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Assessment of pain, stiffness, fatigue, and lower-extremity involvement as well as asking for a history of falls will highlight those at high risk for further falls. In addition to the general exercise program adopted for all patients, we suggest that a balance rehabilitation program should be valuable for the patients with risk factors for fall. Exercise may improve fear of falling and BASFI and BASMI scores. However, further study is needed to investigate these hypotheses. We believe that clinicians should train and support the patients via reducing fear of falls and maintaining good posture and functional capacity.

The role of genetics in the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between AIS and polymorphisms in MATN-1, LCT C/T-13910, and VDR BsmI genes. 53 Turkish adolescents with diagnosed AIS and 54 healthy adult individuals were included in the study. MATN-1, LCT C/T-13910, and VDR BsmI gene mutations were analyzed with real-time PCR. We did not detect a statistically significant difference between AIS and control groups in respect to those three different gene polymorphisms (p < 0.05). We next evaluated the associations of all three SNPs with scoliosis curve severity. There was no significant difference between curve severity and gene polymorphisms (p < 0.05). In terms of gene polymorphisms, AIS patients with a family history of AIS did not significantly differ from AIS patients who did not have history (p < 0.05). AIS might be caused by many different gene mutations, biomechanical mechanisms that have been modified by environmental factors, different biological interactions, modulation of growth, or a synergy of different factors causing abnormal control of growth. However, the existing knowledge is still not enough to explain the etiopathogenesis of AIS. Scoliosis is the three-dimensional structural deformation of the spine, where the spine curves on a coronal plane showing a lateral deviation of 108 or more.1 Scoliosis might develop due to congenital, neuromuscular, metabolic, and/or idiopathic causes. 2,3 In 80% of the cases, the cause is not revealed and such cases are called idiopathic scoliosis. Clinical observations and studies with monozygote and dizygote individuals with idiopathic scoliosis showed that hereditary or genetic factors might have a role in development of this disease.

An increased trochlear sulcus angle/trochlear depth ratio is a significant predictor of chondromalacia patella. Medial meniscus injury is more prevalent in patients with chondromalacia patella in association with impairment in knee biomechanics and the degenerative process.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease widely seen in endemic regions and that can lead to systemic involvement. The musculoskeletal system is frequently affected, and the disease can exhibit clinical involvements such as arthritis, spondylitis, spondylodiscitis, osteomyelitis, tenosynovitis and bursitis. Spondylitis and spondylodiscitis, common complications of brucellosis, predominantly affect the lumbar and thoracic vertebrae. Epidural abscess may occur as a rare complication of spondylitis. Spinal brucellosis and development of epidural abscess in the cervical region are rare. Development of epidural abscess affects the duration and success of treatment. Spinal brucellosis should be considered in patients presenting with fever and lower back-neck pain in endemic regions, and treatment must be initiated with early diagnosis in order to prevent potential complications.

Objective. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene polymorphism and its relationship between disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods. Forty-one AS patients (25 male/16 female) fullfilling the 1984 Modified New York Criteria and 41 healthy controls (25 male/16 female) were included in this study. Disease activity of the AS patients was assesed by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). The TLR4 gene polymorphism of AS patients and healthy controls were analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) System. Results. Three (7.3%) patients with AS had TLR4 gene polymorphism compared with healthy controls (0/41; 0%). Two of these patients had heterozygous mutation and one had homozygous mutation. Significant correlation was not found between TLR4 gene polymorphism and BASDAI score (p > 0.05). Conclusions. In our study, TLR4 gene polymorphism was higher in patients with AS compared with control group. But, this polymorphism was not associated with disease activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels.

The presence of the CRP gene CC wild haploid and C allele in patients may indicate an increased risk for AS.

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