Physical therapy for acute and sub-acute low back pain: A systematic review and expert consensus

OBJECTIVE

To review the effectiveness of different physical therapies for acute and sub-acute low back pain supported by evidence, and create clinical recommendations and expert consensus for physiotherapists on clinical prescriptions.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library for studies published within the previous 15 years.

REVIEW METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials assessing patients with acute and sub-acute low back pain were included. Two reviewers independently screened relevant studies using the same inclusion criteria. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews tool were used to grade the quality assessment of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, respectively. The final recommendation grades were based on the consensus discussion results of the Delphi of 22 international experts.

RESULTS

Twenty-one systematic reviews and 21 randomized controlled trials were included. Spinal manipulative therapy and low-level laser therapy are recommended for acute low back pain. Core stability exercise/motor control, spinal manipulative therapy, and massage can be used to treat sub-acute low back pain.

CONCLUSIONS

The consensus statements provided medical staff with appliable recommendations of physical therapy for acute and sub-acute low back pain. This consensus statement will require regular updates after 5-10 years.

Lower Limb Proprioception in Low Back Pain and Its Relationship With Voluntary Postural Control

This study aimed to investigate whether patients with low back pain (LBP) had impaired lower limb proprioception and its association with somatosensory acuity. Thirty patients with LBP and 30 asymptomatic people volunteered, using Sway Discrimination Apparatus tests to assess somatosensory acuity during voluntary anteroposterior and mediolateral postural sway. Results showed significantly reduced somatosensory acuity in mediolateral sway in LBP patients (p = 0.005) with ankle, knee, and hip proprioception showing significantly impairment compared to asymptomatic controls (all p ≤ 0.012). Regression analysis showed that ankle and hip proprioception were significantly associated with somatosensory perception (0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.026, 0.067 ≤ R2≤ 0.235). Overall, findings suggested a global deterioration of lower limb proprioception in LBP patients, with ankle and hip proprioception playing crucial role in somatosensory perception.

Neuromuscular Control and Resistance Training for People With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine if adding lumbar neuromuscular control retraining exercises to a 12-week program of strengthening exercises had greater effect for improving disability than 12 weeks of strengthening exercises alone in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). DESIGN: Single-center, participant- and assessor-blinded, comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Sixty-nine participants (31 females; 29 males; mean age: 46.5 years) with nonspecific chronic LBP were recruited for a 12-week program involving lumbar extension neuromuscular retraining in addition to resistance exercises (intervention) or 12 weeks of resistance exercises alone (control). The primary outcome measure was the Oswestry Disability Index. Secondary outcome measures included the Numeric Rating Scale, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Forty-three participants (22 control, 21 intervention) completed all outcome measures at 6 and 12 weeks. Fourteen participants were lost to follow-up, and 12 participants discontinued due to COVID-19 restrictions. Both groups demonstrated clinically important changes in disability, pain intensity, and kinesiophobia. The difference between groups with respect to disability was imprecise and not clinically meaningful (mean difference, -4.4; 95% CI: -10.2, 1.4) at 12 weeks. Differences in secondary outcomes at 6 or 12 weeks were also small with wide confidence intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Adding lumbar neuromuscular control retraining to a series of resistance exercises offered no additional benefit over resistance exercises alone over a 12-week period. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2024;54(5):1-10. Epub 18 March 2024. doi:10.2519/jospt.2024.12349.

Sex differences in long-term survival after total arterial coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVES

It is uncertain if the evidence on improved long-term survival of total arterial coronary artery bypass grafting applies to female patients. This study aims to compare the long-term survival outcomes of using total arterial revascularization (TAR) versus at least 1 saphenous vein graft separately for men and women.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac-Thoracic Surgical Database had administrative linkage to the National Death Index. We identified all patients undergoing primary isolated coronary bypass from June 2001 to January 2020 inclusive. Following sex stratification, propensity score matching with 36 variables and Cox proportional hazard regression were used to facilitate adjusted comparisons. A Cox interaction-term analysis was performed to investigate the impact of sex on TAR survival benefit. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Of the 69 624 eligible patients receiving at least 2 grafts, 13 019 (18.7%) were female patients. Matching generated 14 951 male and 3530 female pairs. Compared to vein-dependent procedures, TAR was associated with significantly reduced incidence of long-term all-cause mortality for both male (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.91; P < 0.001) and female (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.91; P < 0.001) cohorts. Interaction-term analysis indicated no significant subgroup effect from sex (P = 0.573) on the survival advantage of TAR. The treatment effect provided by TAR remained significant across most sex-stratified disease subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

TAR, when compared to the use of at least 1 saphenous vein graft, provides comparable superior long-term survival outcomes in both females and males.

Kinematic changes of the trunk and lower limbs during voluntary lateral sway postural control in adults with low back pain

Introduction: Voluntary lateral weight shifting is essential for gait initiation. However, kinematic changes during voluntary lateral weight shifting remain unknown in people with low back pain (LBP). This study aims to explore the differences in kinematics and muscle activation when performing a voluntary lateral weight shifting task between patients with LBP and asymptomatic controls without pain. Methods: Twenty-eight participants volunteered in this study (14 in both the LBP group and the control group). The Sway Discrimination Apparatus (SwayDA) was used to generate a postural sway control task, mimicking lateral weight shifting movements when initiating gait. Kinematic parameters, including range of motion (ROM) and standard deviation of ROM (Std-ROM) of the lumbar spine, pelvis, and lower limb joints, were recorded using a motion capture system during lateral weight shifting. The electroactivity of the trunk and lower limb muscles was measured through surface electromyography using root mean square (RMS). The significant level was 0.05. An independent t-test was employed to compare kinematic parameters, and muscle activation between the LBP group and the control group. A paired-sample t-test, adjusted with Bonferroni correction (significant level of 0.025), was utilized to examine differences between the ipsilateral weight shifting towards side (dominant side) and the contralateral side. Results: The results of kinematic parameters showed significantly decreased ROM and std-ROM of the ipsilateral hip in the transverse plane (tROM = -2.059, p = 0.050; tstd-ROM = -2.670, p = 0.013), as well as decreased ROM of the ipsilateral knee in the coronal plane (t = -2.148, p = 0.042), in the LBP group compared to the control group. For the asymptomatic controls, significantly larger ROM and ROM-std were observed in the hip and knee joints on the ipsilateral side in contrast to the contralateral side (3.287 ≤ t ≤ 4.500, 0.001 ≤ p≤ 0.006), but no significant differences were found between the two sides in the LBP group. In addition, the LBP group showed significantly lower RMS of the biceps femoris than the control group (tRMS = -2.186, p = 0.044). Discussion: Patients with LBP showed a conservative postural control pattern, characterized by reduced ROM of ipsilateral joints and diminished activation of the biceps femoris. These findings suggested the importance of voluntary postural control assessment and intervention to maximize recovery.

Voluntary postural sway control and mobility in adults with low back pain

Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is associated with altered somatosensory perception, which is involved in both involuntary and voluntary control of posture. Currently, there is a lack of methods and tools for assessing somatosensory acuity in patients with LBP. The purpose of this study was (1) to assess the reliability of the sway discrimination apparatus (SwayDA) (2) to evaluate the differences in somatosensory acuity between patients with LBP and pain-free individuals, and (3) to examine relationships between somatosensory acuity, severity of LBP, and mobility in patients with LBP.

Methods

Twenty participants (10 patients with LBP and 10 matched asymptomatic controls) were recruited in a test-retest reliability test. Another 56 participants were recruited for this study with 28 individuals presenting with LBP and a further twenty-eight being asymptomatic. The SwayDA was custom-built to measure somatosensory perception during voluntary anterior-posterior (SwayDA-AP), medial-lateral to the dominant side (SwayDA-ML-D), and non-dominant side (SwayDA-ML-ND) postural sway control. Participants also completed mobility tests, including 10 times and 1-min sit-to-stand tests (10-STS, 1 m-STS). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to quantify somatosensory acuity in discriminating different voluntary postural sway extents.

Results

The ICC (2.1) for the SwayDA-AP, SwayDA-ML-D, and SwayDA-ML-ND were 0.741, 0.717, and 0.805 with MDC95 0.071, 0.043, and 0.050. Patients with LBP demonstrated significantly lower SwayDA scores (tSwayDA-AP = -2.142, p = 0.037; tSwayDA-ML-D = -2.266, p = 0.027) than asymptomatic controls. The AUC values of the SwayDA-AP test were significantly correlated with ODI (rSwayDA-AP-ODI = -0.391, p = 0.039). Performances on the 1 m-STS and the 10-STS were significantly correlated with the AUC scores from all the SwayDA tests (-0.513 ≤ r ≤ 0.441, all p < 0.05).

Discussion

The SwayDA tests evaluated showed acceptable reliability in assessing somatosensory acuity during voluntary postural sway. Somatosensory acuity was diminished in patients with LBP compared to asymptomatic controls. In patients with LBP, lower somatosensory acuity was associated with increased LBP-related disability. Future research could focus on investigating the factors contributing to the decreased somatosensory perception and mobility in individuals with LBP.

Use of Dual-Task Timed-Up-and-Go Tests for Predicting Falls in Physically Active, Community-Dwelling Older Adults-A Prospective Study

This prospective study aimed to determine which specific mobility tests were the most accurate for predicting falls in physically active older adults living in the community. Seventy-nine physically active older adults who met the American College of Sports Medicine physical activity guidelines volunteered. Participants were assessed and followed up for 12 months. Mobility assessments included the 30-s sit-to-stand test, five times sit-to-stand test, single-task timed-up-and-go test (TUG), motor dual-task TUG (Mot-TUG), and cognitive dual-task TUG (Cog-TUG). Mot-TUG and Cog-TUG performances were moderately correlated with number of falls (r = .359, p < .01 and r = .372, p < .01, respectively). When Mot-TUG, Cog-TUG, or Age were included as fall predictors, discrimination scores represented by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were AUC (Mot-TUG) = 0.843 (p < .01), AUC (Cog-TUG) = 0.856 (p < .01), and AUC (Age) = 0.734 (p < .05). The cutoff point for Cog-TUG was 10.98 s, with test sensitivity of 1.00 and specificity of 0.66. Fall predictors for different populations may be based on different test methods. Here, the dual-task TUG test more accurately predicted falls in older adults who met American College of Sports Medicine's physical activity guidelines.

Impaired Lumbar Extensor Force Control Is Associated with Increased Lifting Knee Velocity in People with Chronic Low-Back Pain

The ability of the lumbar extensor muscles to accurately control static and dynamic forces is important during daily activities such as lifting. Lumbar extensor force control is impaired in low-back pain patients and may therefore explain the variances in lifting kinematics. Thirty-three chronic low-back pain participants were instructed to lift weight using a self-selected technique. Participants also performed an isometric lumbar extension task where they increased and decreased their lumbar extensor force output to match a variable target force within 20-50% lumbar extensor maximal voluntary contraction. Lifting trunk and lower limb range of motion and angular velocity variables derived from phase plane analysis in all planes were calculated. Lumbar extensor force control was analyzed by calculating the Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) between the participants' force and the target force during the increasing (RMSEA), decreasing (RMSED) force portions and for the overall force error (RMSET) of the test. The relationship between lifting kinematics and RMSE variables was analyzed using multiple linear regression. Knee angular velocity in the sagittal and coronal planes were positively associated with RMSEA (R2 = 0.10, β = 0.35, p = 0.046 and R2 = 0.21, β = 0.48, p = 0.004, respectively). Impaired lumbar extensor force control is associated with increased multiplanar knee movement velocity during lifting. The study findings suggest a potential relationship between lumbar and lower limb neuromuscular function in people with chronic low-back pain.

arly u ervised ncremental esistance raining (ESpIRiT) following cardiac surgery via a median sternotomy: a study protocol of a multicentre randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

There is no consistency in current practice pertaining to the prescription and progression of upper limb resistance exercise following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether less restrictive sternal precautions with the addition of early-supervised resistance training exercise improves upper limb function and facilitates recovery following median sternotomy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is double-blind randomised controlled trial, with parallel group, concealed allocation, blinding of patients and assessors, and intention-to-treat analysis. 240 adult participants who had median sternotomy from eight hospitals in Malaysia will be recruited. Sample size calculations were based on the unsupported upper limb test. All participants will be randomised to receive either standard or early supervised incremental resistance training. The primary outcomes are upper limb function and pain. The secondary outcomes will be functional capacity, multidomain recovery (physical and psychological), length of hospital stay, incidence of respiratory complications and quality of life. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarise data. Data will be analysed using the intention-to-treat principle. The primary hypothesis will be examined by evaluating the change from baseline to the 4-week postoperative time point in the intervention arm compared with the usual care arm. For all tests to be conducted, a p value of <0.05 (two tailed) will be considered statistically significant, and CIs will be reported. The trial is currently recruiting participants.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was approved by a central ethical committee as well as the local Research Ethics Boards of the participating sites (UKM:JEP-2019-654; Ministry of Health: NMMR-50763; National Heart Centre: IJNREC/501/2021). Approval to start was given prior to the recruitment of participants commencing at any sites. Process evaluation findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant academic conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number (ISRCTN17842822).

Smartphone Technology to Remotely Measure Postural Sway during Double- and Single-Leg Squats in Adults with Femoroacetabular Impingement and Those with No Hip Pain

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the demand for utilising telehealth as a major mode of healthcare delivery, with increasing interest in the use of tele-platforms for remote patient assessment. In this context, the use of smartphone technology to measure squat performance in people with and without femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome has not been reported yet. We developed a novel smartphone application, the TelePhysio app, which allows the clinician to remotely connect to the patient's device and measure their squat performance in real time using the smartphone inertial sensors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association and test-retest reliability of the TelePhysio app in measuring postural sway performance during a double-leg (DLS) and single-leg (SLS) squat task. In addition, the study investigated the ability of TelePhysio to detect differences in DLS and SLS performance between people with FAI and without hip pain.

METHODS

A total of 30 healthy (nfemales = 12) young adults and 10 adults (nfemales = 2) with diagnosed FAI syndrome participated in the study. Healthy participants performed DLS and SLS on force plates in our laboratory, and remotely in their homes using the TelePhysio smartphone application. Sway measurements were compared using the centre of pressure (CoP) and smartphone inertial sensor data. A total of 10 participants with FAI (nfemales = 2) performed the squat assessments remotely. Four sway measurements in each axis (x, y, and z) were computed from the TelePhysio inertial sensors: (1) average acceleration magnitude from the mean (aam), (2) root-mean-square acceleration (rms), (3) range acceleration (r), and (4) approximate entropy (apen), with lower values indicating that the movement is more regular, repetitive, and predictable. Differences in TelePhysio squat sway data were compared between DLS and SLS, and between healthy and FAI adults, using analysis of variance with significance set at 0.05.

RESULTS

The TelePhysio aam measurements on the x- and y-axes had significant large correlations with the CoP measurements (r = 0.56 and r = 0.71, respectively). The TelePhysio aam measurements demonstrated moderate to substantial between-session reliability values of 0.73 (95% CI 0.62-0.81), 0.85 (95% CI 0.79-0.91), and 0.73 (95% CI 0.62-0.82) for aamx, aamy, and aamz, respectively. The DLS of the FAI participants showed significantly lower aam and apen values in the medio-lateral direction compared to the healthy DLS, healthy SLS, and FAI SLS groups (aam = 0.13, 0.19, 0.29, and 0.29, respectively; and apen = 0.33, 0.45, 0.52, and 0.48, respectively). In the anterior-posterior direction, healthy DLS showed significantly greater aam values compared to the healthy SLS, FAI DLS, and FAI SLS groups (1.26, 0.61, 0.68, and 0.35, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The TelePhysio app is a valid and reliable method of measuring postural control during DLS and SLS tasks. The application is capable of distinguishing performance levels between DLS and SLS tasks, and between healthy and FAI young adults. The DLS task is sufficient to distinguish the level of performance between healthy and FAI adults. This study validates the use of smartphone technology as a tele-assessment clinical tool for remote squat assessment.

Methodological and Clinimetric Evaluation of Inspiratory Respiratory Muscle Ultrasound in the Critical Care Setting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Significant variations exist in the use of respiratory muscle ultrasound in intensive care with no society-level consensus on the optimal methodology. This systematic review aims to evaluate, synthesize, and compare the clinimetric properties of different image acquisition and analysis methodologies.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic search of five databases up to November 24, 2021.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies were included if they enrolled at least 50 adult ICU patients, reported respiratory muscle (diaphragm or intercostal) ultrasound measuring either echotexture, muscle thickness, thickening fraction, or excursion, and evaluated at least one clinimetric property. Two independent reviewers assessed titles, abstracts, and full text against eligibility.

DATA EXTRACTION

Study demographics, ultrasound methodologies, and clinimetric data.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Sixty studies, including 5,025 patients, were included with 39 studies contributing to meta-analyses. Most commonly measured was diaphragm thickness (DT) or diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) using a linear transducer in B-mode, or diaphragm excursion (DE) using a curvilinear transducer in M-mode. There are significant variations in imaging methodology and acquisition across all studies. Inter- and intrarater measurement reliabilities were generally excellent, with the highest reliability reported for DT (ICC, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99). Pooled data demonstrated acceptable to excellent accuracy for DT, DTF, and DE to predicting weaning outcome after 48 to 72 hours postextubation (DTF AUC, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.73-0.85). DT imaging was responsive to change over time. Only three eligible studies were available for intercostal muscles. Intercostal thickening fraction was shown to have excellent accuracy of predicting weaning outcome after 48-hour postextubation (AUC, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.78-0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

Diaphragm muscle ultrasound is reliable, valid, and responsive in ICU patients, but significant variation exists in the imaging acquisition and analysis methodologies. Future work should focus on developing standardized protocols for ultrasound imaging and consider further research into the role of intercostal muscle imaging.

Validity and Reliability of a Novel Smartphone Tele-Assessment Solution for Quantifying Hip Range of Motion

BACKGROUND

Tele-health has become a major mode of delivery in patient care, with increasing interest in the use of tele-platforms for remote patient assessment. The use of smartphone technology to measure hip range of motion has been reported previously, with good to excellent validity and reliability. However, these smartphone applications did not provide real-time tele-assessment functionality. We developed a novel smartphone application, the TelePhysio app, which allows the clinician to remotely connect to the patient's device and measure their hip range of motion in real time. The aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent validity and between-sessions reliability of the TelePhysio app. In addition, the study investigated the concurrent validity, between-sessions, and inter-rater reliability of a second tele-assessment approach using video analysis.

METHODS

Fifteen participants (nfemales = 6) were assessed in our laboratory (session 1) and at their home (session 2). We assessed maximum voluntary active hip flexion in supine and hip internal and external rotation, in both prone and sitting positions. TelePhysio and video analysis were validated against the laboratory's 3-dimensional motion capture system in session 1, and evaluated for between-sessions reliability in session 2. Video analysis inter-rater reliability was assessed by comparing the analysis of two raters in session 2.

RESULTS

The TelePhysio app demonstrated high concurrent validity against the 3D motion capture system (ICCs 0.63-0.83) for all hip movements in all positions, with the exception of hip internal rotation in prone (ICC = 0.48, p = 0.99). The video analysis demonstrated almost perfect concurrent validity against the 3D motion capture system (ICCs 0.85-0.94) for all hip movements in all positions, with the exception of hip internal rotation in prone (ICC = 0.44, p = 0.01). The TelePhysio and video analysis demonstrated good between-sessions reliability for hip external rotation and hip flexion, ICC 0.64 and 0.62, respectively. The between-sessions reliability of hip internal and external rotation for both TelePhysio and video analysis was fair (ICCs 0.36-0.63). Inter-rater reliability ICCs for the video analysis were 0.59 for hip flexion and 0.87-0.95 for the hip rotation range.

CONCLUSIONS

Both tele-assessment approaches, using either a smartphone application or video analysis, demonstrate good to excellent concurrent validity, and moderate to substantial between-sessions reliability in measuring hip rotation and flexion range of motion, but less in internal hip rotation in the prone position. Thus, it is recommended that the seated position be used when assessing hip internal rotation. The use of a smartphone to remotely assess hip range of motion is an appropriate, effective, and low-cost alternative to the face-to-face assessments. This method provides a simple, cost effective, and accessible patient assessment tool with no additional cost. This study validates the use of smartphone technology as a tele-assessment tool for remote hip range of motion assessment.

Reliability and validity of sit-to-stand test protocols in patients with coronary artery disease

Background

Sit-To-Stand (STS) tests are reported as feasible alternatives for the assessment of functional fitness but the reliability of these tests in people with coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been reported. This study explored the test-retest reliability, convergent and known-groups validity of the five times, 30-sec and 1-min sit-to-stand test (FTSTS test, 30-s STS test and 1-min STS test respectively) in patients with CAD. The feasibility of applying these tests to distinguish the level of risk for cardiovascular events in CAD patients was also investigated.

Methods

Patients with stable CAD performed a 6MWT and 3 STS tests in random order on the same day. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted using STS test data to differentiate patients with low or high risk of cardiovascular events based on the risk level determined by distance covered in the 6MWT as &gt; or ≤ 419 m. Thirty patients repeated the 3 STS tests on the following day.

Results

112 subjects with diagnoses of atherosclerosis or post-percutaneous coronary intervention, or post-acute myocardial infarction (post-AMI) participated in the validity analysis. All 3 STS tests demonstrated moderate and significant correlation with the 6MWT (coefficient values r for the FTSTS, 30-s STS and 1-min STS tests were−0.53, 0.57 and 0.55 respectively). Correlations between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and all STS tests and between 6MWT and LVEF were only weak (r values ranged from 0.27 to 0.31). Subgroup analysis showed participants in the post-AMI group performed worse in all tests compared to non-myocardial infarction (non-MI) group. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.80 for FTSTS (sensitivity: 75.0%, specificity: 73.8%, optimal cut-off: &gt;11.7 sec), and the AUC, sensitivity, specificity and optimal cut-off for 30-s STS and 1-min STS test were 0.83, 75.0%, 76.2%, ≤ 12 repetitions and 0.80, 71.4%, 73.8%, ≤ 23 repetitions respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for repeated measurements of the FTSTS, 30-s STS and 1-min STS tests were 0.96, 0.95 and 0.96 respectively, with the minimal detectable change (MDC95) computed to be 1.1 sec 1.8 repetitions and 3.9 repetitions respectively.

Conclusions

All STS tests demonstrated good test-retest reliability, convergent and known-groups validity. STS tests may discriminate low from high levels of risk for a cardiovascular event in patients with CAD.

Factors influencing thigh muscle volume change with cycling exercises in acute spinal cord injury - a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To conduct a per-protocol analysis on thigh muscle volume outcomes from the Spinal Cord Injury and Physical Activity (SCIPA) Switch-On Trial.Design: Secondary analysis from an assessor-blind randomized, controlled trial.Setting: Four acute/sub-acute hospitals in Australia and New Zealand.Participants: 24 adults (1 female) within four weeks of motor complete or incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI)Intervention: Functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling (FESC) or passive cycling (PC) 4x/week for 12 weeks.Outcome Measures: Whole thigh and muscle group volumes calculated from manually segmented MR images.Results: 19/24 participants completed ≥ twelve weeks of the intervention. Five participants experienced hypertrophy (4 FESC; 1 PC) and eight attenuation of atrophy (<20% volume loss) (3 FESC; 5 PC) in thigh muscle volume. Six participants were non-responders, exhibiting atrophy >20% (3 FESC; 3 PC). Mean (SD) change for FESC was -2.3% (25.3%) and PC was -14.0% (12.3%). After controlling for baseline muscle volumes, a strong significant correlation was found between mean weekly exercise frequency and quadriceps and hamstring volumes (r=6.25, P=0.006), regardless of mode. Average watts was highly correlated to quadriceps volumes only (r=5.92, P=0.01), while total number of sessions was strongly correlated with hamstring volumes only (r=5.91, P=0.01).Conclusion: This per-protocol analysis of FESC and PC early after SCI reports a partial response in 42% and a beneficial response in 25% of patients who completed 12 weeks intervention, regardless of mode. Strong correlations show a dose-response according to exercise frequency. Characteristics of non-responders are discussed to inform clinical decision-making.

SAfety and Feasibility of EArly Resistance Training After Median Sternotomy: The SAFE-ARMS Study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and feasibility of subacute upper limb resistance exercise on sternal micromotion and pain and the reliability of sternal ultrasound assessment following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy.

METHODS

This experimental study used a pretest-posttest design to investigate the effects of upper limb resistance exercise on the sternum in patients following their first cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. Six bilateral upper limb machine-based exercises were commenced at a base resistance of 20 lb (9 kg) and progressed for each participant. Sternal micromotion was assessed using ultrasound at the mid and lower sternum at 2, 8, and 14 weeks postsurgery. Intrarater and interrater reliability was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Participant-reported pain was recorded at rest and with each exercise using a visual analogue scale.

RESULTS

Sixteen adults (n = 15 males; 71.3 [SD = 6.2] years of age) consented to participate. Twelve participants completed the study, 2 withdrew prior to the 8-week assessment, and 2 assessments were not completed at 14 weeks due to assessor unavailability. The highest median micromotion at the sternal edges was observed during the bicep curl (median = 1.33 mm; range = -0.8 to 2.0 mm) in the lateral direction and the shoulder pulldown (median = 0.65 mm; range = -0.8 to 1.6 mm) in the anterior-posterior direction. Furthermore, participants reported no increase in pain when performing any of the 6 upper limb exercises. Interrater reliability was moderate to good for both lateral-posterior (ICC = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.58 to 0.83) and anterior-posterior micromotion (ICC = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.89) of the sternal edges.

CONCLUSION

Bilateral upper limb resistance exercises performed on cam-based machines do not result in sternal micromotion exceeding 2.0 mm or an increase in participant-reported pain.

IMPACT

Upper limb resistance training commenced as early as 2 weeks following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy and performed within the safe limits of pain and sternal micromotion appears to be safe and may accelerate postoperative recovery rather than muscular deconditioning.

Efficacy of a 6-Week Home-Based Online Supervised Exercise Program Conducted During COVID-19 in Patients With Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program designed for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that involved an online supervised exercise program that they could access during COVID-19.

Methods

One hundred patients were randomly allocated into control group (CG) and supervision group (SG). CG accepted conventional health education with a home exercise program booklet delivered before discharge, SG had an additional home-based online supervised exercise program (HOSEP). Questionnaires, motor function and lipid profile were administered at baseline. Questionnaires included the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity questionnaire (GSLTPAQ) and Bandura's Exercise Self-efficacy (ESE). Motor function included: 6-min walk test (6 MWT), timed up and go test (TUG), 30-s sit to stand (30-s STS), and Hand Grip Strength (HG). Lipid profile included: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG). The questionnaires were re-administered after 2-weeks, all tests were re-evaluated after 6-weeks.

Results

the questionnaire results showed that scores on GSLTPAQ and ESE were significantly improved in the SG. The changes in GSLTPAQ scores from baseline to 2- and 6-weeks in the SG were significantly higher than in the CG (2-week: 6.9 ± 13.0 for SG and 0.2 ± 10.2 for CG, p = 0.005; 6-week: 9.4 ± 18.1 for SG and 0.2 ± 11.8 for CG, p = 0.003). in terms of motor function, both the CG and SG improved TUG and 6 MWT performance, with the 6 MWT improvement being significantly greater in the SG than CG (43.7 ± 39.2 m for SG and 16.6 ± 39.1 m for CG, p = 0.001). Improvement in the 30-s STS was significantly greater in the SG than CG (2.4 ± 3.6 repetitions for SG and 0.4 ± 3.5 repetitions for CG, p = 0.007). the lipid profile level significantly improved over baseline in both SG and CG after 6-week intervention, and these changes were not statistically different between groups.

Conclusion

This pilot randomized control study demonstrated that a 6-week HOSEP, when added to education delivered pre-hospital discharge for CAD patients following PCI, was beneficial with respect to exercise self-efficacy, exercise behavior, motor function and lipid profile. Supervised exercise programs delivered online in addition to education providing effective and accessible CR during COVID-19.

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity Testing of a Chinese Version of the Self-Administered Mediterranean Diet Scale

Mediterranean Diet management for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk is supported by evidence. However, there is no valid Chinese language instrument for the measurement of adherence to this diet. The objective of this study was to generate a Chinese version of the Mediterranean Diet Scale (MDS-Chinese) and to validate a self-administered version with Chinese participants with CVD or CVD risk. The MDS-Chinese was created by translation and cultural adaptation and tested for psychometric properties. A panel of 10 experts in the field, who evaluated the MDS-Chinese content, showed that the content validity index ranged from 0.88 to 1.00. Sixteen native Chinese speakers with CVD or CVD risk evaluated the clarity of the MDS-Chinese, and the resulting instruction and items clarity scores ranged from 9.2 to 10.0. A total of 326 participants completed the MDS-Chinese and a Chinese version of the Coronary Artery Disease Education Questionnaire–Short Version (CADE-Q SV). Analysis indicated that the MDS-Chinese has 4 factors, and the Pearson's correlation between the MDS-Chinese and CADE-Q SV was 0.73. Fifty randomly selected participants completed the MDS-Chinese again with a 1-week interval to assess reliability. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's α was 0.62) and the inter-class correlation reliability coefficients (ICC) for each item ranged from 0.73 to 0.88. This study showed that the MDS-Chinese has acceptable reliability and validity for use among those in the Chinese population with CVD or CVD risk. Given that diet is one of the key secondary prevention strategies for management in cardiac rehabilitation, the MDS-Chinese instrument may be a useful and convenient tool for use with those in the Chinese population with CVD or with high risk of CVD, to monitor the level of Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, information which is important for clinical practice. In addition, the establishment of the MDS-Chinese gives a fundamental tool for diet-related CVD research in the Chinese population. Moreover, employment of the MDS-Chinese in the Chinese community may improve awareness of the importance of a healthy diet in CVD prevention and management.

Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn/enIndex.aspx, identifier: ChiCTR2000032810.

Association Between Neck Pain, Range of Motion, and Proprioception in Elite Female International Standard Dancers: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Neck pain is common in dancers, especially female dancers, and the injury pattern varies in different genres of dance. Among dancesport performers, intensive neck left rotation is required in female International Standard dancers, but it is unknown whether neck pain is associated with neck rotation range of motion and proprioception.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the associations between neck pain, cervical rotation range of motion, and proprioception in female International Standard dancers.

METHODS

Twelve dancers with dance-related neck pain (age 19.9±1.9 yrs) volunteered, matched with 12 not reporting neck pain (age 22.2±2.4 yrs). A 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) was used to record neck pain. Active rotation range of motion (AROM) of the cervical spine was measured using a tape measure. A cervical rotation reposition test that used a head-mounted laser projector on a linear scale was employed to measure the cervical spine proprioception, and the absolute error (AE) and variable error (VE) were calculated as proprioceptive acuity scores.

RESULTS

Nine of 12 participants in the group with neck pain declared left side pain, with 2 reporting pain on both sides. The group with neck pain had significantly lower left rotation AROM (p<0.05). For proprioceptive acuity, mixed model ANOVA only showed that repositioning of the right side of the neck is more accurate and consistent than that of the left (both AE and VE p<0.05). Linear regression analysis indicated that left rotation AROM was significantly influenced by left neck pain (t=3.061, p=0.006, adjusted R2 = 0.267, and Durbin-Watson value = 1.776).

CONCLUSIONS

Most participants in the group with neck pain showed left side pain, associated with decreased left rotation AROM. Early screening on cervical rotation mobility may be necessary to reduce future dance-related injury after the onset of neck pain. Proprioceptive acuity of the left side neck was significantly impaired compared with that of the right, indicating future proprioceptive intervention on the left side neck.

Clinical Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Internal Medicine Inpatients: A Systematic Review

The aim in this systematic review was to determine the effect of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) on the clinical decision-making process and patient outcomes in adults admitted to the general medicine ward. A comprehensive search was performed in MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), PubMed, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Scopus, LILACS and Cinahl. Articles had to fulfill the inclusion criteria of randomised or non-randomised studies assessing the impact of POCUS on the diagnosis, management, length of hospital stay or mortality of patients admitted to the internal medicine ward. Six studies were included involving a total of 1836 patients. The influence of POCUS on the diagnosis was reported as a change in the main diagnosis or the addition of a relevant diagnosis in up to 18% and 24% of the cases, respectively. Impact on the management plan was reported in 37% to 52.1% of the participants. Three studies documented the impact of POCUS on the length of stay. Two of them reported no difference between groups, and the other reported a significant reduction of 1 d of the hospital stay. In conclusion, POCUS appears to have positive effects on the clinical decision-making process with impacts on optimal patient management and possible reduction in the hospital length of stay.

Effect of a Multiorgan Focused Clinical Ultrasonography on Length of Stay in Patients Admitted With a Cardiopulmonary Diagnosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

There are accumulating data about the utility of diagnostic multiorgan focused clinical ultrasonography (FCU) in the assessment of patients admitted with cardiopulmonary symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether adding multiorgan FCU to the initial clinical evaluation of patients admitted with cardiopulmonary symptoms reduces hospital length of stay, hospital readmissions, and in-hospital costs.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This is a prospective, parallel-group, superiority, randomized clinical trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. The study was conducted at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, a tertiary public hospital located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Adults aged 18 years or older admitted to the internal medicine ward with a cardiopulmonary diagnosis were enrolled between September 2018 and December 2019 and were followed up until hospital discharge. Data analysis was performed from August 2020 to January 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

The intervention involved an internal medicine physician-performed heart, lung, and 2-point vein compression FCU in addition to standard clinical evaluation.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was the difference in the mean length of hospital stay, defined as the number of hours from admission to the internal medicine ward to hospital discharge. A difference of 24 hours was defined as clinically important. Secondary outcomes included hospital readmissions at 30 days and hospital care costs.

RESULTS

A total of 250 participants were enrolled and 2 were excluded, leaving 248 participants (mean [SD] age, 80.1 [11.0] years; 121 women [48.7%]) in the final analysis. There were 124 patients in the intervention group and 124 patients in the control group. The most common initial diagnoses were acute decompensated heart failure (113 patients [45.5%]), pneumonia (45 patients [18.1%]), and exacerbated chronic pulmonary disease (32 patients [12.9%]). The length of hospital stay was 113.4 hours (95% CI, 91.7-135.1 hours) in the FCU group and 125.3 hours (95% CI, 101.7-148.8 hours) in the control group (P = .53). The 30-day readmission rate was not different between groups (FCU vs control, 20 of 124 patients [16.1%] vs 15 of 124 patients [12.0%]), nor were total in-hospital costs (FCU vs control, A$7831.1 [95% CI, A$5586.1-A$10 076.1] vs A$7895.7 [95% CI, A$6385.9-A$9.405.5]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this randomized clinical trial, adult patients admitted to an internal medicine ward with a cardiopulmonary diagnosis, who underwent multiorgan FCU of the heart, lungs, and lower extremities veins during their initial clinical assessment, did not have a shorter hospital length of stay by more than 24 hours, compared with patients who received standard care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: ACTRN12618001442291.

Reliability of lumbar multifidus and iliocostalis lumborum thickness and echogenicity measurements using ultrasound imaging

Purpose

To establish the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of lumbar multifidus (LM) and iliocostalis lumborum (IL) muscle thickness and echogenicity as derived using ultrasound imaging.

Methods

Ultrasound images of the LM and IL were collected from 11 healthy participants on two occasions, 1 week apart, by two independent assessors. Measures of LM and IL thickness and echogenicity were subject to test-retest and inter-rater reliability, which was assessed by calculation of an F statistic, the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of measurement, 95% confidence intervals and Bland-Altman plots. This study was given approval by The University of Melbourne Behavioural and Social Sciences Human Ethics Sub-Committee (ref: 1749845).

Results

Assessors A and B showed good to excellent test-retest reliability for LM thickness (ICC_3,3 A: 0.89 and B: 0.98), LM echogenicity (ICC_3,3 A: 0.93 and B: 0.95) and IL echogenicity (ICC_3,3 A: 0.87 and B: 0.83). Test-retest reliability for IL thickness was poor for Assessor A but excellent for Assessor B. Both assessors demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability for LM thickness and echogenicity (ICC_2,3: 0.79 and 0.94), but poor reliability for IL thickness and echogenicity (ICC_2,3: 0.00 and 0.39).

Conclusions

Inter-rater and test-retest reliability was excellent for LM but was less reliable for measures of the IL muscle.

Effects of 12-Week Supervised Early Resistance Training (SEcReT) Versus Aerobic-Based Rehabilitation on Cognitive Recovery Following Cardiac Surgery via Median Sternotomy: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

AIMS

To investigate the effects of a 12-week early moderate-intensity resistance training program compared to aerobic-based rehabilitation on postoperative cognitive recovery following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy.

METHODS

This was a multicentre, prospective, pragmatic, non-blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial (1:1 randomisation) of two parallel groups that compared a 12-week early moderate-intensity resistance training group to a control group, receiving aerobic-based rehabilitation. English-speaking adults (≥18 years) undergoing elective cardiac surgery via median sternotomy were randomised using sealed envelopes, with allocation revealed before surgery. The primary outcome was cognitive function, assessed using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog), at baseline, 14 weeks and 6 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

The ADAS-cog score at 14 weeks was significantly better for the resistance training group (n=14, 7.2±1.4; 95% CI 4.3, 10.2, vs n=17, 9.2±1.3; 95% CI 6.6, 11.9, p=0.010). At 14 weeks postoperatively, 53% of the aerobic-based rehabilitation group (n=9/17) experienced cognitive decline by two points or more from baseline ADAS-cog score, compared to 0% of the resistance training group (n=0/14; p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

Early resistance training appears to be safe and may improve cognitive recovery compared to standard, aerobic-based rehabilitation following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy, however as this was a pilot study, the sample size was small and further research is needed to determine a causal relationship.

The Validity and Reliability of the MacNew Heart Disease Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire: The Indonesian Version

BACKGROUND

The MacNew heart disease health related quality of life tool is used widely in the cardiac populations to evaluate the impact of disease and intervention including rehabilitation. In addition to the English version, it is also available for several other languages except the Indonesian language. Therefore, the purpose of this study were 1) to translate the MacNew questionnaire from the English version to the Indonesian language and 2) to estimate the preliminary validity and reliability of the Indonesian MacNew for patients with coronary artery disease.

METHODS

Forward and backward translation procedure was used to develop the Indonesian MacNew. The Indonesian MacNew was administered to 24 patients after one week of revascularization surgery. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. To evaluate concurrent validity, the correlation of the compatible domain of the Indonesian MacNew and SF-36 was assessed.

RESULTS

Internal consistency reliability of the Indonesian MacNew was confirmed with Cronbach's α of the global scale and all three subscales exceeding 0.95. Test- retest reliability was acceptable with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.66 for the global score. Furthermore, an acceptable concurrent validity was established with statistically significant correlation between Indonesian MacNew and SF-36 (pearson correlation ranging from 0.47 to 0.71).

CONCLUSION

The first results of the Indonesian MacNew indicate acceptable validity and reliability as a measurement tool to assess health related quality of life of Indonesian patients with coronary artery disease.

Location and Patterns of Persistent Pain Following Cardiac Surgery

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the specific clinical features of pain following cardiac surgery and evaluate the information derived from different pain measurement tools used to quantify and describe pain in this population.

METHODS

A prospective observational study was undertaken at two tertiary care hospitals in Australia. Seventy-two (72) adults (mean age, 63±11 years) were included following cardiac surgery via a median sternotomy. Participants completed the Patient Identified Cardiac Pain using numeric and visual prompts (PICP), the McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form version 2 (MPQ-2) and the Medical Outcome Study 36-item version 2 (SF-36v2) Bodily Pain domain (BP), which were administered prior to hospital discharge, 4 weeks and 3 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Participants experienced a high incidence of mild (n=45, 63%) to moderate (n=22, 31%) pain prior to discharge, which reduced at 4 weeks postoperatively: mild (n=28, 41%) and moderate (n=5, 7%) pain; at 3 months participants reported mild (n=14, 20%) and moderate (n=2, 3%) pain. The most frequent location of pain was the anterior chest wall, consistent with the location of the surgical incision and graft harvest. Most participants equated "pressure/weight" to "aching" or a "heaviness" in the chest region (based on descriptor of pain in the PICP) and the pain topography was persistent at 4 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Each pain measurement tool provided different information on pain location, severity and description, with significant change (p<0.005) over time.

CONCLUSION

Mild-to-moderate pain was frequent after sternotomy, improved over time and was mostly located over the incision and mammary (internal thoracic) artery harvest site. Persistent pain at 3 months remained a significant problem in the community within this surgical population.

"Keep Your Move in the Tube" safely increases discharge home following cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

Restrictive sternal precautions intended to prevent cardiac surgery patients from damaging healing sternotomies lack supporting evidence and may decrease independence and increase postacute care utilization. Data regarding the impact of alternative approaches on safety and outcomes are needed to guide evidence-based best practices.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether an approach allowing greater freedom during activities of daily living than permitted under commonly used restrictive sternal precautions can safely decrease postacute care utilization.

DESIGN

Before-and-after study, using propensity score adjustment to account for differences in patient clinical and demographic characteristics, surgery type, and surgeon.

SETTING

600-bed acute care hospital.

INTERVENTION

Beginning March 2016, the acute care hospital replaced traditional weight- and time-based precautions given to patients who underwent median sternotomy with the "Keep Your Move in the Tube" (KMIT) approach for mindfully performing movements involved in the activities of daily living, guided by pain.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The study compared sternal wound complications, discharge disposition, 30-day readmission, and functional status between consecutive cardiac surgery patients with "independent" or "modified independent" preoperative functional status who underwent median sternotomy in the 1.5 years before (n = 627, standard precautions group) and after (n = 477, KMIT group) KMIT implementation.

RESULTS

The odds of discharge to home, versus to inpatient rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility, were ~3 times higher for KMIT than standard precautions patients (risk-adjusted odds ratio [rOR], 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.90, 1.95-4.32, and 3.03, 1.57-5.86, respectively). KMIT patients also had significantly higher odds of demonstrating "independent" or "modified independent" functional status on final inpatient physical therapy treatment for bed mobility (rOR, 95% CI = 7.51, 5.48-10.30) and transfers (rOR, 95% CI = 3.40, 2.62-4.42). No significant difference was observed in sternal wound complications (in-hospital or causing readmission) (rOR, 95% CI = 1.27, 0.52-3.09) or all-cause 30-day readmissions (rOR, 95% CI = 0.55, 0.23-1.33).

CONCLUSIONS

KMIT increases discharge-to-home for cardiac surgery patients without increasing risk for adverse events and reducing utilization of expensive institutional postacute care.

Impact of point-of-care ultrasound on the hospital length of stay for internal medicine inpatients with cardiopulmonary diagnosis at admission: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial-the IMFCU-1 (Internal Medicine Focused Clinical Ultrasound) study

Background

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is emerging as a reliable and valid clinical tool that impacts diagnosis and clinical decision-making as well as timely intervention for optimal patient management. This makes its utility in patients admitted to internal medicine wards attractive. However, there is still an evidence gap in all the medical setting of how its use affects clinical variables such as length of stay, morbidity, and mortality.

Methods/design

A prospective randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of a surface POCUS of the heart, lungs, and femoral and popliteal veins performed by an internal medicine physician during the first 24 h of patient admission to the unit with a presumptive cardiopulmonary diagnosis. The University of Melbourne iHeartScan, iLungScan, and two-point venous compression protocols are followed to identify left and right ventricular function, significant valvular heart disease, pericardial and pleural effusion, consolidation, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax, and proximal deep venous thrombosis. Patient management is not commanded by the protocol and is at the discretion of the treating team. A total of 250 patients will be recruited at one tertiary hospital. Participants are randomized to receive POCUS or no POCUS. The primary outcome measured will be hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes include the change in diagnosis and management, 30-day hospital readmission, and healthcare costs.

Discussion

This study will evaluate the clinical impact of multi-organ POCUS in internal medicine patients admitted with cardiopulmonary diagnosis on the hospital length of stay. Recruitment of participants commenced in September 2018 and is estimated to be completed by March 2020.

Trial registration

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12618001442291. Registered on 28 August 2018.

An Evidence-Based Perspective on Movement and Activity Following Median Sternotomy

Cardiac surgery via median sternotomy is performed in over 1 million patients per year worldwide. Despite evidence, sternal precautions in the form of restricted arm and trunk activity are routinely prescribed to patients following surgery to prevent sternal complications. Sternal precautions may exacerbate loss of independence and prevent patients from returning home directly after hospital discharge. In addition, immobility and deconditioning associated with restricting physical activity potentially contribute to the negative sequelae of median sternotomy on patient symptoms, physical and psychosocial function, and quality of life. Interpreting the clinical impact of sternal precautions is challenging due to inconsistent definitions and applications globally. Following median sternotomy, typical guidelines involve limiting arm movement during loaded lifting, pushing, and pulling for 6 to 8 weeks. This perspective paper proposes that there is robust evidence to support early implementation of upper body activity and exercise in patients recovering from median sternotomy while minimizing risk of complications. A clinical paradigm shift is encouraged, one that encourages a greater amount of controlled upper body activity, albeit modified in some situations, and less restrictive sternal precautions. Early screening for sternal complication risk factors and instability followed by individualized progressive functional activity and upper body therapeutic exercise is likely to promote optimal and timely patient recovery. Substantial research documenting current clinical practice of sternal precautions, early physical therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation provides support and the context for understanding why a less restrictive and more active plan of care is warranted and recommended for patients following a median sternotomy.

Psychometric evaluation of the shortened version of the Functional Difficulties Questionnaire to assess thoracic physical function

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the shortened version of the Functional Difficulties Questionnaire (FDQ).

DESIGN

This is a multisite observational study.

SETTING

The study was conducted in four tertiary care hospitals in Australia.

SUBJECTS

A total of 225 participants, following cardiac surgery, were involved in the study.

INTERVENTION

Participants completed the original 13-item FDQ and other measures of physical function, pain and health-related quality of life.

METHOD

Item reduction was utilized to develop the shortened version. Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), the smallest detectable change and Bland-Altman plots. The validity and responsiveness were evaluated using correlation. Anchor and distribution-based calculation was used to calculate the minimal clinical important difference (MCID).

RESULTS

Item reduction resulted in the creation of a 10-item shortened version of the questionnaire (FDQ-s). Within the cohort of cardiac surgery patient, the mean (SD) for the FDQ-s was 38.7 (19.61) at baseline; 15.5 (14.01) at four weeks and 7.9 (12.01) at three months. Validity: excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α > 0.90) and fair-to-excellent construct validity (>0.4). Reliability: internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's α > 0.8). The FDQ-s had excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.89-0.92). Strong responsiveness overtime was demonstrated with large effect sizes (Cohen's d > 1.0). The MCID of the FDQ-s was calculated between 4 and 10 out of 100 (in cm).

CONCLUSION

The FDQ-s demonstrated robust psychometric properties as a measurement tool of physical function of the thoracic region following cardiac surgery.

Effects of lumbar extensor muscle strengthening and neuromuscular control retraining on disability in patients with chronic low back pain: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. However, there is no consensus in the literature regarding optimal management. Exercise intervention is the most widely used treatment as it likely influences contributing factors such as physical and psychological. Literature evaluating the effects of exercise on CLBP is often generalised, non-specific and employs inconsistent outcome measures. Moreover, the mechanisms behind exercise-related improvements are poorly understood. Recently, research has emerged identifying associations between neuromuscular-biomechanical impairments and CLBP-related disability. This information can be used as the basis for more specific and, potentially more efficacious exercise interventions for CLBP patients.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Ninety-four participants (including both males and females) with CLBP aged 18-65 who present for treatment to a Melbourne-based private physiotherapy practice will be recruited and randomised into one of two treatment groups. Following baseline assessment, participants will be randomly allocated to receive either: (i) strengthening exercises in combination with lumbar force accuracy training exercises or (ii) strengthening exercises alone. Participants will attend exercise sessions twice a week for 12 weeks, with assessments conducted at baseline, midway (ie, 6 weeks into the trial) and at trial completion. All exercise interventions will be supervised by a qualified physiotherapist trained in the intervention protocol. The primary outcome will be functional disability measured using the Oswestry Disability Index. Other psychosocial and mechanistic parameters will also be measured.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was given approval by the University of Melbourne Behavioural and Social Sciences Human Ethics Sub-Committee on 8 August 2017, reference number 1 749 845. Results of the randomised controlled trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12618000894291.

Exercise Parameters and Outcome Measures Used in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs Following Median Sternotomy in the Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to identify exercise parameters and outcome measures used in cardiac rehabilitation programs following median sternotomy, in the elderly cardiac population.

DATA SOURCES

Five (5) electronic databases were searched for relevant studies published in English after 1997.

STUDY SELECTION

The screening process was completed by two independent researchers, with a third independent reviewer for overall agreement. Studies were selected if they included only cardiac patients aged ≥65 years who had undergone valve surgery and/or coronary artery bypass grafting via median sternotomy, and who had undertaken a postoperative cardiac rehabilitation exercise intervention assessing physical function and/or cognitive recovery as outcomes.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two researchers independently completed the data extraction and quality assessment. Quality was assessed using a modified Downs and Black tool.

DATA SYNTHESIS

In total, 11 articles were included for appraisal with respect to the quality of the study. Only two randomised controlled trials were suitable for meta-analysis. A higher volume of exercise was shown to have a positive effect on functional recovery, assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) (mean difference=26.97m; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.96-46.97; p=0.008; I²=0%). No significant improvement was shown between additional exercise compared to standard care in improving VO_2peak, maximal power output or quality of life. No studies evaluated the effect of exercise on cognitive recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Exercise significantly improves functional recovery in the post-surgical elderly cardiac population, however uncertainty still exists with regard to which modes of exercise and their specific parameters are most effective in improving cognitive recovery.

Validation of a revised Mandarin Chinese language version of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale

The aim of the study was to validate a revised Mandarin version of the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale (PostopQRS) and to apply the revised version in a Chinese population. In a prospective design, bilingual volunteers completed the scale at baseline, day one, day seven, and day 14 in both languages, with the order of language and parallel forms randomised. In addition, lung cancer patients undergoing open or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) completed the Mandarin version prior to surgery, day one, day three, day seven, day 14, one month, and three months postoperatively. Sixty-eight volunteers participated in the validation part of the study and in the clinical application, 93 lung cancer patients were included. The scores in the Mandarin version were equal to the English version in all domains at all timepoints including the word generation task, when the Mandarin morpheme was included in any part of the Mandarin word. However, Mandarin scores were lower in the word generation task if the morpheme was only included in the first part of the word. In addition, the Mandarin version was able to identify lower rates of overall recovery (<i>P</i> <0.01), nociceptive (<i>P</i> <0.01), emotive (<i>P</i> <0.01), and activities of daily living recovery (<i>P</i>=0.02) after open surgery compared to after VATS. The revised Mandarin version is equivalent to the English version for the cognitive domain, if morpheme substitution for the word generation task is allowed as any part of the word, and it is able to discriminate quality of recovery in Chinese patients.

Motion at the Sternal Edges During Upper Limb and Trunk Tasks In-Vivo as Measured by Real-Time Ultrasound Following Cardiac Surgery: A Three-Month Prospective, Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Despite a paucity of evidence, patients following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy are routinely prescribed sternal precautions that restrict upper limb and trunk movements, with the rationale of reducing postoperative sternal complications such as sternal wound dehiscence, instability, infection and/or pain. The primary aim of this study was to measure motion at the sternal edges during dynamic upper limb and trunk tasks to better inform future sternal precautions and optimise postoperative recovery. Motion at the sternal edges was measured using ultrasound, which has been demonstrated to be a clinically valid and reliable measure in patients following cardiac surgery.

METHODS

Seventy-five (75) patients following cardiac surgery via median sternotomy with conventional stainless steel wire closure were recruited. Motion at the sternal edges in the lateral (coronal plane) and anterior-posterior (sagittal plane) directions was measured at the level of the fourth intercostal space (mid-sternum) using ultrasound. Ultrasound measures were taken at rest and during five dynamic upper limb and trunk tasks (deep inspiration, cough, unilateral and bilateral upper limb elevation and sit to stand), over the first 3 postoperative months (3 to 7 days, 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively). Sternal pain, functional status and sternal healing were also observed over the same postoperative period.

RESULTS

The magnitude of overlap of the sternal edges in the lateral direction, and separation of the sternal edges in the anterior-posterior direction, both significantly decreased by 0.01cm, over the first 3 postoperative months (p<0.01). Coughing, however, produced a significant increase in separation of the sternal edges in the lateral direction (0.01-0.02cm) and pain (12-63%), compared to rest and all other tasks, at each postoperative time point (p<0.01). Additionally, there was a significant decrease in sternal pain (81%) and increase in postoperative function (79%) over the same postoperative period (p<0.01). At 3 months postoperatively, five (7%) participants demonstrated radiological sternal union and one (1%) participant was diagnosed with clinical sternal instability.

CONCLUSIONS

A small magnitude of multi-planar motion at the sternal edges, at the mid-sternum, was demonstrated during dynamic upper limb and trunk tasks in a cohort of cardiac surgery patients post-sternotomy, over the first 3 postoperative months. Future research investigating motion at different levels of the sternum, with varying methods of sternal closure, and over a longer postoperative period is warranted to better inform sternal precautions and optimise postoperative recovery.

Advances in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy and their clinical impact

INTRODUCTION

Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy is an evidence-based practice that has evolved alongside changes in medical and surgical management, analgesia, the ageing society and increasing comorbidities of our patient populations. Continued research provides the profession with the ability to adapt to meet the changing patient and community needs. Areas covered: This review focuses on surgical, respiratory and critical care settings discussing the most significant changes over the past decade with an increased focus on rehabilitation across the care continuum and a shift away from providing predominately airway clearance in established disease populations but also providing this in emerging groups. Further important changes are identification and emphases on patient self-management including changing their behaviour to more positively embrace wellness, particularly increasing physical activity levels. This paper outlines these changes and offers speculation on factors that may impact the profession in the future. Expert commentary: The increasing focus on new technologies, physical activity levels, changes to the health systems in different countries and an increasingly comorbid and ageing society will shape the next steps in the evolution of cardiorespiratory physiotherapy. Continued research is vital to keep pace with these changes so that physiotherapists can provide the most effective treatments to improve patient outcomes.