Evaluation of intensive rehabilitation under continuous suprascapular nerve blockade for the treatment of refractory adhesive shoulder capsulitis. Case series

INTRODUCTION

Treatment of refractory adhesive shoulder capsulitis is a challenge. This observational retrospective study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of intensive physiotherapy protocol under a continuous peripheral blockade of the suprascapular nerve (cSSNB).

METHOD

We reviewed 29 medical records of patients suffering from adhesive capsulitis and treated with intensive physiotherapy under cSSNB during 10 days. The "disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand" outcome questionnaire (DASH score) and shoulder movements were recorded at the beginning, 10 days after local anesthetic infusion and three months after.

RESULTS

Twenty six patients significant improved shoulder movements after 10 days of treatment. Sixteen patients were followed completely until 3 months after rehabilitation program. Range of four shoulder motion compatible with a normal daily life was acquired in nine patients at three months. There is no significant difference in shoulder motion between the end of LA infusion and at three months. At the end of infusion, DASH score is significantly decreased to 59.3 (n = 26), and persists three months 42.1 (n = 16). At three months, 33% of the initial population objectively reach the 4 goals, compatible with a correct quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Rehabilitation under cSSNB is associated with a significant long term improvement in shoulder motion and quality of life in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Randomized controlled trials will be necessary to demonstrate our encouraging results.

[Neuromusculoskeletal disorders related to musical playing - a review of the literature]

The prevalence of pathologies associated with musical playing are high among professional musicians. While hearing injuries appear to be the most commonly disorder, instrumentalists are also prone to numerous neurological and musculoskeletal problems. Despite the increasing number of recent clinical studies, an appropriate identification of these problems by health practitioners remains difficult and the implementation of an adequate treatment is almost inexistent in a population of musicians with several disorders affecting the ability to play their instrument.

[Psychological and cognitive interventions in end-of-life support of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A review.]

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable disease characterized by muscle atrophy leading to complete paralysis. Once diagnosed, the average life expectancy is three to five years. In this context, palliative and end-of-life care are essential, as well as the development of cognitive and/or psychological therapies to improve the quality of life of patients. In this context, we conducted a review of the pertinent literature about psychological and cognitive interventions in end-of-life support for ALS patients. We identified 504 references out of which only four studies met our inclusion criteria. Two studies focused on dignity therapy, one study on the delay between the diagnosis and the start of psychological care in a specialized centre, and one case-report on psychological therapy combined with a computer-assisted communication system. The results of these studies, although very limited, suggest that psychological interventions may improve the management and quality of life of end-of-life ALS patients. Further studies should investigate the impact of psychological support adapted to ALS, using, for example, computer-assisted communication allowing to implement these interventions in a larger number of patients and over the long term.

[Heterotopic ossifications after hospitalisation in intensive care for SARS-CoV-2 pneumopathy]

We report the case of a 63-year old patient admitted in the intensive care unit for 25 days because of a severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. With diverse symptoms of critical illness polyneuropathy the patient has been taken care of in a rehabilitation centre. Ankylosis and joint motion limitation led to a more extensive imaging assessment. The later showed advanced periarticular heterotopic calcification in both hips and in right shoulder. Although hypothesis about this complication's physiopathology remains unclear, early identification would allow a better management. It is the first time heterotopic ossification involving three large joints is reported after a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[Role of radiotherapy in the treatment of plantar fasciitis]

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of talalgia in adult. It can affect a variety of individuals and its etiology is still unknown. Several factors are probably involved (repeated micro-traumatisms excessive tension, chronic inflammation…). In plantar fasciitis bone exostosis can be observed. The latter may also result into a functional incapacity due to major pain and therefore has a major impact on the quality of life. Several treatments with different efficacy are proposed to the patient. The role of radiotherapy is very limited, even if it's more frequently applied in Germany. The main goals of this article are to evaluate the place of the radiotherapy in the therapeutic approach, to confirm its efficacy and to assess the associated risks.

[Postherpetic abdominal pseudohernia]

Postherpetic neuralgia is the most feared complication of herpes zoster (HZ). The incidence increases with age. Nevertheless, around 5 % of HZ patients will experience a motor deficiency known as segmental zoster paresis (SZP) according to the affected dermatome. Abdominal pseudohernia is an exceptional clinical presentation of SZP, involving the T6-L1 dermatomas. The recognition of this rare complication of HZ prevents unnecessary explorations and interventions. There is no specific treatment but in general the evolution is favorable and spontaneous healing is observed within several months.

[Contribution of physical rehabilitation to cancer follow-up]

The number of people with cancer is constantly increasing. Thanks to new screening techniques and treatment protocols, the number of survivors is also increasing. However, treatments cause some undesirable side effects that usually persist over time. The level of physical activity of these patients tends to decrease with the diagnosis of cancer and does not usually increase before the end of the treatments or even beyond. However, physical activity is beneficial not only in terms of preventing the progression or recurrence of the disease but also in the fight against side effects related to the disease and its treatments. There are various physical activity recommendations for cancer survivors that will be developed in this article. The project «Sport après cancer. Citoyen sportif, j'agis pour ma santé», developed by the University and the University Hospital of Liège, aims to promote adapted physical activity after cancer, creating a link between outpatient rehabilitation in a hospital setting and the practice of physical activity in a sporting and associative context.

[A new treatment for androgenetic alopecia : platelet-rich plasma injections]

Androgenic alopecia is a genetically determined and leads to a progressive hair loss of the vertex, affecting both men and women. It is related to an important psychological and social distress. Medical therapies include topical minoxidil, oral 5?-reductase inhibitors and oestroprogestative drugs with anti-androgen effects for women. The surgical option is autograft hair transplantation. Recently, phototherapy with low-level energy lasers became available. All these treatments may present adverse effects and their effectiveness is questionable. Subcutaneous injections of autologous platelet-rich plasma into the scalp represent an interesting alternative treatment for androgenetic alopecia, as monotherapy or as an adjuvant treatment. The methodology, the possible mechanisms of action and some initial clinical results of this treatment are presented.

[Cervical spondylolysis : a rare fortuitous finding]

A young patient consulted in our physical and rehabilitation medicine department following the onset of pain on the scapula area and at the base of his right upper limb after carrying a heavy load. After a couple of weeks, the patient also developed cervical pain. Fortuitously, the cervical scanner displayed a right C6 spondylolysis. Further evaluation by bone scan confirmed that this lesion was not recent and so probably not the cause of the symptoms. Cervical isthmic spondylolysis is a rare condition, much more common at the lumbar level and often ignored at the cervical one. The etiology, pahophysiology, imaging and treatment options for this cervical pathology are discussed in this article.

[Role of physical and rehabilitation medicine in the aftermath of SARS-CoV-2 disease]

2020 will be remembered as the year of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which confined most of the world's population at home. Rehabilitation units will have to face specific challenges to protect the vulnerable in-patients. Moreover, they must prepare for post-COVID-19 patients who might suffer from illness consequences or present a post intensive care syndrome secondary to the increased ICU length of stay. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the deficiencies of post-COVID-19 patients and suggest a decision algorithm to best match their needs.

[The Pierre Marie-Sainton syndrome or cleidocranial dysplasia]

The Pierre-Marie Sainton syndrome or cleidocranial dysplasia is a rare congenital malformation due to a mutation in the RUNX2 gene, causing disruption in osteoblastic maturation, which results in various skeletal, dental and endocrine abnormalities. These various disorders may also have otorhinolaryngology and psychological consequences. We report the case of a patient with this rare birth defect.

[Haemophilic ankle arthropathy : case reports and review of the literature]

Haemophilic arthropathy affects about half of the patients who suffer from haemophilia. Despite the fact that it's one of the main morbidity factors of haemophilia and that the pathophysiology of its mechanism is slowly better understood, its management is still under discussion. The cases of two men (53 and 54 years old) who suffer from ankle haemophilic arthropathy since several years are reported. For both cases, different aspects of the management are investigated, including a medicated and a physiotherapy approach, and an adequate orthotic. Other treatments are available and sometimes used, such as radio- or arthroscopic synovectomy, corticosteroids or platelet-rich plasma in?ltration or visco-supplementation.

[Diastematomyelia discovered in adulthood]

We report a case of a 35-year-old woman with recurrent lumbar pain and left cruralgia in a post-traumatic context, for which the scanner had made possible the fortuitous diagnostic of a congenital anomaly. The diagnosis of diastematomyelia, which is more frequent in utero, is rare in adulthood and results from the implementation of an iconographic assessment. We will present the major malformations that are associated with diastematomyelia and which could evoke the presence of this malformation. The management of the anomaly is still controversial and can lead, if not done properly, to invalidating neurological deteriorations.

[Critical appraisal of the battery of questionnaires used in the French-speaking Belgian spine rehabilitation centers for low back pain]

OBJECTIVES

to investigate the questionnaires used in French-speaking Belgian spine multidisciplinary rehabilitation centers for patients with low back pain and to propose a minimal core set of questionnaires based on the results of our survey and on the (inter)national guidelines.

METHODS

the spine centers offering the 36 two-hour sessions defined by the Belgian national Institute for Health and disability insurance were invited to provide their battery of questionnaires.

RESULTS

among the 37 identified and contacted centers, 21 participated in our survey. Results pointed out the use of questionnaires assessing pain intensity, disability, anxiety/depression and kinesiophobia in most centers as well as a huge heterogeneity regarding the questionnaires (and even the version of the questionnaire) reported and the non-systematic use of questionnaires recommended by the guidelines.

CONCLUSION

taking into account the results of this survey, the present article proposes a minimal core set of questionnaires meeting the guidelines, which would make it possible to harmonize the assessments in the different centers and would facilitate the realization of multicenter studies.

French translation and validation of the Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score "ATRS"

BACKGROUND

To provide a cross-cultural French adaptation of the Achille's Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) and to assess its psychometric performances.

METHOD

The ATRS questionnaire was first translated and inter-culturally adapted into French according to international guidelines. Then, 95 subjects were recruited to complete the French version of the ATRS twice (2 weeks of interval). The SF-36 and VISA-A were used as comparative questionnaires. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated (test-retest reliability, internal consistency, construct validity, floor/ceiling effects).

RESULTS

Thetest-retest reliability was excellent (ICC of 0,966 (95% CI:0.644-0.879)) and the internal consistency very high (Cronbach's alpha of 0,98). The convergent and divergent construct validity were also confirmed. Finally, none of the subjects obtained the lowest score (0) or the maximal score (100) to the questionnaire.

CONCLUSION

A valid and reliable French version of the ATRS is now available.

[Transient focal migratory osteoporosis of the knees]

When acute arthralgia is associated with focal osteoporosis and reversible epiphyseal edema, all three spontaneously resolving without sequelae in a few months, it is then called transient focal osteoporosis. Well known at the hip, this pathology may be expressed at other joints and have a migratory character. In this case report, the patient presented himself with migrating transient focal osteoporosis that successively undertook, over one year, various anatomical zones within the same knee and then reached the contralateral knee. The evolution was characterized by a healing without sequelae after discharge and analgesic treatment.

[Stress fracture of the distal femoral growth plate in a young belgian table tennis champion]

We report a rare type of stress fracture in a young athlete, great hope of belgian table tennis. Although this type of fracture is not rare in the broad sense of the term, a stress fracture located at the distal femoral physeal is exceptional. Such a complication must be quickly detected because of growth disorders and impact on sports performances that this may cause. On the basis of an anamnesis and detailed clinical observations, we describe the physiopathology as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic management of this pathology.

AB0862 CONSENSUS STATEMENT ON INTRA-ARTICULAR INJECTIONS OF PLATELET-RICH PLASMA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Background:

There has been much debate regarding the use of intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as symptomatic treatment for knee osteoarthritis. The heterogeneity of the preparation and injection protocols limits the extrapolation of data from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.

Objectives:

The objective of this expert consensus was to develop the first clinical practice recommendations for PRP injections in knee osteoarthritis.

Methods:

Fifteen physicians (10 rheumatologists, 4 specialists in rehabilitation and sport medicine and 1 interventional radiologist) from different countries were selected given to their expertise in the fields of PRP and osteoarthritis. Twenty-five recommendations were finally retained after several meetings using the modified Delphi method to establish clinical consensus. All experts voted their agreement or not for each recommendation using a score between 1 (totally inappropriate) and 9 (totally appropriate). Depending on the median value and extreme scores, recommendations were judged as appropriated or unappropriated with a strong or relative agreement but could also be judged as uncertain due to indecision or absence of consensus.

Results:

The main recommendations are listed below:

Conclusion:

Twenty-five recommendations were discussed by an international multidisciplinary task force group in order to provide a basis for standardization of clinical practices and future research protocols.

Disclosure of Interests:

Florent Eymard Consultant of: Regenlab, Paul Ornetti: None declared, Jérémy Maillet Consultant of: Regenlab, Eric Noel Consultant of: Regenlab, Philippe Adam Consultant of: Regenlab, Virginie Legré Boyer Consultant of: Regenlab, Thierry Boyer Consultant of: Regenlab, Fadoua Allali: None declared, Vincent Grémeaux Bader: None declared, Jean-François Kaux: None declared, Karine Louati: None declared, Martin Lamontagne Consultant of: Pendopharm, Fabrice Michel: None declared, Pascal Richette: None declared, Hervé Bard Consultant of: Regenlab

FRI0400 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF AN INTRA-ARTICULAR INJECTION OF JTA-004, A NOVEL ENHANCED PROTEIN SOLUTION, IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN: A RANDOMISED, DOUBLE-BLIND CONTROLLED PHASE II/III STUDY

Background:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative, chronic, and progressive joint disease. It is associated with chronic pain, joint function impairments and disabilities, causing a poorer quality of life with physical and/or mental co-morbidity. Along with population ageing and increasing obesity, the incidence of OA is rising and there is an urgent need for new treatment options.

Objectives:

JTA-004 is a novel protein solution in development for the treatment of knee OA pain. Supplemented with hyaluronic acid and clonidine, it is designed to provide a fast-acting and long-lasting pain relief. To evaluate efficacy and safety and to select the most effective formulation, single intra-articular administration of 3 JTA-004 formulations were tested and compared to Hylan G-F 20 during a 6-month period.

Methods:

In this prospective, multicentre, double-blind phase II/III trial (NCT02740231), eligible participants were 50-79-year-old men and women with primary knee OA classified with Kellgren-Lawrence grade II or III and a body mass index (BMI) under 35. 164 patients were randomly assigned to one of the three JTA-004 formulations or the reference treatment (Hylan G-F 20) in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. The three JTA-004 formulations differed in their clonidine concentration (50 or 100 µg/ml) and/or their volume of injection (2 or 4 ml) (Table 1). Patients were evaluated using Western Ontario McMaster Universities (WOMAC®) scores and Short-Form health survey (SF-12). The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline at 6 months in WOMAC®VA3.1 Pain Subscale. Safety was assessed by monitoring and reporting vital signs, physical examination, adverse events and concomitant medications throughout the study.

Table 1.

Description of the three JTA-004 formulations administered

JTA-004 formulationPlasma proteinsolutionClonidineHAVolume ofConcentrationAmountConcentrationAmountConcentrationAmountinjectionJTA-100/21.02 g/ml2.04 g50 µg/ml100 µg10 mg/ml20 mg2 mlJTA-200/21.02 g/ml2.04 g100 µg/ml200 µg10 mg/ml20 mg2 mlJTA-200/41.02 g/ml4.08 g50 µg/ml200 µg10 mg/ml40 mg4 ml

Results:

At 6 months, patients in the three JTA-004 groups showed a better improvement in pain compared to patients in the reference group. The between-group difference (between each JTA-004 test group and reference group) in adjusted (adapted to difference in baseline values) mean change in WOMAC®Pain Subscale Score from baseline ranged between -9.49 mm and -11.63 mm at 6 months post-injection. Statistical superiority of each JTA-004 formulation over Hylan G-F 20 was however not demonstrated (p-value between 0.052 and 0.141) (Figure 1,JTA 200/2, 100/2 and 200/4). As the three JTA-004 formulations had a similar efficacy in terms of pain reduction, apost hocanalysis was subsequently performed between the pooled JTA-004-treated patients and the reference group. This analysis showed a 26.1 ± 2.4 (adjusted mean ± SE) mm improvement in pain in the pooled JTA-004 group vs. 15.6 ± 4.1 mm in the reference group at 6 months, demonstrating a statistically significant superiority of JTA-004 over the reference (between-group difference = -10.57; p = 0.030) (Figure 1,pooled JTA).

Figure 1.

Main and post hoc analyses.

All JTA-004 formulations were shown to be well tolerated and had a clinically acceptable safety profile. There was a trend for fewer treatment-related events in the JTA-100/2 group, notably no cases of post-injection mild and transient hypotension.

Conclusion:

This study provides a first evidence of efficacy and safety of JTA-004 in the treatment of knee OA pain.

Disclosure of Interests:

Marie Bettonville Employee of: Bone Therapeutics, Marc Leon: None declared, Joëlle Margaux: None declared, Didier Urbin-Choffray: None declared, Emilie Theunissen: None declared, Tatiana Besse-Hammer: None declared, Yves Fortems: None declared, Séverine Verlinden: None declared, Olivier Godeaux Consultant of: Bone Therapeutics, Anne-Sophie Delmarcelle Employee of: Bone Therapeutics, Jean-François Kaux Consultant of: Bone Therapeutics

[Innovations in physical and rehabilitation medicine]

Over the last decade, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) is a medical specialty that has evolved considerably in the various fields that concern it : from the management of low back pain and lumbosciatalgia or osteoporosis in a multidisciplinary manner, through the use of new technologies in neuro-locomotor rehabilitation and robotisation in amputee patients for example, the development of regenerative medicine and prevention in sports traumatology and, finally, the progress of electrophysiology techniques for the diagnosis of small-fibre neuropathies. These various advances will be discussed in this article.

Alternative and complementary therapies in osteoarthritis and cartilage repair

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint condition and, with a burgeoning ageing population, is due to increase in prevalence. Beyond conventional medical and surgical interventions, there are an increasing number of ‘alternative’ therapies. These alternative therapies may have a limited evidence base and, for this reason, are often only afforded brief reference (or completely excluded) from current OA guidelines. Thus, the aim of this review was to synthesize the current evidence regarding autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), vitamin D and other alternative therapies. The majority of studies were in knee OA or chondral defects. Matrix-assisted ACI has demonstrated exceedingly limited, symptomatic improvements in the treatment of cartilage defects of the knee and is not supported for the treatment of knee OA. There is some evidence to suggest symptomatic improvement with MSC injection in knee OA, with the suggestion of minimal structural improvement demonstrated on MRI and there are positive signals that PRP may also lead to symptomatic improvement, though variation in preparation makes inter-study comparison difficult. There is variability in findings with vitamin D supplementation in OA, and the only recommendation which can be made, at this time, is for replacement when vitamin D is deplete. Other alternative therapies reviewed have some evidence (though from small, poor-quality studies) to support improvement in symptoms and again there is often a wide variation in dosage and regimens. For all these therapeutic modalities, although controlled studies have been undertaken to evaluate effectiveness in OA, these have often been of small size, limited statistical power, uncertain blindness and using various methodologies. These deficiencies must leave the question as to whether they have been validated as effective therapies in OA (or chondral defects). The conclusions of this review are that all alternative interventions definitely require clinical trials with robust methodology, to assess their efficacy and safety in the treatment of OA beyond contextual and placebo effects.

Intense sport practices and cardiac biomarkers

Biomarkers are well established for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, heart failure and cardiac fibrosis. Different papers on cardiac biomarker evolution during exercise have been published in the literature and generally show mild to moderate elevations. However, the mechanism responsible for these elevations, reflecting physiological or even pathophysiological changes, still has to be clearly elucidated. There are also indications of higher cardiac risk in poorly trained athletes than in well-trained athletes. Whether regular repetition of intensive exercise might lead, in the longer term, to fibrosis and heart failure remains to be determined. In this review, we summarized the main research about the effects of intense exercise (in particular, running) on cardiac biomarkers (including troponins, natriuretic peptides, etc.). We found that cardiac fibrosis biomarkers seemed to be the most informative regarding the biological impact of intense physical activity.

[Pathologies of the musculoskeletal system in diabetes mellitus]

Diabetes mellitus causes several micro- (nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy) and macro-vascular (coronary insufficiency, stroke, lower limb arteriopathy) complications. Some complications are less widely known, particularly the ones involving the musculoskeletal system. Even though diabetes is not specifically linked to these complications, it increases both their incidence and severity. The objective of this paper is to review the main musculoskeletal complications associated to diabetes. It describes the pathophysiology, symptomatology and treatments of these complications.

[Update about management of knee tendinopathies]

Knee tendinopathies account for a large number of sports dropping, especially in sports requesting jumps and running. There is actually no consensus about the management of those injuries. Nevertheless, new therapies may offer possibilities to the non-responding ones. This review aims to actualise the treatment of knee tendinopathy, to discuss the most recent forms of treatment and their clinical use, limited by our current knowledge of the disease.

Chronic lateral ankle instability increases the likelihood for surgery in athletes with os trigonum syndrome

PURPOSE

The etiology and incidence of os trigonum syndrome in professional athletes is highly variable. There is a paucity of data to ascertain why some athletes evolve towards surgery whilst others remain asymptomatic. We hypothesized that a lateral ligament ankle injury would increase the likelihood for surgery in those athletes with os trigonum syndrome.

METHODS

Eighty professional athletes with clinical and radiological signs of os trigonum syndrome were identified to ascertain the incidence of injury to the lateral ligamentous ankle complex (acute and chronic) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This cohort was subdivided into 2 groups; a surgical (n = 40) and a non-surgical (n = 40) cohort. Surgical division was decided if (1) the clinical hyper-plantar flexion test was positive, (2) a positive diagnostic ultrasound-guided injection and (3) no improvement was observed after 6 weeks of conservative rehabilitation.

RESULTS

From the surgical cohort, 37 players (94.1%) had a chronic lateral ankle ligament injury on MRI, whilst 3 players (5.9%) had an acute lateral ankle ligament injury. Binary logistic linear modelling revealed that having a chronic lateral ligament injury increases the likelihood of os trigonum syndrome surgery by ten times compared to those with an acute lateral ligament injury.

CONCLUSION

Professional athletes with chronic lateral ligament ankle injury have an approximate ten times greater risk for os trigonum syndrome surgery compared to athletes with acute lateral ligament ankle injury.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

French translation and validation of the "Anterior Knee Pain Scale" (AKPS)

PURPOSE

To linguistically and cross-culturally translate the Anterior Knee Pain Scale into French and to evaluate the reliability and validity of this translated version of the questionnaire.

METHODS

The translation part was performed in six stages, according to international guidelines: (i) two initial translations from English to French; (ii) synthesis of the two translations; (iii) backward translations into the original language; (iv) expert committee to compare the backward translations with the original questionnaire; (v) pre-final version testing and (VI) expert committee appraisal. To validate the French version of the Anterior Knee Pain Scale, we assessed its validity, reliability and floor/ceiling effects. To do this, volunteer patients from the French part of Belgium and from France, with patellofemoral pain were asked to answer the French version of the Anterior Knee Pain Scale at baseline and after 7 days, as well as the generic SF-36 questionnaire.

RESULTS

The Anterior Knee Pain Scale was translated without any major difficulties. A total of 101 subjects aged 34.5 ± 11.4 years (58.4% of women) were included in this study. Results indicated an excellent test-retest reliability (Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.97, 95%CI: 0.96-0.98), a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87), a consistent construct validity (high correlations with the SF-36 questionnaire were found with domains related to physical function (r = 0.80), physical role (r = 0.70) and pain (r = 0.64)) and low or moderate correlations with domains related to mental health (r = 0.26), vitality (r = 0.32) and social function (r = 0.41). Moreover, no floor/ceiling effects have been found.

CONCLUSIONS

A valid French version of the Anterior Knee Pain Scale is now available and can be used with confidence to better assess the disease burden associated with patellofemoral pain. It was successfully cross-culturally adapted into French. Implications for rehabilitation The results on psychometric properties of the French Anterior Knee Pain Scale are comparable with six validated versions obtained for the Finnish, the Turkish, the Chinese, the Dutch, the Thai and the Persian populations. The French translated version of the Anterior Knee Pain Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the functional limitations associated with patellofemoral pain. The test-retest reliability of the French Anterior Knee Pain Scale was excellent, the internal consistency was high and the construct validity was consistent. There were no floor/ceiling effects.

[New conservative treatments of chronic tendinopathies]

The pathophysiological mechanisms of tendinopathies integrate various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Classic "passive" therapeutics have a limited action. Because of a better pathophysiological understanding of tendinopathies, more recent treatments (injections of various compounds, infiltrations of platelet-rich plasma, stem cells) would lead to a long-term healing. In case of failure of conservative managements and depending on the anatomical site, a surgical approach may be considered.

One injection of platelet-rich plasma associated to a submaximal eccentric protocol to treat chronic jumper's knee

AIM

Jumper's knee is a frequent chronic overuse syndrome of the proximal part of the patellar tendon. Platelets contain lots of growth factors which could enhance the healing process of tendons. The aim of this study was to clarify the possible efficacy of one injection of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in cases of rebel jumper's knees.

METHODS

Twenty patients with chronic proximal patellar tendinopathy were enrolled. Assessments were made before infiltration of PRP, and 6 weeks and 3 months after the infiltration, using a 10-point visual analogic scale of pain, clinical examinations with a pressure algometer, algofunctional scores (IKDC and VISA-P), functional assessments (isokinetic and optojump evaluations) and imagery (ultrasounds and MRI). The PRP was obtained with an apheresis system (COMTEC®, Fresenius-Kabi, Bad Homburg, Germany). Six millilitres of PRP were injected without local anesthetic. One week after infiltration, patients started a standardized sub-maximal eccentric reeducation.

RESULTS

During daily activities pain significantly decreased with time. At functional evaluation, it decreased as well, but without significant functional improvement. No improvements in the imagery measurements were observed. Younger patients seemed to be more susceptible to have an improvement of pain by the PRP infiltration.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that a local infiltration of PRP associated with a submaximal eccentric protocol can improve symptoms of chronic jumper's knee in patients non-responsive to classical conservative treatments.

[Critical analysis of classical conservative treatments of tendinopathies]

Classic "passive" therapeutics (anti-inflammatory drugs, infiltrations of corticosteroids...) of tendinopathies, which are used relatively empirically, reduce pain and inflammation, without fundamentally changing the tendon structure. The eccentric rehabilitation has been applied to chronic tendinopathies, not only due to the failure of conventional therapies but also due to a better pathophysiological understanding of tendinopathies. Various studies underscore the effectiveness of eccentric rehabilitation which, after 20-30 sessions, leads to healing and especially prevents the risk of chronicity. Shockwave therapy, amending the tendinous structure, would lead to a long term healing.

[The anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome: a case report]

The anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome is a rare entrapment neuropathy of the deep peroneal nerve beneath the inferior extensor retinaculum of the ankle. It is frequently unrecognized and may lead to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. We report the case of a 77 year old patient complaining of symptoms of an anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome with neuropathic pain located at the dorsal part of the foot, without any sensorimotor loss. The ENMG was in favour of a motor impairment of the deep peroneal nerve. MRI exploration of the ankle showed a millimetric bony overgrowth of the upper pole of the navicular bone, irritative to the deep peroneal nerve. Infiltration at overgrowth of the navicular provided a partial and temporary decrease in pain symptoms. Surgical nerve decompression was then considered.

[Is this cerebral cavernoma the cause of a Parkinsonian syndrome?]

We report the case of a patient presenting with an akineto-rigid syndrome of the left hemibody whose etiological exploration by magnetic resonance imaging showed the presence of a cavernoma located in the right lenticular region. The interest of this situation is to establish if there is a pathophysiological link between such symptoms and the lesion revealed by the MRI.

[Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee]

This case report is concerned with a 30 year old patient diagnosed with pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) in the knee. The patient underwent an orthopedic surgical operation to remove the lesions. PVNS is a rare proliferative disorder, mostly benign and affecting the knee; its aetiology remains unclear. It represents a medical challenge because of non-specific symptoms that delay the diagnosis with a very high rate of recurrence. MRI imaging is necessary to explore the lesions, but the final diagnosis can only be made after anatomopathologic analysis of the excised lesions. When multiple lesions are present, the treatment consists of their excision by arthrotomy, or by arthroscopy if the disease is localized.

[Single cervical metastasis of breast cancer]

We report a rare case of single cervical metastasis of breast cancer. Bone metastases are the most frequent in breast cancer. Early diagnosis combined with the new therapeutic advances have considerably improved the quality of life and increased the survival. Imaging plays a great role in the diagnosis, particularly scintigraphy and radiography, but sometimes also CT and MRI. The treatment is currently not standardized and it combines hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or surgery.

[Osteogenesis imperfecta]

We report the case of a young boy who had had multiple bone fractures (more than 10) since the age of 19 months. The father had the same clinical history. The clinical examination was normal for his age except blue sclera. The bone densitometry showed a severe osteoporosis for his age. Biological exam swere correct. The genetic exploration revealed mutation of COL1A2 gene. With this clinical history, the diagnosis of Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) was retained. OI is a hereditary dystrophy with abnormal synthesis or metabolism of collagen with, often, mutation of COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes. There are 7 different forms. We consider the possible differential diagnoses. The goal of any treatment is to promote bone remineralisation and to decrease the fracture frequency. The treatment includes calcium and vitamin D, and in the presence of some precise criteria, biphosphonate therapy.

[How I explore ... review of the principals of antibodies]

Auto-immune diseases represent the 3rd cause of morbidity after cardiovascular and oncologic diseases. They often occur in young subjects. Their presence is not synonymous of disease and must be associated to clinical signs to be pathological. However, their discovery can require a complement of investigations and the possibility of a follow-up because some auto-antibodies are predictive of disease. This paper is concerned with the main autoantibodies that can be picked out at the laboratory of immunology. Some technical explanations and INAMI rules are explained too.