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- Ranebo, Mats, 1970-
(författare)
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Rotator Cuff Tears : Short- and long-term aspects on treatment outcome
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Rotator cuff tear is a common disorder and there is a lack of knowledge of appropriate treatment and consequences of different treatment modalities. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine short- and long-term results of rotator cuff tear treatment.In Paper I we did a retrospective 21 to 25-year follow-up of a consecutive series of patients with partial and full-thickness rotator cuff tears, treated with acromioplasty without cuff repair. The cuff status had been documented in a specific perioperative protocol in all patients at the index operation. We did x-ray, ultrasonography and clinical scores with Constant score and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff index (WORC) at follow-up. We identified 111 patients with either a partial or a full-thickness tear, but at follow-up 21 were deceased and 11 were too ill from medical conditions unrelated to their shoulder. Out of the remaining 78 eligible patients, 69 were examined (follow-up rate 88 %) and they had a mean age at the index operation of 49 years (range 19-69 years). Forty-five had a partial tear and 24 a full-thickness tear at the index operation. At follow-up, 74% of patients with full-thickness tear had cuff tear arthropathy grade 2 or more according to the arthropathy classification of Hamada (grade 1 to 5) and 87% had developed tear progression (i.e. a larger tear). Corresponding numbers in those with a partial tear was 7 % arthropathy and 42 % tear progression, and the differences between the full-thickness group and the partial tear group was significant for both outcome measures (P<0.001 for both analyses). In those with arthropathy, the mean Constant score was 47 (standard deviation [SD], 23), the mean age and gender-adjusted Constant score 62 (SD, 27) and the mean WORC 58 % (SD, 26). Patients with a partial tear at follow-up had mean Constant score and WORC within the normal range. In multivariable analysis with logistic regression, having a full-thickness tear at the index operation was a risk factor for arthropathy (odds ratio [OR] 37.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.2-175.0) and for tear progression (OR 6.09; 95% CI, 1.41-26.29).In Paper II we examined the contralateral shoulder in the same patients as in paper I and with the same methodology. Sixty-one patients were examined and 38 had had a partial tear at the index operation 21-25 years ago and 23 a full-thickness tear. The overall rate of contralateral full-thickness tears was 50.8 %, which is higher than the 16-35 % rate found in previous studies of newly diagnosed cuff patients. The rate of contralateral full-thickness tear ranged from 13.6 % in patients with a partial tear in the index shoulder at follow-up, to 90 % in patients with a full-thickness tear and arthropathy in the index shoulder. There was a significant correlation regarding conditions between shoulders in the same patient, with a Spearman coefficient of 0.72 for the number of ten-dons with a full-thickness tear, 0.31 for Hamada grade of arthropathy and 0.65 for Constant score. The number of tendons with a full-thickness tear in the index shoulder at follow-up was a risk factor for a contralateral full-thickness tear (OR 3.28; 95% CI, 1.67-6.44) in a multi-variable logistic regression model. We also found that cuff tear arthropathy was significantly more common in patients who had undergone an acromioplasty (P<0.001), a finding which is not confirmatory but may generate a hypothesis.Paper III addressed 17 to 20-year results after operation with a synthetic interposition graft for irreparable cuff tears. We used X-ray, ultrasonography and clinical scores at follow-up. We identified a consecutive series of 13 patients, one of whom was deceased at follow-up. Ten of the remaining 12 participated in a complete follow-up and 2 did only x-ray examination. Nine out of 12 (75 %; 95% CI, 43-95 %) had cuff tear arthropathy Hamada grade 2 or more in the index shoulder at follow-up. The mean Constant score was 46 (SD, 26) and the mean WORC 59 % (SD, 20). Seven out of 12 had contralateral cuff tear arthropathy, and the difference in frequency of arthropathy between shoulders was not statistically significant (P=0.667).In Paper IV we tested whether early repair of small cuff tears, involving mainly supraspinatus, would give a superior clinical result com-pared to physiotherapy without repair in a prospective randomised trial with 12 months follow-up. We used Constant score as the primary out-come, and WORC, EQ-VAS and Numerical Rating Scale for pain (NRS) as secondary outcomes. We also aimed at assessing the rate of tear progression in unrepaired shoulders and the healing rate in repaired shoulders by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) performed at 12 months. With a high grade of follow-up (100 % for 12 months Constant score and 95 % for 12 months MRI), the repair group had a 12 months median Constant score of 83 (Quartile range [QR], 25) and the conservative group 78 (QR, 22). This between-group difference in medians of 4.5 (95% CI,-5 to 9; P=0.68) was not statistically significant and we did not detect any significant differences in the secondary outcomes at 12 months. The retear rate was 6.5 % in repaired patients and 29 % of unrepaired patients had a tear enlargement >5 mm.The results in this thesis indicate that patients with small, traumatic, full-thickness tears of mainly supraspinatus have no clinical benefit of early surgical repair compared to physiotherapy alone, but in the long-term, patients with full-thickness tears have an increased risk of tear progression, cuff tear arthropathy and low clinical scores. These results are especially important in the treatment decision of repair or not in younger patients. Having a full-thickness tear is also a risk factor for having a contralateral cuff tear, a phenomenon that underlines the importance of endogenous factors in the development of rotator cuff tears. If a cuff tear is not repairable to bone, the addition of a synthetic inter-position graft does not seem to prevent cuff tear arthropathy.
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- Abdulrasak, Mohammed
(författare)
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EVAR of AAA: Long term outcomes, disease progression and risk stratification
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BackgroundEndovasvular aortic repair (EVAR) is the most commonly utilised technique for the treatment of abdominal aorticaneurysms (AAA) in tertiary referral centers. Detailed long-term outcomes of this technique are relatively scarce,especially for patients presenting symptomatically with AAA. Intra-operatively, proximal type Ia endoleak, involvingblood circulating into the AAA – due to poor proximal seal of the endograft to the aortic neck region – is a fearedcomplication which is usually promptly treated, given its association with post-operative AAA expansion andrupture. Aneurysmatic disease is usually considered a progressive pathology with potential for progression toareas of the aorta beyond the known aneurysmatic segment. Arterial calcifications are established as a marker foratherosclerosis, yet the association of ilio-femoral calcification with post-operative mortality after EVAR is notknown.Aims1. Evaluate the long-term results of EVAR of AAA using a single endograft2. Compare the early and late results of EVAR of symptomatically presenting patients to those treated asymptomatically3. Study the long-term results of intra-operative treatment of type Ia endoleak using large, balloon expandable stents4. Study the progression of aortic disease for patients treated with endovascular means in the postoperative period5. Assess the novel ilio-femoral calcium score as a potential predictor for overall and cardiac-specific mortality after EVARResultsEVAR of AAA yields sustainable results in the long-term, for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Thereis ≈ x4 elevated early mortality in symptomatic patients as compared to asymptomatic ones. Intra-operativetreatment of type Ia endoleaks using large, balloon-expandable stents should be reserved to patients treatedacutely with EVAR. Aortic expansion beyond the sealing zone is relatively uncommon, and seems related to theforce exerted on the aortic wall by the endograft. Ilio-femoral calcium score may predict long-term overall andcardiac mortality after EVAR, albeit the relation is weak. Therefore, further studies are needed to establish thisassociation.
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- Byenfeldt, Marie, 1967-
(författare)
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Ultrasound based shear wave elastography of the liver : a non-invasive method for evaluation of liver disease
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Detecting liver disease at an early stage is important, given that early intervention decreases the risk of developing cirrhosis and subsequently hepatocellular cancer (HCC). The non-invasive ultrasound-based shear wave elastography (SWE) has been used clinically for a decade to assess liver stiffness. This method is reliable, rapid and can be performed in an outpatient setting without known risks for the patient. However, increased variance in SWE results has been detected, without clear explanation. Factors that affect SWE results needs to be identified. Data are insufficient regarding the reliability of SWE with different body positions and probe pressures. Men have higher SWE results than women, also for unclear reasons. Increasing the reliability of SWE is crucial for understanding how factors such as overweight and obesity, cardiovascular and antiviral medication, age, sex, smoking habits, hepatic steatosis and cirrhosis affect SWE results.Aims: The overall aim of the studies included in this thesis was to increase the reliability of SWE liver. The specific aims were to investigate patient-related factors associated with increased uncertainty in SWE results. Another aim was to investigate the influence of increased intercostal probe pressure on liver stiffness assessment with SWE liver. The final aims were to investigate the influence of postural changes, sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and skin-to-liver capsule distance (SCD) on SWE results, along with sex-based differences for SWE results and cardiovascular medication.Methods: All enrolled participants in these studies were consecutive patients with various liver diseases presenting at the radiology department Östersunds Hospital. The patients were examined using SWE liver method at the ultrasound unit between April 2014 and May 2018. Inclusion criteria were that participants be adults (age ≥18 years) who had provided written consent for participating in the study. The exclusion criterion was an inability to communicate. Current guidelines for SWE of the liver were used in the thesis with the following exceptions: In study II, increased intercostal probe pressure was used, and in study III, postural change was used. Study I included 188 patients; study II included 112 patients, and studies III and IV involved 200 patients. The four studies were conducted as cross-sectional and clinical trial, using quantitative methods.Results: Factors associated with low variance for SWE results were age, sex, and presence of cirrhosis, the use of antiviral and/or cardiovascular medication, smoking habits, and body mass index. Factors associated with increased uncertainty in SWE results were increased SCD and the presence of steatosis. With increased probe pressure SCD decreased and the quality of shear wave increased. The results showed that the number of required measurements can be reduced. A postural change to left decubitus decreased SCD. For patients with increased SAD and increased SWE result in the supine position, SWE result decreased with a postural change to left decubitus. The SWE results, SCD and SAD significantly differed between women and men. SWE results was higher in the presence of increased SAD (≥23 cm) among men, but not among women.Conclusions: SWE of the liver is a reliable, non-invasive method for diagnosing liver disease. Results in this thesis suggest that for patients with SCD ≥2.5 cm, shear wave measures could be of poor quality and the SWE exam less reliable. In these cases, increased probe pressure may facilitate a reliable SWE exam. With such adjustments in probe pressure, the ultrasound-based SWE method can be superior for examination in patients with overweight or obesity. An effect of SAD ≥23 cm was seen for men with liver fibrosis only, which may explain the higher SWE result for men compared to women. Depending on the severity of liver disease and SAD, a postural change to left decubitus can produce a different outcome. As SAD increased, liver stiffness did, as well. Increased SAD thus is linked to increased liver stiffness, indicating that SAD should be taken into account when performing SWE of the liver.
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- Malmgren, Linnea
(författare)
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Kidney Function During Ageing and its Association with Bone Mass, Fracture and Mortality
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Osteoporosis and osteoporosis related fractures are a major health care challenge both in Sweden and globally. The cost and suffering from osteoporosis are expected to increase since the population of elderly is increasing. Bone health can be affected by altered mineral homeostasis, which in its turn can be affected by reduced kidney function. However, the course of age-related decline in kidney function and its association to osteoporosis andfracture in the very elderly need further investigation since longitudinal data are scarce. Therefore, this thesis has two main aims; 1) to investigate kidney function during ageing and 2) its association to bone health in a cohort ofelderly women.Data was collected through the Malmö Osteoporosis Prospective Risk Assessment (OPRA) cohort, a prospective cohort of 1044 community dwelling women, all aged 75 and followed for ten years with reinvestigations at age 80and 85. Data on BMD, fracture and blood biochemistry was available at all three time points.Estimated kidney function greatly depends on which marker and study equation is used. The discrepancies are to such an extent that could affect whether a person is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or not, of particular importance in the elderly. Only women with the worst kidney function, corresponding to CKD stage 3b-5, had continuously increased mortality risk. This indicates that an age-dependent CKD definition would be of valuein elderly women.Kidney function in elderly women was associated with markers of mineral homeostasis, bone loss and BMD, but the effect size was relatively small compared to other risk factors. Also, fracture risk was increased only in womenwith mild-moderate reduction of kidney function (CKD stage 3a) and not in women with the worst kidney function (CKD stage 3b-5). Low BMD was associated with increased fracture risk independent of kidney function. Havingboth reduced kidney function and osteoporosis could present an additional risk increase.In conclusion, estimated kidney function in elderly women greatly depends on method of estimation and the results advocate for an age-adapted CKD definition. Maintaining adequate kidney function is important formaintaining bone health, although in old age it is probable that the effect size of any single specific risk factor is smaller compared with younger individuals.
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- Moseby-Knappe, Marion
(författare)
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Prediction of neurological outcome after cardiac arrest and targeted temperature management
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Prediction of neurological outcome in unconscious patients after cardiac arrest (CA) forms the basis for decisions on further level-of-care based on results from clinical neurological examinations, neuroimaging (CT or MRI), neurophysiology (EEG or SSEP) and blood biomarkers of brain injury. Methods must be highly specific to avoid misclassifying patients with possibilities of a good outcome. In 2015, the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) published an algorithm to identify poor outcome patients after CA. Novel methods to analyse biomarkers of brain injury have become available and may prove superior to the recommended marker Neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Purpose: I) To describe findings on head computed tomography (CT) after CA, and evaluate the prognostic accuracy of generalised oedema. II & III) To explore the prognostic accuracies of 3 novel blood biomarkers after CA: the axonal marker serum Neurofilament light (NFL), the astrocytic Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the neuronal marker Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH-L1). IV) To assess the predictive performance of the ERC/ESICM algorithm and modifications thereof. To describe prognostic accuracies of single and combined prognostic methods as recommended by the ERC/ESICM.Methods: All patients participated in the Target Temperature after Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (TTM) trial, a prospective international multicentre trial randomising adult patients with CA of presumed cardiac origin to targeted temperature managements of 33°C or 36°C for 24 hours. Papers I and IV are retrospective studies utilizing information from the TTM database. Serum samples studied in Papers II and III were collected prospectively at 24, 48 and 72 hours post-arrest, and stored in a biobank for batch analysis after trial completion. Primary outcome was poor neurological outcome, defined as Cerebral Performance Category Scale 3-5 (severe cerebral disability, vegetative state or death) at 6 months follow-up.Results: I) Early CT examinations ≤24h were usually normal. Subacutely, generalised oedema was the most common finding, and strongly associated with poor outcome. II) Already at 24 hours post-arrest, serum NFL analysed with an ultrasensitive assay (Simoa) predicted poor neurological outcome with higher prognostic accuracy than any prognostic method currently recommended in the ERC/ESICM algorithm. NFL also differentiatied between various levels of brain injury. II) GFAP and UCH-L1 may be useful as early markers 24h after CA, yet at 48 and 72 hours their prognostic accuracies were not superior to neuron specific enolase. GFAP and UCH-L1 were not elevated in hemolysis, which may prove an advantage compared to NSE. IV) The ERC/ESICM algorithm predicted poor outcome without false positive predictions (100% specificity) and identified approximately fourty percent of patients with poor outcome. Any two pathological findings according to the ERC/ESICM criteria predicted poor outcome without false positive predictions, regardless of level of unconsciousness. Withdrawal of life-sustaining-therapy (WLST) was common in the TTM trial and may have influenced our results.Conclusions: Prognostication after CA should always be multimodal. The current ERC/ESICM algorithm safely predicted poor outcome, but could benefit from minor modifications. Serum NFL has the potential to guide treatment decisions, both to predict poor outcome and to identify patients with a presumed good neurological prognosis where further treatment is life-saving.
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- Robinson, Yohan, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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AI och framtidens försvarsmedicin
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Medicinskt legitimerad personal är, och kommer med stor sannolikhet fortsattatt vara, en knapp resurs inom Försvarsmaktens sjukvårdsorganisation. I denna rapport ges en översikt över pågående och planerade ansatser baserade påartificiell intelligens (AI) inom akutsjukvård med särskild tonvikt på omhändertagandet av traumapatienter, där lösningarna skulle kunna bidra till att Försvarsmakten kan bibehålla sin sjukvårdskapacitet i kritiska lägen. Rapporten är ett resultat av samarbetet mellan FM, FOI, FMV, FHS och KI, och vänder sig i första hand till Försvarsmaktens strategiska ledning.Användningen av AI-teknik i framtida beslutsstöd kan skapa nya möjligheter till avlastning av personal och resurseffektivisering. Tekniken ger möjligheter att i realtid samla in, bearbeta och analysera stora mängder blandadinformation om förbands hälsoläge och fysiska stridsvärde. Bedömning av skadade kan t.ex. göras av triagedrönare och den efterföljande evakueringen kanunderlättas av intelligenta autonoma plattformar. Införandet av AI-system ställer dock vårdgivaren inför svåra etiska och medikolegala överväganden.Försvarsmedicin har en central roll i Försvarsmaktens krigföringsförmåga och för samhällets uthållighet. För att nyttja hela AI-teknikens framfart till Försvarsmaktens nytta måste dess innebörd och konsekvens för försvarsmedicinen förstås. Därför rekommenderar denna studie att Försvarsmaktens framtida satsningar inom AI och autonomi inkluderar den försvarsmedicinska teknikutveckling som är beskriven i denna rapport.
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- Lendaro, Eva, 1989
(författare)
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On the use of Phantom Motor Execution for the treatment of Phantom Limb Pain
- 2020
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common complaint among amputees and despite having been studied for centuries, it remains a mysterious object of debate among researcher. To date, a vast number of ways to treat PLP has been proposed in the literature, however none of them has proven to be universally effective, thus creating uncertainty on how to operate clinically. The uncertainty is largely attributable to the scarcity of well conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to prove the efficacy of PLP treatments. Phantom Motor Execution (PME) -exertion of voluntary phantom limb movements – aims at restoring the control over the phantom limb and the exercise of such control has been hypothesized to reverse neural changes implicated in PLP. Preliminary evidence supporting this hypothesis has been provided by clinical investigations on upper limb amputees. The main purpose of this Licentiate thesis was to enable a RCT on the use of PME for the treatment of PLP in order to provide robust and unbiased evidence for clinical practice. However, the implementation and kick-off of this clinical investigation required to complete few preparatory steps. For example, most amputees and PLP patients have lower limb amputation, thus PME needed to be adapted and validated for this population. Further, the RCT protocol needed to be carefully planned and made openly accessible, as per guidelines for conducting and publishing clinical RCT. Finally, a secondary aim of this thesis emerged with the need of providing long term relief from PLP to patient. Preliminary evidence seemed to indicate that in order to maintain pain relief, periodic rehearsal of the phantom motor skills acquired through PME is necessary. This raised the question of whether it is beneficial and possible to translate the technology from clinic to home use, question that was explored employing both quantitative and qualitative methods from engineering, medical anthropology, and user interface design. The work conducted within this thesis resulted in the extension of PME to lower limb patients by proposal and validation of a new and more user-friendly recording configuration to record EMG signals. The use of PME was then shown to be efficacious in relieving PLP with a case study on a patient. The protocol for the RCT was then designed and published. These two first steps permitted the establishment of the RCT, which is currently ongoing and expected to close in March 2021. With regard to the secondary aim of this thesis, the work conducted enabled PME to be used by the patients in the comfort of their home, while it also allowed investigate the benefits and challenges generally faced (not only by PME) in the transition from the clinic to home and its effects on treatment adherence. The work conducted is presented in the three appended publications. Future work includes the presentation of the results of the RCT. Further, having a way to modulate PLP is an incredibly useful tool to study the neural basis of PLP. By capitalizing on this tool, we are currently conducting brain imaging studies using fMRI and electroencephalography that are the main focus of the work that lies ahead.
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