Bursitis, tenosynovitis, ganglions, and painful lesions of the wrist, elbow, and hand

Musculoskeletal work disability for clinicians: Time course and effectiveness of a specialized intervention program by diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate how an intervention program modifies the clinical course of work disability in musculoskeletal diagnoses.

METHODS

All patients with temporary work disability related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 3 health districts of Madrid, Spain were randomized into standard care (control group) or the intervention group. Intervention consisted of a specific program, run by rheumatologists, following detailed proceedings. Inclusion and followup lasted 12 months each. According to the cause, every temporary work disability episode was classified into 11 syndrome categories. For each we calculated efficacy, as the difference between groups in the number of days on sick leave per temporary work disability episode; relative efficacy, or the percentage of days saved in the intervention group; and time of maximum program effect. Analyses were performed on an intent-to-treat basis. Survival techniques were run and results were expressed as the hazard ratio (HR) in the intervention versus control group.

RESULTS

A total of 13,077 patients were included, generating 16,297 temporary work disability episodes. The most frequent cause was back pain. Temporary work disability episodes were significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the controls in all syndrome categories except knee pain (excluding osteoarthritis). Program relative efficacy varied from 28-72%. The program was highly efficacious in carpal tunnel syndrome (HR 2.09, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.17-3.75), peripheral osteoarthritis (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.14-2.19), and inflammatory diseases (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.09-2.12). The maximum effect of the program always took place within the first 2 months.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of this type of specialist-run, protocol-based early intervention program would be very beneficial in the treatment of patients with work disability related to MSDs, except for those with knee pain (excluding osteoarthritis).

Scintigraphy of cubital bursitis

A 50-year-old man with psoriatic arthropathy was examined for a painful mass in the left cubital fossa. The clinical findings indicated a tumor or infection. Computed tomographic scanning and bone scintigraphy also raised the possibility of a malignant lesion. Surgical exploration revealed that the mass was a chronically inflamed bicipitoradial bursa adherent to the biceps tendon. This is a rare condition, with only a handful of cases described in the literature. This is the first scintigraphic case reported. The imaging features of the bursa are discussed in terms of the anatomy.

Septic bursitis

Nine cases of septic bursitis are presented, and the literature on the subject comprehensively reviewed, with an emphasis on the clinical manifestations of septic bursitis in various anatomic locations. Physical activities associated with increased susceptibility to septic bursitis and systemic conditions that increase the severity of septic bursitis are catalogued. Analysis of the microbiology of cases reported in the literature demonstrates that greater than 80% of cases of septic bursitis are caused by Staphylococcus aureus and other gram-positive organisms. However, a wide variety of gram-negative microorganisms, fungi, and other infectious agents have been reported to cause septic bursitis and may lead to complications in diagnosis and treatment. The nine cases reported here demonstrate the potential severity of septic bursitis and emphasize that significant systemic complications may result from this common musculoskeletal infection. Indications for hospitalization and/or intravenous antibiotic therapy for septic bursitis include the presence of fulminant local infection, evidence for systemic toxicity, or infection in an immunocompromised patient. Patients who fail to respond to intravenous antibiotics and percutaneous aspiration of the bursa may require surgical drainage or bursectomy by one of several methods that have been proposed. There is some recent evidence that intrabursal corticosteroid injection for therapy of nonseptic subcutaneous bursitis may be more effective than systemic antiinflammatory medication or simple bursa aspiration.

Synovial cysts and ganglia: the value of magnetic resonance imaging

Synovial and ganglion cysts commonly present in close proximity to joints and skeletal structures in rheumatic disorders. Familiarity with the presentation of these soft tissue masses can facilitate timely diagnosis and effective management, thus avoiding costly and potentially high-risk procedures to patients. Management usually consists of local, nonsurgical approaches. A patient with chronic joint deformities and clinical features primarily consistent with mixed connective tissue disease is described. Multiple localized masses developed at her right elbow and were identified on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as multiloculated cysts that dissected from the elbow joint. The cysts were treated successfully by needle aspiration and intraarticular corticosteroid injection. The clinical associations, diagnosis, treatment, and management of synovial cysts and ganglions are reviewed.