Stretching for the triceps surae muscle in the knee flexed position (medical stretching: MS) and knee extended position (static stretching: SS) were performed and the effect on the dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint was examined. Five elderly females were selected as subjects. We measured the maximal dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint in the following leg positions: (1) the maximal dorsiflexion angle in the extended knee position (EDF angle) and (2) the maximal dorsiflexion angle in the 90°flexed-knee position (FDF angle). There was a significant increase in the maximal dorsiflexion angle after MS and SS were carried out (p<0.01), but there was no significant difference between MS and SS. It was concluded that MS for triceps surae is equally effective as SS in increasing the maximal dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate current fact of cancer outpatients’ opioid pain management and its possible abusive applications and to establish corrective treatments by the palliative care team. Methods: Our palliative care team investigated cancer outpatients’ prescribed opioid clinical records for 4 months in 2014, and the result revealed inappropriate opioid use which could lead to further abuse or dependency. Through this the team recommended attending physicians viable options including decrease of opioid eventually leading to final withdrawal. Results: Among 67 cancer outpatients, the finding of inappropriate opioid use which could lead to further abuse or dependency was in 5 patients (7.4%). The details are as follows: (1) Three patients were treated with opioid analgesia for initial pain relief but the application continued in spite of recovering from a cancer which had been responsible to the pain. (2) Two patients were medicated with opioid for pain but further diagnosis revealed the disease which caused pain was benign. Four out of 5 patients were successfully withdrawn from opioids. Conclusion: In cancer outpatient settings, it can be overlooked or undetected inappropriate use of opioids which may lead to abuse or dependency without a team approach. To prevent opioid abuses, it is imperative to find the cause of pain as accurately as possible.

Objective: Treatment options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis on maintenance hemodialysis with an inadequate response to biologic agents have not been reported. In this report, we describe two patients who achieved remission after treatment with peficitinib.Methods: Two 69- and 85-year-old patients with rheumatoid arthritis on maintenance hemodialysis were previously treated with biologics and started on peficitinib 100 mg/day after the secondary failure of biologics.Discussion: In the two cases presented here, rheumatoid arthritis was almost in remission and there were no adverse events, although the patients were switched to peficitinib after secondary failure of the biologic agents. Among Janus kinase inhibitors, peficitinib has the lowest renal excretion; therefore, its administration in patients on dialysis is not contraindicated according to the package insert in Japan. The use of biologic agents in patients on hemodialysis has been reported to be associated with a high incidence of infections; therefore, care should be taken to avoid infections when administering Janus kinase inhibitors.Conclusion: Janus kinase inhibitors with low renal excretion, such as peficitinib, may be effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis on maintenance hemodialysis who have an inadequate response to biologic agents.

Bilateral shoulder joint disorders caused by rheumatoid arthritis significantly impair daily functioning owing to a lack of contralateral compensation. In Japan, reverse shoulder joint prostheses were approved in 2014. This was expected to improve the surgical outcomes of rheumatoid shoulder arthroplasty. We report two patients with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent bilateral reverse shoulder arthroplasty. This study aims to evaluate their postoperative clinical outcomes and activities of daily living. The patients were women in their 70s with stage III class 2 rheumatoid arthritis. Their treatment and postoperative activities of daily living were retrospectively reviewed. The first patient underwent the inlay type and experienced a residual limitation of external rotation postoperatively; therefore, she was restricted to dress with front-open clothes. However, she was able to undress after the lining of the garment was changed to a slippery material. The second patient underwent the onlay type and showed almost no limitations in postoperative activities of daily living. She was able to undress with an external rotation of 40–50°. Bilateral reverse shoulder arthroplasty improved range of motion, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association shoulder score, and functional outcomes. Only a few difficulties were encountered in the activities of daily living.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the factors associated with the burden of home care for doctors. Methods: In July 2013 a survey was mailed to a cross-section of clinics and hospitals in Kobe City. Results: Questionnaires were sent to 1,589 clinics and hospitals and 899 (57%) responded. Of these, data from 807 respondents were available for analysis. The burden of home care was felt to be considerable for 30% and slight for 31% of respondents. Determinants associated with the burden of home care were; 80 years and older doctors (P=0.05), particular medical measures (P=0.036), building links with other medical facility or care staff (P=0.002), and ensuring the sufficient time and staff (P<0.001). Conclusion: The majority of doctors reported a burden associated with home care.

Objective：The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of home care provided by hospitals and clinics in Kobe City. Methods：In July 2013 a survey was mailed to a cross-section of all clinics and hospitals in Kobe City. Results：Questionnaires were sent to 1,589 clinics and hospitals and 899（57％）responded. Regular and urgent home visits by doctors were provided by 50％ and 65％ of respondents, respectively. End-of-life care for dying patients at home and in nursing homes was provided by 31％ and 18％ of respondents, respectively. The average time spent on home visits was 2.3±1.7 days per week. Care for cancer patients, participation in national palliative care lectures, and holding a discussion at the admitting hospital before discharge for home care, were performed by 23％, 7.0％, and 6.9％ of respondents, respectively. Conclusion：The majority of hospitals and clinics in Kobe City provided home care.

Background : The effects of rehabilitation on hemodialysis patients are unknown. We assessed the effects and investigated the association between rehabilitation treatment effects and all-cause mortality. Methods : This prospective cohort study included 120 patients on maintenance hemodialysis. ADL was assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score (total points, 126), which comprises 13 motor items (total points, 91) and five cognitive items (total points, 35). A survival curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and stratified into an increase or no-increase of the FIM score. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with the effects of rehabilitation. Discriminative sensitivity of FIM cognitive items for an increase in total FIM was estimated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AuROC) curve. Results : The average total FIM score increased from 64.2±3.6 to 75.8±3.0, and the increase in FIM motor and cognitive items was 11.0±1.3 and 0.5±0.6, respectively. The cumulative survival rate within 2.5 years was significantly higher in the FIM increase group than that in the FIM no-increase group. FIM cognitive items and anemia were significantly associated with rehabilitation effects, and AuROC showed that a cutoff of 34 points in cognitive FIM had moderate discriminative sensitivity for a total FIM increase (AuC, 0.719 ; p<0.0008). Conclusions : Rehabilitating hemodialysis patients improved their FIM score (particularly the motor items), and a higher FIM score resulted in a better prognosis. The effectiveness of rehabilitation depends on maintaining a perfect FIM cognitive score.

BACKGROUNDThere are few longitudinal studies on the associations of obesity with hypertension in young adults.

OBJECTIVESTo analyze longitudinally to what extent weight gain associates with hypertension in young adults.

METHODSThe subjects of this study consisted of 6,178 university students (male 4,098; female 2,080). The associations of hypertension with body type change were longitudinally examined by using the records of health examinations while at university. The prevalence ratios (PRs) for hypertension in their senior year were calculated on groups that changed toward obese against those that changed toward underweight. The logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension in their senior year of each factor. The analyses were conducted on (i) all subjects, (ii) non-hypertensive subjects in their freshman year, and (iii) by schools, in order to take into account physical activities.

RESULTSThe PRs of hypertension in subjects changed toward obese from their freshmen to seniors against ones toward underweight were 1.47 (95% CI; 1.00-2.15) for males and 3.50 (0.93-13.22) for females. In analyses limited to non-hypertensive subjects in their freshman year, results were similar to those of all subjects. The analyses by school also showed similar results to those including all subjects. In logistic regression analyses, although the factor most strongly associated with hypertension was body type in their senior year, the body type in their freshman still showed significant association with hypertension after the adjustment of senior year body type and hypertension in freshman year. The ORs for hypertension in obese subjects to normal weight ones in their senior year were 9.13 (95% CI; 5.77-14.45) for males and 22.59 (5.69-89.67) for females after adjusted by hypertension in freshman, body type in freshman and school.

CONCLUSIONSThese data suggest that the increase of BMI is linked to hypertension in university students.

BACKGROUND: Pedicled flaps are useful for reconstructive surgery. Previously, we often used vascularized supraclavicular flaps, especially for head and neck reconstruction, but then shifted to using thoracic branch of the supraclavicular artery (TBSA) flaps. However, limited research exists on the anatomy of TBSA flaps and on the use of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence videoangiography for supraclavicular artery flaps. We utilized ICG fluorescence videoangiography to harvest reliable flaps in reconstructive operations, and describe the results herein. METHODS: Data were retrospectively reviewed from six patients (five men and one woman: average age, 54 years; range, 48–60 years) for whom ICG videoangiography was performed to observe the skin perfusion of a supraclavicular flap after it was raised. Areas where the flap showed good enhancement were considered to be favorable for flap survival. The observation of ICG dye indicated good skin perfusion, which is predictive of flap survival; therefore, we trimmed any areas without dye filling and used the remaining viable part of the flap. RESULTS: The flaps ranged in size from 13×5.5 cm to 17×6.5 cm. One patient received a conventional supraclavicular flap, four patients received a TBSA flap, and one patient received a flap that was considered to be intermediate between a supraclavicular flap and a TBSA flap. The flaps completely survived in all cases, and no flap necrosis was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The TBSA flap is very useful in reconstructive surgery, and reliable flaps could be obtained by using ICG fluorescence videoangiography intraoperatively.
Arteries ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Head ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green ; Male ; Neck ; Necrosis ; Perfusion ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Surgical Flaps

Vertebral fractures occur with only slight trauma in patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). However, a lumbar vertebra fracture, due to an intraoperative body position has not been previously reported. An 87-year-old woman with kyphosis sustained a left trochanteric fracture of her femur. The patient was placed in a supine position during the operation. Postoperatively, the patient experienced severe right thigh pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an L4 vertebral fracture. Computed tomography revealed ankylosis from the upper thoracic spine to the sacrum. While in a supine position under general anesthesia, the contact of the patient's lower back with operating table likely created a fulcrum at her lumbosacral spine acting as a long lever arm, bearing the mass of her upper body. We performed L1-S2 posterior stabilization. DISH patients with kyphosis placed in a supine position have an increased risk for lumbar vertebral fracture.
Aged, 80 and over ; Anesthesia, General ; Ankylosis ; Arm ; Female ; Femur* ; Humans ; Hyperostosis, Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal* ; Kyphosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Operating Tables ; Sacrum ; Spine ; Supine Position ; Thigh