), with similar effect strength.Conclusion:Sensitive measurements of joint inflammation did not aid in explaining fatigue in RA at diagnosis and follow-up. This supports the concept that fatigue in RA is partly uncoupled from inflammation.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

RMD Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e001599
Author(s):  
X M E Matthijssen ◽  
Fenne Wouters ◽  
Navkiran Sidhu ◽  
A H M van der Helm - van Mil

ObjectiveFatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is hypothesised to be caused by inflammation. Still ~50% of the variance of fatigue in RA cannot be explained by the Disease Activity Score (DAS), nor by background or psychological factors. Since MRI can detect joint inflammation more sensitively than the clinical joint counts as incorporated in the DAS, we hypothesised that inflammation detected by MRI could aid in explaining fatigue in RA at diagnosis and during the follow-up.Methods526 consecutive patients with RA were followed longitudinally. Fatigue was assessed yearly on a Numerical Rating Scale. Hand and foot MRIs were performed at inclusion, after 12 and 24 months in 199 patients and were scored for inflammation (synovitis, tenosynovitis and osteitis combined). We studied whether patients with RA with more MRI-inflammation were more fatigued at diagnosis (linear regression), whether the 2-year course of MRI-inflammation associated with the course of fatigue (linear mixed models) and whether decrease in MRI-inflammation in year 1 associated with subsequent improvement in fatigue in year 2 (cross-lagged models). Similar analyses were done with DAS as inflammation measure.ResultsAt diagnosis, higher DAS scores were associated with more severe fatigue (p<0.001). However, patients with more MRI-inflammation were not more fatigued (p=0.94). During 2-year follow-up, DAS decrease associated with improvement in fatigue (p<0.001), but MRI-inflammation decrease did not (p=0.96). DAS decrease in year 1 associated with fatigue improvement in year 2 (p=0.012), as did MRI-inflammation decrease (p=0.039), with similar effect strength.ConclusionSensitive measurements of joint inflammation did not explain fatigue in RA at diagnosis and follow-up. This supports the concept that fatigue in RA is partly uncoupled from inflammation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 2084-2089
Author(s):  
Vanesa Tri Novana ◽  
Firman Faradisi ◽  
Nuniek Nizmah Fajriyah

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease when a person’s immune system attacks the body’s cells. Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include joint inflammation and joint deformity. In most cases, patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience joint pain. Rheumatic Gymnastics is an alternative therapy that has been proven to reduce joint pain in rheumatic patients. The purpose of this case study is to describe the use of rheumatic exercise therapy in arthritic patients. The purpose of this case study is to examine therapeutic gymnastic in reducing pain among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Two patients were taught to exercise therapeutic gymnastic. The research instrument is a pain scale observation sheet (Numerical Rating Scale). Two patients reported that there was a decreasing intensity of joint pain after doing exercise. This study concludes this particular exercise may reduce joint pain. Nurses are suggested to implement therapeutic gymnastics exercise in reducing pain among patients with Rheumatoid arthritis.Keywords : rheumatoid arthritis; pain; therapeutic gymnastics exercise Abstrak Rematik merupakan penyakit auto imun ketika sistem imun pada tubuh seseorang menyerang sel-sel tubuhnya sendiri. Gejala rematik yaitu inflamasi, deformitas, dan nyeri sendi yang paling dirasakan oleh penderita rematik. Senam Rematik merupakan terapi alternative yang sudah terbukti dapat menurunkan nyeri sendi pada pasien rematik. Tujuan studi kasus ini adalah untuk menggambarkan penggunaan terapi senam rematik pada pasien rematik. Metode yang digunakan adalah asuhan keperawatan dengan menerapkan terapi senam rematik. Instrumen penelitian berupa lembar observasi skala nyeri (Numerical Rating Scale). Hasil yang didapatkan pada klien 1 maupun 2 yaitu mengalami penurunan nyeri. Kesimpulan pada studi kasus ini bahwa senam rematik dapat menurunkan skala nyeri. Saran bagi perawat diharapkan dapat menerapkan tindakan senam rematik untuk menurunkan skala nyeri pada pasien rematik.Kata kunci : Rematik, nyeri, senam rematik


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1536-1543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Bartlett ◽  
Skye P. Barbic ◽  
Vivian P. Bykerk ◽  
Ernest H. Choy ◽  
Rieke Alten ◽  
...  

Objective.The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Flare Group was established to develop a reliable way to identify and measure RA flares in randomized controlled trials (RCT). Here, we summarized the development and field testing of the RA Flare Questionnaire (RA-FQ), and the voting results at OMERACT 2016.Methods.Classic and modern psychometric methods were used to assess reliability, validity, sensitivity, factor structure, scoring, and thresholds. Interviews with patients and clinicians also assessed content validity, utility, and meaningfulness of RA-FQ scores.Results.People with RA in observational trials in Canada (n = 896) and France (n = 138), and an RCT in the Netherlands (n = 178) completed 5 items (11-point numerical rating scale) representing RA Flare core domains. There was moderate to high evidence of reliability, content and construct validity, and responsiveness. Factor analysis supported unidimensionality. Rasch analysis showed acceptable fit to the Rasch model, with items and people covering a broad measurement continuum and evidence of appropriate targeting of items to people, ordered thresholds, minimal differential item functioning by language, sex, or age. A summative score across items is defensible, yielding an interval score (0–50) where higher scores reflect worsening flare. The RA-FQ received endorsement from 88% of attendees that it passed the OMERACT Filter 2.0 “Eyeball Test” for instrument selection.Conclusion.The RA-FQ has been developed to identify and measure RA flares. Its review through OMERACT Filter 2.0 shows evidence of reliability, content and construct validity, and responsiveness. These properties merit its further validation as an outcome for clinical trials.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun-wei Liu ◽  
Zhi-guo Wang ◽  
Jin Peng ◽  
Gang Sun

Abstract Background: Although percutaneous osteoplasty (POP) has been widely accepted and is now being performed for the treatment of painful bone metastases outside the spine, there are only scarced reports regarding osteoplasty in painful sternal metastases.Case presentation: The paper reported four patients with painful sternal metastasis who underwent POP under fluoroscopic and cone-beam CT guidance. The patients were three men and one woman (mean age, 66.25 years). Primary tumor location in lung is 3 cases, in thyroid is 1 case. In these cases, Pain was measured using a numerical rating scale (NRS), with scores ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). The scores on the NRS in the four patients before POP were 9, 8, 8, and 9. After POP, the NRS scores decreased to 2, 3, 2, and 2, respectively, in follow-up at 6 months. Conclusions: POP is a safe and effective treatment for pain caused by metastatic bone tumors in the sternum. However, care and at tention should be paid to the insertion of a needle and cement distribution for better treatment effect


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1208-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer A. Raheem ◽  
Sunil H. Patel ◽  
David Sisul ◽  
Tim J. Furnish ◽  
Tung-Chin Hsieh

Chronic opioid therapy for pain management is known to induce several endocrine changes. The authors examined the effect of testosterone supplemental therapy (TST) in patients with chronic, noncancer pain undergoing opioid therapy. It was hypothesized that treatment of opioid-induced hypogonadism (OIH) can reduce opioid requirements in patients suffering from chronic pain and approve their quality of life. Over 18 months period, patients with OIH were identified in a tertiary referral pain center, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores and daily morphine equivalent dose (MED) were the primary outcomes measured. Data were collected and comparative analysis performed between men undergoing TST versus nontreatment group. Twenty-seven OIH patients (total testosterone <300 ng/dL) were identified during the study period. TST group consists of 11 patients, while non-TST group consists of 16 patients as control cohort. Mean patient age (55 and 54.4, p = .4) and basic metabolic index (28.5 and 31.9, p = .07) in TST and non-TST groups, respectively. Mean follow-up total testosterone (ng/dL) was significantly higher after TST compared with the non-TST group (497.5 vs. 242.4 ng/dL, p = .03). Median follow-up NRS was 0 and 2 in the TST and non-TST groups ( p = .02). Mean MED (mg) decreased by 21 mg in TST group and increased by 2.5 mg in non-TST group ( p < .05). This study reports that treatment of OIH with TST can reduce opioid requirements in men with chronic pain as quantified by MED. It also confirms previous reports on the potential effects of OIH and that TST is effective in correcting opioid-induced endocrine abnormalities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-192
Author(s):  
Ga Hyeon Jung ◽  
Hyun Lee ◽  
Hwa Yeon Ryu ◽  
Jae Hui Kang

Sacral insufficiency fractures (SIF) are a common, but often underdiagnosed source of lower back pain without apparent trauma. This report presents the clinical outcome of a 75-year-old female with SIF, and an underlying medical history of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. She was treated non-operatively, in-hospital, with Korean medicine. Patient progress was assessed using the numerical rating scale and selfreported symptoms. Post-treatment, the numerical rating scale score for pain in her hip decreased from 7 to 2. At admission, the patient was unable to sit, and could only walk 3 m with assistance. At discharge, she could sit for longer than 1 hour and walk further than 200 m unassisted. On the follow-up visit, the patient was asymptomatic, and x-ray scans showed ossification of the sacral and pubic fractures. These results suggest that, Korean medicine can effectively reduce pain and aid rehabilitation in patients with SIF, without the need for surgery.


2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 866-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Goubau ◽  
C. K. Goorens ◽  
P. Van Hoonacker ◽  
B. Berghs ◽  
D. Kerckhove ◽  
...  

We present the results of a 5 year prospective follow-up study on the functional outcome after total replacement of the trapeziometacarpal joint with the Ivory prosthesis (Memometal, Stryker Corporate, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) in 22 patients. The female to male ratio was 21:1 and the mean age was 66 (range 54–78) years. The mean follow-up period was 67 (range 60–77) months after operation. Patient satisfaction was high. The mobility of the operated thumb was restored to a range of motion comparable to the contralateral thumb. Key pinch and grip strength improved by 13% and 31%, respectively. Overall function, according to Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score, improved by 59%. Pain decreased by 85% according to the numerical rating scale. Radiological evaluation revealed no loosening of the implant after 5 years except in one patient who required revision due to polythene wear with secondary joint instability. Another patient had asymptomatic polythene wear that required no revision but remains in follow-up. The 5 year overall survival of the prosthesis was 95%. These medium-term results suggest that the Ivory arthroplasty is a reliable option for treating advanced trapeziometacarpal arthritis, because it appears to give a very good functional outcome and has the potential for long-term survival rates.


Pain Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Jeremy Beckworth ◽  
Benjamin A Abramoff ◽  
Iain M Bailey ◽  
Sook Yoon ◽  
Monica Umpierrez ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Prospectively evaluate the clinical outcomes of acute cervical radiculopathy with respect to soft disc herniations vs osteophytes. Methods Sixty consecutive patients who had had cervical radiculopathy for ≤1 month were enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria were radicular pain greater than axial pain and a pain score ≥4 out of 10 on a numerical rating scale. Patients had at least one positive clinical finding: motor, sensory, or reflex changes. Plain films and magnetic resonance imaging were ordered. Follow-up was at 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months. Outcomes included pain scores (neck and upper limb), neck disability index, medication use, opioid use, and need for surgery. Two attending musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed imaging findings for osteophytes vs soft disc herniations at the symptomatic level. Results More than 75% reduction in pain was seen in 77% of patients with soft disc herniations and 66% of patients with osteophytes (P &gt; 0.05) at 12 months. A pain score ≤2 out of 10 within 6 to 12 months was seen in 86% of patients with soft disc herniations and 81% of patients with osteophytes (P &gt; 0.05). Moderate or marked improvement at 12 months was seen in 85% of patients with soft discs and 77% of patients with osteophytes (P &gt; 0.05). Baseline–to–12-month numerical rating scale pain scores of patients with soft discs vs osteophytes had overlapping confidence intervals at each follow-up. At 12 months, very few had undergone surgery (7% of patients with soft discs, 11% of patients with osteophytes; P &gt; 0.05) or were on opioids (7% of patients with soft discs, 9% of patients with osteophytes; P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions The majority of patients, but not all patients, with acute radiculopathies improved with time. This was seen with both soft disc herniations and osteophytes.


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