ObjectiveTo evaluate the results and benefits obtained from the topical use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in patients with infected wounds.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of 20 patients (17 males and three females, mean age 42 years) with infected wounds treated using NPWT. The infected wounds were caused by trauma. The treatment system used was VAC.® (Vacuum Assisted Closure, KCI, San Antonio, United States) applied to the wound in continuous mode from 100 to 125 mmHg. The parameters related to the wounds (location, number of VAC changes, the size of the defects in the soft parts, and the evolution of the state of the wound), length of hospital stay, length of intravenous antibiotic therapy, and complications related to the use of this therapy were evaluated.ResultsThe mean length of the hospital stay, use of NPWT, and antibacterial therapy were 41 days, 22.5 days, and 20 days respectively. The use of the VAC led to a mean reduction of 29% in the wound area (95.65–68.1 cm2; p < 0.05). Only one patient did not show any improvement in the final appearance of the wound with complete eradication of the infection. No complication directly caused by NPWT was observed.ConclusionNPWT stimulates infection-free scar tissue formation in a short time, and is a quick and comfortable alternative to conventional infected wounds treatment methods.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of hip strengthening exercises in reducing pain and disability in persons with low back pain. Methods: We searched for randomized controlled clinical trials on MEDLINE, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, LILACS, Scielo and CINAHL from the earliest date available to June 2020. Studies that included hip strengthening exercises for persons with low back pain and included pain and/or disability as an outcome measure were evaluated by two independent reviewers. Mean difference (MD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by random effect models. Results: Five studies met the eligibility criteria (309 patients). Four studies included hip strengthening in conjunction with other interventions, while one study evaluated hip strengthening as a standalone intervention. Hip strengthening exercises improved pain (MD −5.4 mm, 95% CI: −8.9 to −1.8 mm), and disability (MD −2.9; 95% CI: −5.6 to −0.1) in persons with low back pain compared to interventions in which hip strengthening was not utilized. The quality of evidence for the pain outcome, was assessed as being moderate. The quality of evidence for the outcome of self-reported disability, was assessed as being low. Conclusion: Addition of specific hip strengthening exercises to conventional rehabilitation therapy may be beneficial for improving pain and disability in persons with low back pain.

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Objective To determine the effects of different therapeutic interventions that have ever been evaluated in randomized controlled trials on pain due to plantar fasciitis. Methods We searched different electronic databases until September 2022. Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation was used to evaluate the overall certainty evidence. Results A total of 236 studies met the study criteria, including 15,401 patients. Botulinum toxin MD −2.14 (CI: −4.15, −0.14), micronized dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane injection MD −3.31 (CI: −5.54, −1.08), dry needling MD −2.34 (CI: −4.64, −0.04), low-dye taping MD −3.60 (CI: −4.16, −3.03), low-level laser therapy MD −2.09 (CI: −2.28, −1.90), myofascial releases MD −1.79 (CI: −2.63, −0.94), platelet-rich plasma MD −2.40 (CI: −4.16, −0.63), radiofrequency MD −2.47 (CI: −4.65, −0.29), and stretching MD −1.14 (CI: −2.02, −0.26) resulted in being effective treatments for pain when compared to the control in the short term. In the medium and long term, only extracorporeal shock wave therapy MD −0.97 (CI: −1.13, −0.81)/MD −2.49 (CI: −3.17, −1.82) was effective for improving pain when compared to the control. Conclusions Considering the available studies, this systematic review and meta-analysis showed that different therapeutic interventions seem to be useful strategies for improving pain in patients with plantar fasciitis. In the medium and long term, only extracorporeal shock wave therapy was effective in improving pain when compared to the control.