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Biomedical subjects

F Johannsen

Publications and source records attributed to F Johannsen.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

The treatment of acute soft tissue trauma in Danish emergency rooms.

Rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE) is the most recommended treatment for acute traumatic soft tissue injuries. A questionnaire was given to all Danish emergency rooms (n = 5) regarding their routines for acute treatment of ankle sprains and muscle contusions. Complete answers were received from 37 emergency rooms (73%), covering the treatment of 111 ankle sprains and 101 muscle contusions. Treatment with RICE was given in a minority of injuries, ice (21%), compression (32%) and elevation (58%) similarly between injury types. A complete RICE treatment was rarely applied (3%). Verbal information on RICE and rehabilitation was given in less than half of the cases. We conclude that the acute treatment of ankle sprains and muscle contusions in the Danish emergency rooms is not applied in accordance with consensus from international literature, and that the instruction in rehabilitation should be improved.

Ankle Injuries↗

Determinants of musculoskeletal flexibility: viscoelastic properties, cross-sectional area, EMG and stretch tolerance.

Cross-sectional area, stiffness, viscoelastic stress relaxation, stretch tolerance and EMG activity of the human hamstring muscle group were examined in endurance-trained athletes with varying flexibility. Subjects were defined as tight (n = 10) or normal (n = 8) based on a clinical toe-touch test. Cross-sectional area was computed from magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) images. Torque (Nm) offered by the hamstring muscle group, electromyographic (EMG) activity, knee joint angle and velocity were continuously monitored during two standardized stretch protocols. Protocol 1 consisted of a slow stretch at 0.087 rad/s (dynamic phase) to a pre-determined final angle followed by a 90-s static phase. In the dynamic phase final angle and stiffness was lower in tight (28.0+/-2.9 Nm/rad) than normal subjects (54.9+/-6.5 Nm/rad), P<0.01. In the static phase tight subjects had lower peak (15.4+/-1.8 Nm) and final torque (10.8+/-1.6 Nm) than normal subjects (31.6+/-4.1 Nm, 24.1+/-3.7 Nm, respectively)(P<0.01), but torque decline was similar. Protocol 2 consisted of a slow stretch to the point of pain and here tight subjects reached a lower maximal angle, torque, stiffness and energy than normal subjects (P<0.01). On the other hand, stiffness was greater in tight subjects in the common range (P<0.01). Cross-sectional area of the hamstring muscles and EMG activity during the stretch did not differ between the groups. However, lateral hamstring cross-sectional area was positively related to mid-range stiffness (P<0.05), but inversely related to final stiffness, peak torque and the toe-touch test (P<0.01). Final angle and peak torque in protocol 1 combined to improve the predictability of the toe-touch test (R2=0.77, P<0.001). These data show that the toe-touch test is largely a measure of hamstring flexibility. Further, subjects with a restricted joint range of movement on a clinical toe-touch test have stiffer hamstring muscles and a lower stretch tolerance.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Exercises for chronic low back pain: a clinical trial.

Different training models are effective for the treatment of chronic low back pain, but no consensus has been found. Earlier studies have emphasized training of spinal mobility and back strength. To evaluate if other physiological parameters, such as coordination, are of equal importance, we performed a randomized trial on 40 consecutive patients with chronic low back pain. Two training models were compared: 1) intensive training of muscle endurance and 2) muscle training, including coordination. In both groups, training was performed 1 hour twice a week for 3 months. Pain score, disability score, and spinal mobility improved in both training groups without differences between the two groups. Only intensive training of muscle endurance improved isokinetic back muscle strength. At study entry, we found a significant correlation between spinal mobility and dysfunction, but after the training, no correlation was found between improvement of spinal mobility or isokinetic back extension strength and improvement of function or pain level. We conclude that coordination training for patients with chronic low back pain is as equally effective as endurance training.

Adolescent↗

Low energy laser therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

Low energy laser (LEL) is a widely used treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal disorders although convincing documentation of the effect is missing. We have examined the LEL effect on Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in a double blind placebo controlled study. Twenty-two patients completed the study (10 receiving LEL treatment) according to the protocol. A significant effect on pain score was found due to LEL treatment, but when data were corrected for disease variation the effect disappeared. No effect of LEL could be demonstrated on the other assessed variables: grip strength, morning stiffness, flexibility, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP). In conclusion, we did not find that LEL had any clinically relevant effects on RA.

Adult↗

Rebox: an adjunct in physical medicine?

Electrical therapy is used extensively in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. The best known form is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Rebox is another apparatus for electrical therapy that operates on much lower currents than TENS (0 to 300 microA). The effect of Rebox was tested on chronic lateral epicondylitis in 16 patients in a controlled crossover study. We found a significant effect of Rebox compared to placebo in respect to all the subjective and the objective variables: grip-strength, pain at power-grip and lifting a weightload with pronated forearm, and daily impairment.

Adult↗

[The whiplash injury. An overlooked and casually treated syndrome].

The whiplash trauma is defined as hyperextension followed by hyperflexion of the cervical spine or the reverse. The lesion occurs mainly in the occupants of a motor vehicle into which another vehicle collides from behind. Even when there is no radiographic evidence of injury, considerable lesions of the soft tissues may, nevertheless, be present. Review of the literature and the present authors' investigations reveal that up to 80% of the patients have chronic symptoms and 10% of these are severe enough to cause incapacity. The therapeutic regimen has not been well investigated but, at present, intermittent cooling and support by a collar for a few days followed by rapid mobilizing and exercises within the limit of pain are recommended.

Adolescent↗

Absence of delayed neurotoxicity and increased plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity in triallate-treated hens.

Triallate (S-2,3,3-trichloroallyl diisopropylthiocarbamate) was tested for the potential to produce delayed neurotoxicity. Hens were given single oral doses ranging from 312.5 to 2500 mg/kg of triallate, 750 mg/kg tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP), or empty gelatin capsules on Days 1 and 21 and were killed on Day 42. In a second experiment, animals were administered daily oral doses of 25-300 mg/kg triallate or 10 mg/kg TOCP for 90 days. In a third experiment, animals were given single oral doses of 2500 mg/kg triallate, 750 mg/kg TOCP, or empty gelatin capsules and killed after 24 hr. Delayed neurotoxicity was observed only in TOCP-treated animals. Animals given daily doses of 300 mg/kg triallate became moribund after 30 days; however, histological examination revealed no lesions characteristic of organophosphorus-induced delayed neurotoxicity. Neurotoxic esterase was not significantly altered in triallate-treated animals while it was 95% inhibited in TOCP-treated animals. Plasma butyrylcholinesterase increased significantly 24 hr after treatment with triallate in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, triallate, a thiocarbamate, did not produce neurotoxicity which has been previously reported for some dithiocarbamates.

Administration, Oral↗

Ultrasound therapy in chronic leg ulceration: a meta-analysis.

We reviewed all articles on ultrasound therapy published since 1950 to assess the evidence for an effect of this therapy in the treatment of chronic leg ulcers. Fourteen studies concerning ultrasound therapy, chronic leg ulcers, and wound healing were found. The six studies that fulfilled inclusion criteria for a randomized controlled trial were generally found lacking with respect to description of ulcer etiology-treated area, ultrasound head area, control of ultrasound apparatus, sham ultrasound apparatus, and follow-up evaluations. However, all six studies presented their data in a way that made pooling possible with respect to a decrease in ulcer area as a percent of the starting area. A standardized effect size was applied and gave evidence for a significant effect of ultrasound, showing a 16.9% (CI95: 6.3% to 27.5%, p = 0.011) mean difference in healing after 4 weeks of treatment and a 14.5% (CI95: 6.6% to 22.3%, p = 0.005) mean difference after 8 weeks of treatment compared with control treatment. In three studies, the number of healed ulcers was assessed, and pooling showed a nonsignificant (p = 0.06) therapeutic gain of 15% (CI95: 1% to 30%). This analysis would suggest that ultrasound has the best effect being delivered in low doses around the edge of the ulcer, but further studies are required to confirm this possible effect and to evaluate a possible dose-response relationship.

Aged↗

Assessment of the delayed neurotoxicity of tributyl phosphate, tributoxyethyl phosphate, and dibutylphenyl phosphate.

There industrial organophosphorus compounds were tested for their ability to cause organophosphorus compound-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) in the adult hen. The compounds tested were tributyl phosphate (TBP), tributoxyethyl phosphate (TBEP), and dibutylphenyl phosphate (DBPP). The acute oral LD50 of TBP and DBPP were estimated to be 1,863 and 1,500 mg/kg, respectively, and the dose equal to the LD50 was used as a test dose. The acute oral LD50 of TBEP was greater than 5,000 mg/kg and 5,000 mg/kg was used as a test dose. An oral dose of 750 mg tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) was used as a positive control. For the acute delayed neurotoxicity test, hens were given two test doses of the test materials 21 days apart and killed 21 days after the second dose. None of the hens given TBP, TBEP, or DBPP exhibited nerve damage or clinical signs which distinguished them from untreated control animals. A single dose of TOCP resulted in paralysis and a histopathological profile typical of a distal neuropathy. For the assay of the inhibition of esterases, hens were killed 24 hours after a single dose equal to the greater of either the LD50 or 5000 mg/kg. TOCP administration resulted in over 90% inhibition of brain neurotoxic esterase (NTE), but none of the other three compounds inhibited NTE to an extent (greater than 70%) which would be expected to result in OPIDN. Administration of TOCP, TBEP, or DBPP resulted in approximately a 70% decrease in plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity. TBP caused a 2-3 fold increase in BuChE activity. TBEP administration resulted in about 45% inhibition of acetycholinesterase (AChE) in brain. These results indicate that TBP, TBEP, and DBPP are all unlikely to cause OPIDN with any single sublethal dose.

Animals↗

Supervised endurance exercise training compared to home training after first lumbar diskectomy: a clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a randomised trial to evaluate if intensive supervised training of the back should be offered to all patients after a first lumbar diskectomy. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients were, after a first lumbar diskectomy, randomly allocated to 2 groups undergoing "supervised training" twice a week for 3 months in an outpatient clinic or "home training" after 2 hours of instruction. RESULTS: The two rehabilitation models both showed a significant effect on spinal mobility, isokinetic trunk flexion strength, isokinetic trunk extension strength and daily function. These improvements were unchanged at follow up 3 months later. The pain score remained unchanged, however, throughout the trial in both groups. No differences in effect between the two rehabilitation models could be found for any of the assessed parameters. Thirteen patients did not complete the trial, including 9 from the supervised endurance trained group, mainly because of increased pain and reprolaps (n = 4). Four patients dropped out of the home trained group, only one because of increased pain. The differences in drop-out rate and training side effects were, however, not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We conclude that it is not worthwhile to implement 3 months of supervised intensive endurance training as opposed to home training in all cases of first lumbar diskectomy, although a beneficial effect and better compliance might be found for a selected group of such patients.

Adult↗