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Study Design. Retrospective case-control study. Objective. To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in vertebral fracture patients admitted to our hospital. Summary of Background Data. Although vertebral fracture is generally treated conservatively with rest and use of a corset, surgery with rigid internal fixation is recommended for vertebral fractures in patients with DISH. Thus, treatment strategies for vertebral fracture differ according to the presence or absence of DISH. However, only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of DISH in vertebral fracture patients. Methods. A total of 159 patients (49 men and 110 women, with a mean age of 82.9 years) who were diagnosed with fresh vertebral fracture and required admission to HITO Hospital. The diagnosis of fresh vertebral fracture was made using x-ray imaging, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, and the presence or absence of DISH was assessed. In addition, age, sex, bone mineral density ( % young adult mean), blood test results, treatment, and length of hospital stay were compared between patients with and without DISH. Results. The proportion of patients with DISH among the patients with vertebral fracture was 33.9% (54 of 159 patients). The proportions in men and women were 38.8% and 31.8%, respectively, with no significant difference between sexes (P = 0.39). The patients in the DISH group were older than those in the non-DISH group (83.6 vs. 79.4 years, P = 0.009), and the DISH group had higher glycated hemoglobin A1c (P = 0.005), higher bone mineral density (P = 0.042), and longer length of hospital stay (P = 0.0001) compared with those in the non-DISH group. Conclusion. The proportion of patients with DISH among the vertebral fracture patients was 33.9%. Given that patients with DISH may require different treatment approaches, careful observation is needed. Level of Evidence: 3

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Despite the availability of several modalities of treatment, including surgery, pharmacological agents, and nerve blocks, neuropathic pain is often unresponsive and sometimes progresses to intractable chronic pain. Although exercise therapy is a candidate for treatment of neuropathic pain, the mechanism underlying its efficacy has not been elucidated. To clarify the molecular mechanism for pain relief induced by exercise, we measured Rnf34 and Pacap mRNA levels in the spinal cord dorsal horn of SNL rats, a model of neuropathic pain. SNL model rats exhibited stable mechanical hyperalgesia for at least 6 weeks. When the rats were forced to exercise on a treadmill, mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia were significantly ameliorated compared with the non-exercise group. Accordingly, gene expression level of Rnf34 and Pacap were also significantly altered in the time course analysis after surgery. These results suggest that exercise therapy possibly involves pain relief in SNL rats by suppressing Rnf34 and Pacap expression in the spinal cord.

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