Note:

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / Background: Attempts to determine the association between the radiographic and clinical findings of knee pathology have produced conflicting results. It is also not yet known how knee radiographs influence the conservative management of patients with knee pain. Objectives: 1. To determine the association between the clinical and radiographic diagnoses of knee pain. 2. To record the consultation at which a radiograph of the knee was requested by the student or clinician and the reasons thereof. 3. To record the suspected clinical diagnoses and management of the patients prior to referral for radiographs of the knee. 4. To determine the number of incidental radiographic findings in the selected radiographs. 5. To determine any change in the clinical diagnoses and management following radiographic reporting of the selected radiographs. Method: Radiographic and clinical data from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2010 were retrospectively collected from knee radiographs and corresponding patient files from the archives of the Chiropractic Day Clinic (CDC). Statistical analysis included the use of percentages, mean, standard deviation, range and frequency counts for the descriptive objectives. Diagnoses were categorized into specific groups and to construct two-by-two tables of absence or presence of radiographic vs. clinical diagnosis for each specific diagnosis to determine the association indicator variables were used. Results: The overall agreement between the clinical and radiographic diagnoses was 85.5%. For degenerative joint disease there was a 97.8% agreement while in Osgood Schlatter’s disease the agreement was 100%, and in chondromalacia patella the agreement was 50%. However, there was no agreement between the clinical and radiographic diagnoses for each of the other specific conditions. Degenerative changes were the most common radiographic findings. The iv majority of the knee radiographs were requested at the initial consultation and as the length of treatment increased, the frequency of radiograph requests decreased. The most common reasons for referral for radiographs were to identify degenerative changes (47.5%) and to assess for unspecified pathology (37.4%). Of the 146 patients in this study, 125 patients did not have a change in diagnosis after radiographs were obtained which means that 85.6% of the diagnoses remained the same after radiographic examination. There was a wide range of treatment modalities utilized in the management of patients with knee pain, including soft tissue therapy, electrotherapeutic modalities and manual therapy (manipulation and mobilization). The use of manual therapy increased from 67.8% prior to radiographs being taken to 82.9% after radiographs were obtained. Conclusion: Knee radiographs were over-utilized at the CDC and the findings on radiography did not have much influence on the diagnosis and the management of the patient presenting with knee pain. The majority of the clinical diagnoses were degenerative causes of knee pain. / Durban University of Technology Research Fund

Atualmente observa-se que as queixas de afecção física mais comuns do aparelho locomotor na clínica médica e do esporte, entre adultos jovens e adolescentes ativos, estão relacionadas ao joelho, sendo o sintoma de dor femoropatelar, a mais freqüente. Porém, essa condição é uma incógnita, para os especialistas em joelho, quando se tenta definir uma causa específica e de consenso. Como forma de tentar contribuir na elucidação desse problema resolveu-se executar este trabalho investigativo, buscando-se encontrar diferenças clínicas e biomecânicas entre indivíduos do sexo feminino, com e sem o referido sintoma, com idade entre 15 e 20 anos. Foram avaliadas 23 jovens com dor femoropatelar bilateral, sem afecção conhecida presente e 20 sem sintoma (46 joelhos sintomáticos e 40 assintomáticos). Todas foram submetidas a exames radiográficos (incidências: antero-posterior, perfil e axial), onde se verificou o alinhamento femorotibial, a altura patelar, o ângulo do sulco, o ângulo de congruência, e o ângulo femoropatelar lateral. Também se mensurou a retração dos isquiotibiais e o ângulo Q em exame clínico e, os indivíduos da pesquisa ainda se submeteram a avaliação da força, por dinamometria isocinética, dos grupos musculares extensores e flexores do joelho e do quadril, além dos rotadores mediais e laterais e os adutores e abdutores do quadril. Após análise dos resultados, pode ser observado que as diferenças, estatisticamente significativas, entre os grupos estudados, foram quanto ao alinhamento do membro inferior, com o ângulo Q apresentando um p < 0,001, o ângulo femoropatelar lateral com um p = 0,006, o ângulo do sulco com o p < 0,001, o ângulo de congruência com o p = 0,027 e, o único parâmetro diferente estatisticamente na dinamometria isocinética, foi o ângulo do pico de torque da extensão do quadril, com um p = 0,03. De acordo com os resultados da comparação entre o grupo sintomático e o assintomático, observa-se que há uma relação importante do mau alinhamento da articulação do joelho com a sintomatologia estudada, porém não pode ser apontado um ou outro ângulo como o mais importante para o surgimento da dor, ou talvez ainda possa ser dito que estes desalinhamentos predispõem o joelho ao sintoma, mas talvez não sejam as causas primárias da afecção. Ficou demonstrado que o aumento do ângulo Q e o encurtamento dos isquiotibiais não são causas de dor femoropatelar. Foi verificado que indivíduos com e sem o sintoma não apresentam diferença quanto a força muscular de músculos envolvidos na ação do quadril e do joelho. O ângulo femoropatelar lateral apresentou média maior no grupo assintomático, enquanto que a média do ângulo do sulco, no mesmo grupo, foi menor. Já o ângulo de congruência apresentou média positiva no grupo assintomático e negativa no grupo com dor, mostrando que a patela do grupo com dor, tem seu ápice mais medializado que a do grupo controle / Presently it has been observed that the most common physical affection in the locomotor system in medical and sportive clinic, among active young adults and adolescents are related to the knee, being femoropatellar pain symptom the most frequent. Although, this condition is unknown for those who are specialists in knee when they try to identify a specific cause and an agreement. As a way of trying to contribute for the elucidation of this problem, it has been decided to execute this investigative study trying to find clinic, radiographic and isokinetic differences among female individuals, with and without the above mentioned symptom, between 15 and 20 years old. 23 young females with bilateral femoropatellar pain were analyzed, with unknown affection, and 20 without symptoms (46 symptomatic knees and 40 asymptomatic). All of them were submitted to radiographic exams (anteroposterior, profile and axial incidences), were it was verified the femorotibial alignment, the patellar height, the groove angle, the congruence angle and the femoropatellar lateral angle. It was also measured the hamstring shortness and Q angle in clinic exam and, the individuals of this study were submitted to strength evaluation, by isokinetic dynamometry of the extensor and flexor muscles of knees and hips, besides hip medial and lateral rotators and the adducts and abducts. After analyzing the results, it can be observed that the statistically significant differences among studied groups were related to the inferior member alignment, with the Q angle presenting p value < 0,001, the femoropatellar lateral angle p value = 0,006, the groove angle p value < 0,001, the congruence angle p value = 0,027 and, the only one statistically different parameter in isokinetic dynamometry was the torque peak angle of hip extension with p value = 0,03. According to the results of comparison between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups there is an important relationship between bad alignment of the knee joint with the studied symptomatology, but it cannot be appointed one or another as the most important for the appearing of the pain, or maybe it still can be said that these disarrangements can predispose the knee to the symptom, but maybe they are not the primary causes of the affection. It was shown that the raise of the Q angle and the hamstring shortness are not the causes of femoropatellar pain. It was verified that individuals with or without the symptom do not show difference in relation to the muscular strength of the involved muscles in movement of the hip and knee. The femoropatellar lateral angle presented higher average in the asymptomatic group, while the average of the groove angle, in the same group, was smaller. Yet the congruence angle presented a positive average in the asymptomatic group and a negative average in the group with pain, showing that the patella in the group with pain has its apex more medially than the control group

Atualmente observa-se que as queixas de afecção física mais comuns do aparelho locomotor na clínica médica e do esporte, entre adultos jovens e adolescentes ativos, estão relacionadas ao joelho, sendo o sintoma de dor femoropatelar, a mais freqüente. Porém, essa condição é uma incógnita, para os especialistas em joelho, quando se tenta definir uma causa específica e de consenso. Como forma de tentar contribuir na elucidação desse problema resolveu-se executar este trabalho investigativo, buscando-se encontrar diferenças clínicas e biomecânicas entre indivíduos do sexo feminino, com e sem o referido sintoma, com idade entre 15 e 20 anos. Foram avaliadas 23 jovens com dor femoropatelar bilateral, sem afecção conhecida presente e 20 sem sintoma (46 joelhos sintomáticos e 40 assintomáticos). Todas foram submetidas a exames radiográficos (incidências: antero-posterior, perfil e axial), onde se verificou o alinhamento femorotibial, a altura patelar, o ângulo do sulco, o ângulo de congruência, e o ângulo femoropatelar lateral. Também se mensurou a retração dos isquiotibiais e o ângulo Q em exame clínico e, os indivíduos da pesquisa ainda se submeteram a avaliação da força, por dinamometria isocinética, dos grupos musculares extensores e flexores do joelho e do quadril, além dos rotadores mediais e laterais e os adutores e abdutores do quadril. Após análise dos resultados, pode ser observado que as diferenças, estatisticamente significativas, entre os grupos estudados, foram quanto ao alinhamento do membro inferior, com o ângulo Q apresentando um p < 0,001, o ângulo femoropatelar lateral com um p = 0,006, o ângulo do sulco com o p < 0,001, o ângulo de congruência com o p = 0,027 e, o único parâmetro diferente estatisticamente na dinamometria isocinética, foi o ângulo do pico de torque da extensão do quadril, com um p = 0,03. De acordo com os resultados da comparação entre o grupo sintomático e o assintomático, observa-se que há uma relação importante do mau alinhamento da articulação do joelho com a sintomatologia estudada, porém não pode ser apontado um ou outro ângulo como o mais importante para o surgimento da dor, ou talvez ainda possa ser dito que estes desalinhamentos predispõem o joelho ao sintoma, mas talvez não sejam as causas primárias da afecção. Ficou demonstrado que o aumento do ângulo Q e o encurtamento dos isquiotibiais não são causas de dor femoropatelar. Foi verificado que indivíduos com e sem o sintoma não apresentam diferença quanto a força muscular de músculos envolvidos na ação do quadril e do joelho. O ângulo femoropatelar lateral apresentou média maior no grupo assintomático, enquanto que a média do ângulo do sulco, no mesmo grupo, foi menor. Já o ângulo de congruência apresentou média positiva no grupo assintomático e negativa no grupo com dor, mostrando que a patela do grupo com dor, tem seu ápice mais medializado que a do grupo controle / Presently it has been observed that the most common physical affection in the locomotor system in medical and sportive clinic, among active young adults and adolescents are related to the knee, being femoropatellar pain symptom the most frequent. Although, this condition is unknown for those who are specialists in knee when they try to identify a specific cause and an agreement. As a way of trying to contribute for the elucidation of this problem, it has been decided to execute this investigative study trying to find clinic, radiographic and isokinetic differences among female individuals, with and without the above mentioned symptom, between 15 and 20 years old. 23 young females with bilateral femoropatellar pain were analyzed, with unknown affection, and 20 without symptoms (46 symptomatic knees and 40 asymptomatic). All of them were submitted to radiographic exams (anteroposterior, profile and axial incidences), were it was verified the femorotibial alignment, the patellar height, the groove angle, the congruence angle and the femoropatellar lateral angle. It was also measured the hamstring shortness and Q angle in clinic exam and, the individuals of this study were submitted to strength evaluation, by isokinetic dynamometry of the extensor and flexor muscles of knees and hips, besides hip medial and lateral rotators and the adducts and abducts. After analyzing the results, it can be observed that the statistically significant differences among studied groups were related to the inferior member alignment, with the Q angle presenting p value < 0,001, the femoropatellar lateral angle p value = 0,006, the groove angle p value < 0,001, the congruence angle p value = 0,027 and, the only one statistically different parameter in isokinetic dynamometry was the torque peak angle of hip extension with p value = 0,03. According to the results of comparison between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups there is an important relationship between bad alignment of the knee joint with the studied symptomatology, but it cannot be appointed one or another as the most important for the appearing of the pain, or maybe it still can be said that these disarrangements can predispose the knee to the symptom, but maybe they are not the primary causes of the affection. It was shown that the raise of the Q angle and the hamstring shortness are not the causes of femoropatellar pain. It was verified that individuals with or without the symptom do not show difference in relation to the muscular strength of the involved muscles in movement of the hip and knee. The femoropatellar lateral angle presented higher average in the asymptomatic group, while the average of the groove angle, in the same group, was smaller. Yet the congruence angle presented a positive average in the asymptomatic group and a negative average in the group with pain, showing that the patella in the group with pain has its apex more medially than the control group

Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia da palmilha em cunha medial na osteoartrite (OA) com joelho valgo. Método: 30 mulheres com OA de joelhos e deformidade em valgo > 8 graus, foram randomizados em 2 grupos: o experimental, que utilizou palmilha com elevação medial no retropé de 8 mm (n = 16) e o controle que usou uma palmilha similar, sem elevação (n = 14), e em ambos associou-se um estabilizador de tornozelo. Um examinador cego avaliou dor noturna, ao movimento e ao repouso (Escala Visual Analógica), índice de Lequesne e questionário WOMAC, e os ângulos femurotibial, talocalcâneo e de inclinação do talus, no início e após 8 semanas de uso das palmilhas. Resultados: No grupo experimental, houve redução da dor ao repouso (5,06 + 2,29 vs 2,73 + 2,40, p = 0,002), ao movimento (8,13 + 1,50 vs 4,20 + 2,36, p = 0,001), e noturna (6,06 + 2,74 vs 3,13 + 2,07, p = 0,001), Lequesne (14,75 + 3,36 vs 9,60 + 3,83, p = 0,001 ) e WOMAC (74,13 + 14,20 vs 56,13 + 14,94, p = 0,001). No grupo controle, houve apenas uma leve redução da dor noturna (5,79 + 2,39 vs 4,64 + 2,38, p = 0,019). Houve um aumento do ângulo femurotibial no grupo experimental (169,05 +3,43 vs 170,81 + 3,73, p = 0,001). Os demais ângulos permaneceram inalterados em ambos os grupos. Conclusão: O uso de palmilha em cunha medial foi eficaz no controle da osteoartrite do joelho valgo. / Objective: To assess the efficacy of medial-wedge insole in valgus knee osteoarthritis (OA). Method: 30 females with valgus deformity knee OA > 8 degrees were randomized into 2 groups: an experimental group, which used insoles with medial elevation at the hindfoot of 8 mm (n = 16), and a control group which used a similar insole without elevation (n = 14), where both groups also wore ankle supports. A blinded examiner assessed pain on movement, at rest and at night (Visual Analog Scale), the Lequesne index and WOMAC questionnaire, along with femorotibial, talocalcaneal and talar tilt angles, at baseline and following 8 weeks? insole use. Results: Reductions were observed in the experimental group for pain at rest (5.06 + 2.29 vs 2.73 + 2.40, p = 0.002), on movement (8.13 + 1.50 vs 4.20 + 2.36, p = 0.001), at night (6.06 + 2.74 vs 3.13 + 2.07, p = 0.001), and in Lequesne (14.75 + 3.36 vs 9.60 + 3.83, p = 0.001 ) and WOMAC scores (74.13 + 14.20 vs 56.13 + 14.94, p = 0.001). For the control group, only a slight reduction in night pain was seen (5.79 + 2.39 vs 4.64 + 2.38, p = 0.019). There was an increase in the femorotibial angle in the experimental group (169.05 +3.43 vs 170.81 + 3.73, p = 0.001). The other angles remained unchanged in both groups. Conclusion: The use of medial-wedge insoles proved effective in controlling symptoms of valgus knee osteoarthritis

Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia da palmilha em cunha medial na osteoartrite (OA) com joelho valgo. Método: 30 mulheres com OA de joelhos e deformidade em valgo > 8 graus, foram randomizados em 2 grupos: o experimental, que utilizou palmilha com elevação medial no retropé de 8 mm (n = 16) e o controle que usou uma palmilha similar, sem elevação (n = 14), e em ambos associou-se um estabilizador de tornozelo. Um examinador cego avaliou dor noturna, ao movimento e ao repouso (Escala Visual Analógica), índice de Lequesne e questionário WOMAC, e os ângulos femurotibial, talocalcâneo e de inclinação do talus, no início e após 8 semanas de uso das palmilhas. Resultados: No grupo experimental, houve redução da dor ao repouso (5,06 + 2,29 vs 2,73 + 2,40, p = 0,002), ao movimento (8,13 + 1,50 vs 4,20 + 2,36, p = 0,001), e noturna (6,06 + 2,74 vs 3,13 + 2,07, p = 0,001), Lequesne (14,75 + 3,36 vs 9,60 + 3,83, p = 0,001 ) e WOMAC (74,13 + 14,20 vs 56,13 + 14,94, p = 0,001). No grupo controle, houve apenas uma leve redução da dor noturna (5,79 + 2,39 vs 4,64 + 2,38, p = 0,019). Houve um aumento do ângulo femurotibial no grupo experimental (169,05 +3,43 vs 170,81 + 3,73, p = 0,001). Os demais ângulos permaneceram inalterados em ambos os grupos. Conclusão: O uso de palmilha em cunha medial foi eficaz no controle da osteoartrite do joelho valgo. / Objective: To assess the efficacy of medial-wedge insole in valgus knee osteoarthritis (OA). Method: 30 females with valgus deformity knee OA > 8 degrees were randomized into 2 groups: an experimental group, which used insoles with medial elevation at the hindfoot of 8 mm (n = 16), and a control group which used a similar insole without elevation (n = 14), where both groups also wore ankle supports. A blinded examiner assessed pain on movement, at rest and at night (Visual Analog Scale), the Lequesne index and WOMAC questionnaire, along with femorotibial, talocalcaneal and talar tilt angles, at baseline and following 8 weeks? insole use. Results: Reductions were observed in the experimental group for pain at rest (5.06 + 2.29 vs 2.73 + 2.40, p = 0.002), on movement (8.13 + 1.50 vs 4.20 + 2.36, p = 0.001), at night (6.06 + 2.74 vs 3.13 + 2.07, p = 0.001), and in Lequesne (14.75 + 3.36 vs 9.60 + 3.83, p = 0.001 ) and WOMAC scores (74.13 + 14.20 vs 56.13 + 14.94, p = 0.001). For the control group, only a slight reduction in night pain was seen (5.79 + 2.39 vs 4.64 + 2.38, p = 0.019). There was an increase in the femorotibial angle in the experimental group (169.05 +3.43 vs 170.81 + 3.73, p = 0.001). The other angles remained unchanged in both groups. Conclusion: The use of medial-wedge insoles proved effective in controlling symptoms of valgus knee osteoarthritis