Postural controla comparison between patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament insufficiencv and healthy individuals Lysholm M, Ledin T, Odkvist LM, Good L. Postural controla comparison between patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency and healthy individuals.Scand average of 86% of the total resisting force (1). Markolf et al.(2) postulated that the factors influencing knee stability during weight-bearing activities were provided by interactions of many phenomena, including ligament and other soft tissue restraints, condylar geometry, active muscular control and tibio-femoral contact forces.It has, however, become apparent that the ACL

MOLLER C, ODKVIST L, LARSBY B, THAM R, LEDIN T, BERGHOLTZ L. Otoneurological findings in workers exposed to styrene. Scand J Work Environ Health 1990;16:189-94. An otoneurological test battery was adm inistered to 18 workers with long-term exposure (6-15 years) to styrene at levels well below the current Swedish limit (110 mg/m'). The results were compared with those of a reference gro up. Disturbances were found in the centr al auditory path ways of seven wor kers. Tests reflecting central pr ocessing of impu lses from different sensory equilib rium organs were abnormal for 16 workers. Th e most relevant tests seemed to be static posturography and the rotatory visual suppression test. In the posturograph y the styrene gro up had a significantl y larger sway area than the reference group. In the visual suppression test , the styrene workers displayed a significantly poorer abilit y to suppress vestibular nystagmus than the reference group. It was concluded that styrene exposur e in industrial environments at moderate or low levels causes central nervous system disturbances which ar e not always diagnosable with psychometric tests but can be apparent in special otoneurological tests.

O 8 dkvist LM, Arlinger S, Billermark E, Densert B, Lindholm S, Wallqvist J. Effects of middle ear pressure changes on clinical symptoms in patients with Ménière's disease-a clinical multicentre placebo-controlled study. Acta Otolaryngol 2000; Suppl 543: 99 -101.Different medical and surgical methods have been tried in attempting to reduce endolymphatic pressure in Ménière's disease. Pressure treatment has a role on the treatment staircase, after pharmacological treatment and before destructive methods. Pressure chamber treatment has shown that some patients respond well to the treatment with diminishing inner ear symptoms and also some hearing improvement. Earlier studies have shown that electrocochlear measurements improve after local pressure treatment in the ear. The present study was a prospective randomized placebo controlled, multicentre clinical trial. 56 patients with active Ménière's disease, age 20 -65 years, with a hearing loss of 20 -65 dB PTA participated. A total of 31 patients completed 2 weeks use with an active apparatus (Meniett) and 25 patients completed the 2 weeks with the placebo gadget. Both machines were produced by Pascal Medical, Halmstad, Sweden. Two weeks before the start of treatment a grommet was placed in the tympanic membrane. A significant improvement concerning frequency and intensity of vertigo, dizziness, aural pressure and tinnitus was reported by the active group on the visual analogue scales (VAS) questionnaire. In the placebo group no change was the most common finding, followed by worsening of the symptoms and a few improvements. The function in professional and family life improved during active treatment and did not during placebo treatment. Pure-tone audiometry did not improve after placebo treatment, but improved at the frequencies 500 Hz and 1,000 Hz after active treatment. The study showed an improvement in the inner ear symptoms after Meniett treatment. The mechanism may be explained by the influence on the round window membrane pressure receptors or an endolymphatic flow out through the pressure release points, such as the endolymphatic duct and sac, thus activating the longitudinal flow. Other mechanisms are also possible.

No significant differences in outcome regarding balance function or perceived symptoms were found between home training with or without additional physical therapy.

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