BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) is a public health problem that requires accurate assessment for proper management and predicting prognosis.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the agreement between visual analogue scale (VAS) and numeric rating scale (NRS) in measuring LBP severity, and investigate their ability in predicting disability.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed on 100 patients with chronic LBP. Pain severity assessment was performed using VAS, NRS, and pain severity scores of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Disability assessment was done by BPI-Pain interference and Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI).ResultsThere was a significant positive correlation between VAS and NRS (r = 0.92, p < 0.001) with high agreement between both as detected by Bland-Altman method (mean difference = 0.33). Moreover, there was significant (p < 0.001) positive correlation between disability scores and either VAS (r = 0.92 with BPI pain interference; r = 0.75 with MODI) or NRS (r = 0.95 with BPI pain interference; r = 0.68 with MODI). By using receiver operating characteristic curve, a score of 6 in VAS or NRS can predict severe disability, whereas VAS score higher than 4 and NRS score higher than 3 can predict moderate disability.ConclusionsVisual analogue scale and NRS appeared reliable in assessing LBP severity with no significant difference between them. Moreover, either VAS or NRS scores can predict disability of patients with LBP.

Background: Meniscal tear surgeries have many long term sequelae. Intra-articular platelet rich plasma injection is thought to stimulate repair and increase meniscal function. Objectives: To assess the effect of 6-monthly intra-articular injection of platelet rich plasma (PRP) on the pain assessment and functional status of knee joint undergone meniscal repair. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out on thirty patients who had undergone arthroscopic meniscal repair and presented with persistent pain within 4 months after surgery. Half of the patients were randomly intra-articularly injected with 5 mL PRP at 1 month intervals for 6 injections and the other half were not injected and taken as a control group. Clinical examination, visual analogue scale (VAS), knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) score and Doppler ultrasonography were performed before and after PRP treatment. Results: After 6 months, in the PRP injected group, there was a significant improvement in VAS score (1 (1 -3)) and KOOS score (86.2 ± 4) compared to baseline values (9 (7 -10) and 62 ± 9.8 respectively; P < 0.001) as well as significant decrease in the percentage of degeneration of medial femoral condyle (MFC), lateral femoral condyle (LFC), medial tibial condyle (MTC), lateral tibial condyle (LTC) measured by Doppler Ultrasonography (US), (6.16 ± 3.33 and 9.07 ± 3.66, respectively; P = 0.031). Conclusions:This study showed that intra-articular PRP injection following meniscal repair can be effective in reducing pain, improving knee function, and slowing the rate of cartilage degeneration that accounts for early osteoarthritis.

Hill-type models are frequently used in biomechanical simulations. They are attractive for their low computational cost and close relation to commonly measured musculotendon parameters. Still, more attention is needed to improve the activation dynamics of the model specifically because of the nonlinearity observed in the EMG-Force relation. Moreover, one of the important and practical questions regarding the assessment of the model's performance is how adequately can the model simulate any fundamental type of human movement without modifying model parameters for different tasks? This paper tries to answer this question by proposing a simple physiologically based activation dynamics model. The model describes the ?kinetics of the calcium dynamics while activating and deactivating the muscle contraction process. Hence, it allowed simulating the recently discovered role of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) channels as immediate counter-flux to calcium loss across the tubular system during excitation-contraction coupling. By comparing the ability to fit experimental data without readjusting the parameters, the proposed model has proven to have more steady performance than phenomenologically based models through different submaximal isometric contraction levels. This model indicates that more physiological insights is key for improving Hill-type model performance.

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Objectives Anti-carbamylated protein antibodies (anti-CarP Abs) are present in patients with RA, however, their association with bone loss is not confirmed. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between the serum level of anti-CarP Abs in premenopausal RA women and disease activity and bone loss. Methods This case–control study was conducted on 48 premenopausal women with RA and 48 matched healthy premenopausal women. All RA women were subjected to clinical examination, disease activity assessment using the 28-joint DAS (DAS28) and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), functional assessment using the HAQ, physical activity assessment using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), fatigue assessment using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), serological tests as well as anti-CarP Abs using ELISA. Moreover, the BMD was measured by DXA and plain X-ray of both hands was done to assess juxta-articular osteopenia and erosions. Results The anti-CarP Abs level was significantly higher in RA patients than in healthy controls. The serum level of anti-CarP Abs had a significant positive correlation with the RA DAS28, CDAI, HAQ, MFIS and original Sharp score, while a significant negative correlation was present with the IPAQ. Anti-CarP Abs were negatively correlated with either spine BMD or Z-score and positively correlated with the original Sharp score. Conclusion Anti-CarP Abs were higher in premenopausal RA women compared with older and BMI matched healthy women. Anti-CarP Abs are associated with higher RA disease activity, increased disability and fatigability and decreased physical activity. Moreover, anti-CarP Abs are associated with systemic trabecular bone loss as well as local bone loss.