Physical rehabilitation of lung transplant candidates and recipients plays an important in optimizing physical function prior to transplant and facilitating recovery of function post-transplant. As medical and surgical interventions in lung transplantation have evolved over time, there has been a demographic shift of individuals undergoing lung transplantation including older individuals, those with multiple co-morbidites, and candidates with respiratory failure requiring bridging to transplantation. These changes have an impact on the rehabilitation needs of lung transplant candidates and recipients. This review provides a practical approach to rehabilitation based on research and clinical practice at our transplant centre. It focuses on functional assessment and exercise prescription during an uncomplicated and complicated clinical course in the pre-transplant, early and late post-transplant periods. The target audience includes clinicians involved in pre- and post-transplant patient care and rehabilitation researchers.

With improved survival rates in solid organ transplantation there has been an increased focus on long‐term outcomes following transplant, including physical function, health‐related quality‐of‐life and cardiovascular mortality. Exercise training has the potential to affect these outcomes, however, research on the optimal timing, type, dose of exercise, mode of delivery and relevant outcomes is limited. This article provides a summary of a 2‐day meeting held in April 2013 (Toronto, Canada) in which a multi‐disciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, administrators and patient representatives engaged in knowledge exchange and discussion of key issues in exercise in solid organ transplant (SOT). The outcomes from the meeting were the development of top research priorities and a research agenda for exercise in SOT, which included the need for larger scale, multi‐center intervention studies, development of standardized outcomes for physical function and surrogate measures for clinical trials, examining novel modes of exercise delivery and novel outcomes from exercise training studies such as immunity, infection, cognition and economic outcomes. The development and dissemination of “expert consensus guidelines,” synthesizing both the best available evidence and expert opinion was prioritized as a key step toward improving program delivery.

Low muscle mass is common in lung transplant (LTx) candidates; however, the clinical implications have not been well described. The study aims were to compare skeletal muscle mass in LTx candidates with controls using thoracic muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) from computed tomography and assess the association with pre- and post-transplant clinical outcomes. This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study of 527 LTx candidates [median age: 55 IQR (42-62) years; 54% male]. Thoracic muscle CSA was compared to an age- and sex-matched control group. Associations between muscle CSA and pre-transplant six-minute walk distance (6MWD), health-related quality of life (HRQL), delisting/mortality, and post-transplant hospital outcomes and one-year mortality were evaluated using multivariable regression analysis. Muscle CSA for LTx candidates was about 10% lower than controls (n = 38). Muscle CSA was associated with pre-transplant 6MWD, but not HRQL, delisting or pre- or post-transplant mortality. Muscle CSA (per 10 cm difference) was associated with shorter hospital stay [0.7 median days 95% CI (0.2-1.3)], independent of 6MWD. In conclusion, thoracic muscle CSA is a simple, readily available estimate of skeletal muscle mass predictive of hospital length of stay, but further study is needed to evaluate the relative contribution of muscle mass versus functional deficits in LTx candidates.

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IMPORTANCE Low diaphragm muscle mass at the outset of mechanical ventilation may predispose critically ill patients to poor clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE To determine whether lower baseline diaphragm thickness (Tdi) is associated with delayed liberation from mechanical ventilation and complications of acute respiratory failure (reintubation, tracheostomy, prolonged ventilation >14 days, or death in the hospital).

Deficits in quadriceps muscle strength and physical performance are common in LTx candidates and further research is needed to assess whether modifying muscle function pretransplant can lead to improved clinical outcomes.

The new 2017 diagnostic criteria for hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) provide a framework for diagnosing hEDS but are more stringent than the previous Villefranche criteria. Our clinical experience at the GoodHope EDS clinic was that the 2017 criteria left many highly symptomatic patients without a diagnosis of hEDS. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to confirm our clinic experience and assess the accuracy of the 2017 diagnostic criteria for hEDS in patients who had a previous hEDS diagnosis based on the Villefranche criteria. Our study found that 15% (n = 20 of 131) of patients with a prior diagnosis of hEDS met the 2017 diagnostic criteria, and many of the traits used to distinguish hEDS were not significantly more frequent in patients who met 2017 criteria versus those who did not. In both groups objective systemic manifestations were found less frequently than subjective systemic manifestations. Beighton score (BS) as assessed by primary care practitioner was found to be higher than assessment by EDS practitioner in 81% (n = 74 of 91) of cases. Generalized joint hypermobility was confirmed in only 46% (n = 51 of 111) of patients who had a previous diagnosis of hEDS. Higher BS did not correlate with increased number of systemic manifestations in our cohort. Common comorbidities of hEDS were found with similar frequency in those who met 2017 criteria and those who did not. Based on our cohort, the 2017 hEDS diagnostic criteria require refinement to improve its diagnostic accuracy.

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