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

No description available.

Thesis (MScPhysio)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ankle sprains are reportedly the most common lower limb injury amongst active individuals. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether treatment interventions employed by physiotherapists during the first week of functional rehabilitation of an ankle sprain, at primary care level, were aligned with evidence-based guidelines for acute ankle sprains. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants: A total of 91 physiotherapists from the Western Cape Metropole (WCM) completed questionnaires. Method: Physiotherapists' treatment interventions were recorded based on a case study of a typical moderately sprained ankle. According to classification of the West Point Ankle Grading System, a moderate sprain is a partial macroscopic tear of the ligaments with moderate pain, swelling and tenderness with some loss of motion and mild to moderate instability of the joint. Anticipated return to sport is two to six weeks. Relative occurrence of selected interventions during the first week of rehabilitation was calculated. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences between physiotherapists' responses and the recommendations of the practice guidelines. Results: Physiotherapists' overall selections of treatment interventions were in alignment with the "Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie" (KNGF) guidelines and correlated positively to the recommendations stipulated by KNGF therein. Physiotherapists indicated many interventions for which good evidence exists: compression, cryotherapy, early mobilisation, and neuromuscular exercises. It is of concern that 49% – 91% (n = 91) physiotherapists indicated some form of manual mobilisations for which there is a lack of evidence, and more than two-thirds indicated the application of an electrotherapy intervention, which is not recommended in the guidelines. Conclusion: Physiotherapists should reconsider interventions for which there is no evidence as this may reduce cost of care, without compromising patient outcomes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verslae dui daarop dat verstuite enkels die mees algemene besering van die onderste ledemaat van aktiewe persone is. Doelwit: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om vas te stel of fisioterapeute in primere gesondheidsorg se keuse van rehabilitasie tegnieke gedurende die eerste week van funksionele rehabilitasie na 'n enkel besering, op koers is met bewysgebaseerde kliniese riglyne in die hantering van akute enkel beserings. Ontwerp: 'n Beskrywende deursnit ondersoek is geloods. Deelnemers: 'n Vooraf opgestelde vraelys is deur 91 fisioterapeute in die Weskaapse metropool voltooi. Metodiek: 'n Gevalle studie is aangebied van 'n tipiese matige verstuite enkel. Die respondent moes hulle tegnieke in die hantering van die geval aandui. Volgens die klassifikasie van die “West Point Grading System” word so 'n verstuiting gekenmerk deur makroskopiese gedeeltelike skeur van die enkel ligamente, matige pyn, swelsel en tasteerheid van die area. Dit gaan gepaard met 'n effense verlies van beweging en stabiliteit van die gewrig. Die prognose vir so 'n besering om na sport terug te keer is om en by twee tot ses weke. Die insidensie van aanwending van geselekteerde metodes van behandeling gedurende die eerste week en die verhouding met die vooraf geselekteerde behandelings riglyne opgestel deur die “Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie” (KNGF) is bereken en ontleed. Die “Chi-square” toets is gebruik om die verskil te bereken tussen die respons van die Fisioterapeute en die aanbevelings van die kliniese riglyne. Resultate: Oorkoepelend is die keuses van behandelings tegnieke deur die fisioterapeute in lyn met die riglyne van die 'Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie' (KNGF). Verskeie sinvolle behandelings is gekies waarvoor daar positiewe aanduidings was, byvoorbeeld: lokale kompressie, ys terapie, en oefeninge. Dit is egter kommerwekkend dat 49 – 91% (n=91) van die deelnemers 'n manuele tegniek ingesluit het waar daar tans gebrekkige aanduidings voor bestaan. Verder, het meer as twee derdes van die fisioterapeute aangedui dat hulle elektroterapie sou gebruik wat nie in riglyne aanbeveel word nie. Gevolgtrekking: Fisioterapeute moet die gebruik van tegnieke waarvoor daar nie duidelike bewyse in die literatuur bestaan nie, heroorweeg, want dit mag die koste van behandeling verminder, sonder om die positiewe resultate van herstel, negatief te beinvloed.

published_or_final_version / Pharmacology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Anatomy / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Anatomy / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Orthopaedics and Traumatology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

As a result of medical advancement and cultural patterns of Western society, traumatic head injury is increasingly a problem for the injured, their families, medical and social services professionals, and the community at large. Head trauma is remarkable because of the complex nature of the residual disabilities which include long lasting cognitive and emotional problems, social isolation, and family disruption. The purpose of this study was to re-examine the phenomenon of recovery after mild to moderate head injury using an ethnographic research approach. The data were based on the experiences of 21 disabled and their families in the community setting. The disabled represented a range of stages of recovery and severity of disability. The data was collected using three field work strategies: extensive semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and non-academic document review. After collection the data was subjected to thematic and content analysis, that resulted in the selection of themes that characterized the experiences for the head injured and their families. The themes for the head injured informants were: dead days, loneliness, and forgetting. The family members' experiences were represented in the themes: responsibility, vulnerability, tough love, gender differences, and reactions to the experience. Next the data were interpreted using five theoretical concepts from cultural anthropology: liminality, personhood, social labelling, sick role and double bind. In addition, the reflexive influence of the investigator on the research process was addressed. The trustworthiness of the ethnography was assessed in terms of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Several variables were found to be important to the long term outcome of head injury. These variables were: family directed therapy, double bind communication patterns, and lifelong recovery. Two other factors were found to be critical for the recovery of the head injured. These were economic disincentives to the return to employment and the importance of the social and family environment. In the final section the research and policy implications of the study were discussed in relation to management and service provisions.

This dissertation experimentally explores digital optical computing and optical interconnects with theoretical supports, from the physics of materials and the optimization of devices to system realization. The trend of optical computing is highlighted with the emphasis on the current development of its basic constituent elements, and a couple of algorithms selected to pave the way for utilizing bistable devices for their optical implementations. Optical bistable devices function as "optical transistors" in optical computing. The physics of dispersive optical bistability is briefly described. Bistable ZnS interference filters are discussed in detail regarding their linear and nonlienar characteristics. The optimization of switching characteristics for a bistable ZnS interference filter is discussed, and experimental results are shown. Symbolic substitution which fully takes advantage of regular optical interconnects constitutes two steps: pattern recognition and symbol scription. Two experiments on two digital pattern recognitions and one on a simple but complete symbolic substitution have been demonstrated. The extension of these experiments is an implementation of a binary adder. A one-bit full adder which is a basic block for a computer has been explored experimentally and demonstrated in an all-optical way. The utilization of a bistable device as a nonlinear decision-making element is further demonstrated in an associative memory experiment by incorporating a Vander Lugt matched filter to discriminate two partial fingerprints. The thresholding function of a bistable device enhances the S/N ratio and helps discrimination in associative memory. As the clocking speed of a computer goes higher, e.g. greater than several GHz, the clock signal distribution and packaging become serious problems in VLSI technology. The use of optical interconnects introduces a possible solution. A unique element for holographic optical interconnects, which combines advantages of computer generated hologram and DCG recording material, is discussed. Pattern design of a specific computer generated hologram and a proposed fabrication process are described. Experimental results suggest that this unique element has the capability of being tailored to perform multiple fan-out with resulting uniform tightly-focussed spots, and coupling between devices, e.g. source-to-fiber and fiber-to-waveguides, etc.