Browsing by Author "Ilić-Stojanović, Olivera (24401526100)"

Introduction/Objective The aim of the paper was to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of ultrasound treatment procedure on defined clinical parameters and changes of electrodiagnostic parameters at the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome patients. Methods Thirty-five patients (50 hands) were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG) (20 patients (29 hands)) and the control group (CG) (15 patients (21 hands)). Twenty sessions of ultrasound treatment were performed over a period of seven weeks and control examination was performed during the eighth week from the initial session. Clinical assessment parameters (pain intensity, superficial sensibility, and Tinel sign), and electrodiagnostic parameters (motor distal latency – mDL), median sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), and median sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) were assessed both at baseline (T1) and at control (T2). Results There is significant improvement of pain intensity (T1 – 10.4/58.6/31; T2 – 65.5/27.6/6.9; p < 0.001) and superficial sensibility (T1 – 3.4/69/27.6; T2 – 44.8/34.5/20.7; p < 0.001) in the EG after the treatment. In the EG, there is significant reduction in frequency of positive Tinel’s sign (T1 – 100/0; T2 – 62.1/37.9; p < 0.001), and mDL significantly decreased after the treatment (T1 – 4.7 ± 1.3; T2 – 4.5 ± 1.2; p = 0.007), while SNAP (T1 – 20.2 ± 15.4; T2 – 24.4 ± 16.5; p < 0.001) and SNCV (T1 – 36.5 ± 9.8; T2 – 42.6 ± 9.7; p < 0.001) significantly increased. Conclusion Ultrasound treatment along with exercises have positive short-term effects and benefits on improvement of clinical and electrodiagnostic findings in individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome. © 2018, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Background/Aim. Despite vitamin D insufficiency being widely reported, in Serbia the epidemiological data lack information regarding vitamin D status in the sera of postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of inadequate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in postmenopausal Serbian women with seasonal variations of 25(OH)D, in relation to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods. A total of 95 postmenopausal women, mean age 65.1 ± 9.08 years, were examined. Measurements of 25(OH)D and PTH were performed both in the winter and the summer period, using electrochemiluminiscence immunoassays. BMD (g/cm2) was measured by the dualenergy x-Ray absortimetry (DXA) method on the spine and hip areas. Results. A decreased value of vitamin D (< 75 nmol/L) in 88.4% of postmenopausal women and an elevated level of PTH (> 65 pg/mL) in 25.3% of the cases were found. Elevated PTH varied individually, but was mostly increased if 25(OH)D was equal or lower than 37.6 nmol/L. 25(OH)D insufficiency was found in winter in 94.5% and in summer in 80% of the cases (p < 0.01). The mean of the PTH was higher (p < 0.05) in winter than in summer. A significant negative correlation between 25(OH)D and PTH (p < 0.001) was proved. Correlation between 25(OH)D and PTH with BMD at lumbar spine was established in the whole group, but at the femoral neck in women aged over 65 years (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Our results showed a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (88.4%) among postmenopausal women. The levels of 25(OH)D and PTH changed significantly according to the season.