Joint contractures and acquired deforming hypertonia in older people: Which determinants?

Process evaluation of an individually tailored complex intervention to improve activities and participation of older nursing home residents with joint contractures (JointConEval): a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Older people with joint contractures in nursing homes often experience severe restrictions in their activities and participation. The effectiveness of an individually tailored complex intervention to improve residents' activities and participation by incorporating the biopsychosocial perspective into nursing care using a structured facilitator approach could not be established in the JointConEval cluster-randomised controlled trial. This process evaluation aimed to systematically identify factors influencing implementation and effectiveness.

METHODS

The mixed-methods process evaluation analysed recruitment, implementation, mechanisms of impact, and context. Qualitative data was generated in semi-structured focus groups and in individual interviews with facilitators, nursing and social care staff, residents, relatives and guardians. Quantitative data was recorded with facilitators and 20% of nursing and social care staff using standardised documentation forms and questionnaires. Qualitative data was analysed using qualitative thematic content analysis, while the quantitative data was analysed descriptively. An interpretation was performed by combining and comparing the qualitative and quantitative results after the separate analyses.

RESULTS

The implementation was realised as planned, but the intervention did not always reach the nursing home staff, which hindered the planned change in attitude and behaviour. The attitude of the facilitators was mainly in line with the intervention. However, the intervention reached only half the residents. We identified various key influencing factors related to the context, setting and implementation agents. Nursing homes lacking facilitator support from staff or management or experiencing staff shortages and facing organisational weaknesses had difficulties in achieving the desired behavioural changes and positive primary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The complex intervention was delivered as planned with several factors affecting the implementation. A key influencing factor was the organisational structure and leadership of the nursing homes, which had an impact on the behaviour and motivation of the implementation agents. The findings highlight challenges in achieving behavioural changes among nursing staff in the context of long-term care in Germany. We recommend a systematic organisational context analysis for similar complex interventions in long-term care, involving stakeholders and improving leadership participation for more effective implementation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

DRKS (German Clinical Trials Register), number DRKS00015185. Registered on 1 August 2018, https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00015185 . Universal Trial Number U1111-1218-1555.

Treatment of Acquired Deforming Hypertonia with Botulinum Toxin in Older Population: A Retrospective Study

Acquired deforming hypertonia (ADH) affects the daily care of numerous nursing home residents. The aim of this study was to analyze the practice, aims, and effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections (BTxis) in the treatment of older patients with contractures, an indication for which BTxis are still underused. Data were extracted retrospectively from medical records regarding population, contractures, and injections. A prospective analysis was conducted to evaluate treatment goals set by goal attainment scaling (GAS) at T0 and at T1, to evaluate the therapeutic effects. We also recorded the occurrence of side effects, using a telephone questionnaire. This study included 41 patients older than 70 years who had received one or more BTxis for the first time between January 2018 and December 2021. Most of the older people we included lived in an institution (66%), manifested severe dependence, and presented significant morbi-mortality (37% of the patients died in the year after the last injection). The main objectives of these injections were purely comfort, without any functional goals. The GAS scores suggested effectiveness for comfort GAS scores. No complications were recorded. This study highlights the BTxis potential to address the needs of a larger number of older patients with ADH.

Effectiveness of an individually tailored complex intervention to improve activities and participation in nursing home residents with joint contractures (JointConEval): a multicentre pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the effects of the individually tailored complex intervention Participation Enabling Care in Nursing (PECAN) on activities and participation of residents with joint contractures.

DESIGN

Multicentre pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

35 nursing homes in Germany (August 2018-February 2020).

PARTICIPANTS

562 nursing home residents aged ≥65 years with ≥1 major joint contracture (303 intervention group, 259 control group).

INTERVENTIONS

Nursing homes were randomised to PECAN (18 clusters) or optimised standard care (17 clusters) with researcher-concealed cluster allocation by facsimile. The intervention targeted impairments in activities and participation. Implementation included training and support for selected staff. Control group clusters received brief information.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary endpoint PaArticular Scales combined residents' activities and participation at 12 months. The secondary outcome comprised quality of life. Safety measures were falls, fall-related consequences and physical restraints. Residents, staff and researchers were unblinded. Data collection, data entry and statistical analysis were blinded. Primary analyses were intention-to-treat at cluster level and individual level using a generalised mixed-effect regression model and imputation of missing data.

RESULTS

Primary outcome analyses included 301 intervention group residents and 259 control group residents. The mean change on the Activities Scale was -1.47 points (SD 12.2) in the intervention group and 0.196 points (SD 12.5) in the control group and -3.87 points (SD 19.7) vs -3.18 points (SD 20.8) on the Participation Scale. The mean differences of changes between the groups were not statistically significant: Activities Scale: -1.72 (97.5% CI -6.05 to 2.61); Participation Scale: -1.24 (97.5% CI -7.02 to 4.45). We found no significant difference in the secondary outcome and no effects on safety measures.

CONCLUSION

The complex intervention did not improve the activities and participation of nursing home residents on the PaArticular Scales at 12 months. Current nursing conditions in Germany may hamper implementation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

DRKS00015185.

Comorbidities and medical complexities of mobility device users: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the medical complexities and comorbidities of individuals who utilise wheeled mobility devices. As well as, to examine costly events including the number of urinary tract infections (UTIs), hospitalizations, urgent care(UC)/emergency department (ED) visits that are commonly seen in this population over a period of time one year prior to and one year post receiving their wheeled mobility equipment.

DESIGN/SETTING

A retrospective data review of 857 individual medical charts at a Level 1 Trauma Hospital and Clinic System.

PARTICIPANTS

330 male and female (24-92 years old) mobility device users with a wide range of diagnoses, of which: 56 used manual wheelchairs (MWC),138 scooters (POV), 123 power wheelchairs without integrated standing (PWC), and 13 power wheelchairs with integrated standing (iS-PWC).

RESULTS

Overall, 92% (n = 304) had at least three medical comorbidities and medical complexities. The most common comorbidity was pain (91%). A change was noted in a lower incidence of UTIs in those using an iS-PWC, respectively 23% with at least 1 UTI in the year prior to and 8% in the year after the mobility device evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

The large number of comorbidities and medical complexities amongst all mobility device users is concerning. The burden and the accompanying healthcare costs of this population is high. The potential that iS-PWC and other interventions could have on reducing these issues should be explored further.Implications of rehabilitationRegardless of a person's primary diagnosis or the wheeled mobility device they use, 100% have at least one and 92% have at least three comorbidities and medical complexities if they spend the majority of their day sittingThe high healthcare cost situations such as Emergency Department visits, Urgent Care visits, hospitalizations, and Urinary Tract Infections are present across those that use all mobility device types and the means to potentially reduce these incidences should be further exploredThe introduction of integrated standing within a power wheelchair, as a means to minimize the frequency of comorbidities and medical complications, should also be investigated further.

Factors associated with joint contractures in adults: a systematic review with narrative synthesis

PURPOSE

The primary objective of the review was to collate the available evidence on factors associated with joint contractures in adults.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted on MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, and EMBASE. Studies that involved participants aged ≥18 and assessed joint contracture as a primary or secondary outcome were included. Two independent reviewers screened studies against the eligibility criteria, performed data extraction, and assessed the quality of evidence. A narrative synthesis by domain and sub-domain was undertaken. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO: CRD42019145079.

RESULTS

Forty-seven studies were included in the review. Identified factors were broadly classified into three major domains: sociodemographic factors, physical factors, and proxies for bed confinement. Sociodemographic factors were not associated with joint contractures. Functional ability, pain, muscle weakness, physical mobility, and bed confinement provided the most consistent evidence of association with joint contractures. The evidence regarding the relationship between spasticity and joint contractures remains unclear. Other factors might be important, but there was insufficient evidence to make inferences.

CONCLUSIONS

The review identified and collated evidence on factors associated with joint contractures, which can be utilised to develop effective prevention and management strategies. Implications for rehabilitationClinical interventions based on the timely identification of risks related to joint contractures in vulnerable adults have the potential to prevent or ameliorate their development or progression.Quality and consistency of care for vulnerable adults would be enhanced by developing effective joint contracture prevention and rehabilitation strategies based on the evidence presented in this review.As many vulnerable adults are located in the community or non-acute care settings, strategies should target these loci of care.Structured risk assessments that can support non-physiotherapy staff working in these loci of care to identify risks related to joint contractures would provide an important resource for risk management.

Treatment of Advanced Parkinson's Disease

Advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) often brings a set of motor and non-motor features that are particularly challenging to manage. Medication options can be limited by side-effects and quality of life can be severely affected by an accumulating burden of nonmotor symptoms. Here, we reviewed the literature and our clinical experience with the aim of providing a practical approach to the management of advanced PD. We provide guidelines for treatment of physical and neurobehavioral concerns, that occur in advanced PD.

Policy analysis on power standing systems

Power wheelchairs provide people with mobility disabilities opportunities for independence in mobility and repositioning themselves. However, current power wheelchair power options covered by Medicare limit the person to a horizontal plane. In the home, access to the vertical plane is also required for mobility related activities of daily living. Power standing systems on power wheelchairs are one option for providing access to the vertical environment, although currently these systems are not covered by Medicare. Power standing systems also aid in medical management and in preventing common comorbidities associated with chronic neurological and congenital healthcare conditions. Therefore, a legal group led an interdisciplinary effort to change Medicare policy on power standing systems. A policy analysis using Bardach’s Eightfold policy framework was conducted to analyze a clinical groups’ action within this interdisciplinary team. The clinical team considered three viable options to address the problem and evaluated these options against five criteria. Ultimately, a national coverage determination reconsideration would provide a needed opportunity for the coverage of power standing systems. Suggested coverage criteria for power standing systems, based on existing literature and expert clinical experience, are proposed.

Bone replaces unloaded articular cartilage during knee immobilization. A longitudinal study in the rat

BACKGROUND

Joint immobility results in deleterious changes such as capsule shortening, bone loss and articular cartilage damage. Immobilization of rat knees in flexion for 32 weeks resulted in the distinctive feature of well-established replacement of articular cartilage by bone. Determining the time of onset of bone replacement is critical for the prevention of this likely irreversible complication of joint immobilization.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the onset and progression of bone replacement in the anterior tibial articular cartilage following knee immobilization in flexion.

METHODS

One hundred forty-nine adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The experimental groups had one knee immobilized at 135°of flexion for durations of 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 weeks and were compared to age-matched controls. The knees were evaluated histologically for the presence and cross-sectional area of bone within the articular cartilage of the tibia. Distance between the anterior aspect of the tibia and intact articular cartilage and cross-sectional bone area of the tibial epiphysis were also measured.

RESULT

Bone replacement in the articular cartilage was observed in 14%, 75%, 95%, 100% and 100% of knees after 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 weeks of immobilization, respectively. No bone replacement was seen in the control knees. The mean area of bone replacement increased from 0.004 ± 0.007 mm² after 2 weeks to 0.041 ± 0.036 mm²; 0.085 ± 0.077 mm²; 0.092 ± 0.056 mm² and 0.107 ± 0.051 mm² after 4, 8, 16 and 32 weeks of immobilization, respectively, (p < 0.001) largely restricted to the anterior tibial articular cartilage. Mean distance to intact articular cartilage increased from 0.89 ± 0.69 mm at 2 weeks to 1.10 ± 0.35 mm; 1.65 ± 0.77 mm; 1.48 ± 0.63 mm; and 1.78 ± 0.58 mm after 4, 8, 16 and 32 weeks of immobilization, respectively (p = 0.001). Epiphyseal bone cross-sectional area was significantly reduced following 4, 8, and 16 weeks of immobilization compare to controls (all 3 p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Knee immobilization in flexion resulted in bone replacement in the anterior tibial articular cartilage that began after 2 weeks and was prevalent after 4 weeks of immobilization. The bone replacement progressed in an anterior-to-posterior direction and stopped at the area of contact between tibia and femur. These findings stress the importance of mobility to maintain joint health.