Articles: back-pain.
-
Chronic low back pain is prevalent, highly disabling, and a relevant socioeconomic health concern. Although allocated to placebo groups, patients in randomized controlled trials show significant pain relief, pointing to the relevance of placebo effects. Overcoming ethical and legal concerns related to deceptive placebos, recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of short-term treatments for chronic low back pain with open-label (ie, nondeceptive) placebos. ⋯ Over the 3-year period, there were no differences in any outcome between groups with and without open-label placebo treatment. Therefore, our follow-up data do not support the previously suggested assumption that a 3-week open-label placebo treatment has long-term effects. This study was preregistered on April 14, 2020, in the German Clinical Trials Register (registration number DRKS00021405).
-
The ageing process includes the development of debilitating musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including chronic back pain (CBP), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoporosis (OP). The mechanisms involved in the genetic-epidemiological relationships between these MSK phenotypes are controversial and limited and thus require clarification, in particular, between CBP and the other MSK phenotypes. A cross-sectional statistical analysis was conducted using Europeans from the UK Biobank data collection, including 73,794 CBP, 4883 RA, and 7153 OP cases as well as 242,216 calcaneus bone mineral density scores. ⋯ Through colocalization analysis, several genomic regions emerged describing common genetic influences between CBP and its proposed risk factors, including HLA-DQA1/HLA-DQB1, APOE , SOX5, and MYH7B as well as Histone 1 genes. We speculate that among other factors, CBP and its MSK comorbidities may arise from common inflammatory mechanisms. Colocalized identified genes may aid in advancing or improving the mode of treatment in patients with CBP.
-
Review
Spinal Intradural Arachnoid Cysts in Adults: An Institutional Experience and Literature Review.
Adult spinal intradural arachnoid cysts are rare pathologic entities with an unclear etiopathogenesis. These lesions can be dichotomized into primary (idiopathic) or secondary (related to inflammation, intradural surgery, or trauma) etiologies. Limited series have depicted optimal management strategies and clinical outcomes. ⋯ Surgical intervention for spinal intradural arachnoid cysts improves thoracic back pain. The literature supports surgical intervention for symptomatic primary spinal intradural arachnoid cysts with improved clinical outcomes. Surgery should be cautiously considered for secondary cysts given worse outcomes.
-
Multicenter Study
Spinal arachnoid webs in adults: Clinical and imaging features in a multicenter study.
Spinal arachnoid webs (SAWs) are rare and can present with myelopathic symptoms. This study aims to add 85 more cases of SAWs to the literature so we can continue to analyze clinical and imaging trends of SAWs to better understand this entity and its natural history. ⋯ We present 85 additional cases of SAWs to the existing literature. Our cases all occurred in the dorsal thoracic subarachnoid space, predominantly from T2 to T6. Patients present with symptoms like other causes of cord compression, and spinal MR studies should be evaluated routinely for the findings of SAWs. Further research could focus on understanding SAW prevalence, risk factors, and pathophysiology.