Objective. To study if Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in rehabilitation (a field where complex interventions prevail) published in main journals include all the details needed to replicate the intervention in clinical practice (clinical replicability).Study Design and Setting. Forty-seven rehabilitation clinicians of 5 professions from 7 teams (Belgium,
Background
This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the adductor canal block (ACB) in comparison to intra-articular steroid-lidocaine injection (IASLI) to control chronic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pain.
Methods
A randomized, single-blinded trial in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic recruiting chronic KOA with pain ≥ 6 months over one year. Following randomization, subjects received either a single ACB or IASLI under ultrasound guidance. Numerical rating scale (NRS) scores for pain, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) were recorded at baseline, 1 hour, 1 month, and 3 months post-injection.
Results
Sixty-six knees were recruited; 2 were lost to follow-up. Age was normally distributed (
P
= 0.463), with more female subjects in both arms (
P
= 0.564). NRS scores improved significantly for both arms at 1 hour, with better pain scores for the IASLI arm (
P
= 0.416) at 1st month and ACB arm at 3rd month (
P
= 0.077) with larger effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.085). Lower limb function improved significantly in the IASLI arm at 1 month; the ACB subjects showed greater functional improvement at 3 months (Cohen’s d = 0.3,
P
= 0.346). Quality of life (QoL) improvement mirrored the functional scores whereby the IASLI group fared better at the 1st month (
P
= 0.071) but at the 3rd month the ACB group scored better (Cohen’s d = 0.08,
P
= 0.710).
Conclusions
ACB provides longer lasting analgesia which improves function and QoL in chronic KOA patients up to 3 months without any significant side effects.
We describe a case of 55-years-old man with a known T11 AIS C since 1985. The muscle strength of his left leg is better than the right leg and he is an active community ambulator. He walks using his right knee ankle foot orthosis without a knee lock. However, on April 2012 he had undergone a left transtibial amputation secondary to infected diabetic foot ulcer. He only had his first contact with rehabilitation team 2 months after the amputation and started on gait retraining since. Given the fact that he is a K3 level as he used to climb Batu Caves which is known to have 272 steps and he plans to continue this activity for his religious purposes, we prescribed him with prosthesis - patella tendon bearing socket, pin and lock suspension, silicone liner and energy storing foot. In conclusion, a community ambulator in dual disabilities, that is, spinal cord injury and amputee is hardly encountered due to multiple confounding factors. However, the right prosthetic prescription in patient with good prognosticating factors to ambulate will determine successful rehabilitation.
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