Primary osteoarthritis treatments such as a total hip (THR) or knee (TKR) replacement lead to postural control changes reinforced by age. Balance tests such as standing with eyes open (EO) or closed (EC) give a possibility to calculate both linear and nonlinear indicators. This study aimed to find the group of linear and/or nonlinear measures that can differentiate healthy people and patients with TKR or THR from each other. This study enrolled 49 THR patients, 53 TKR patients, and 16 healthy controls. The center of pressure (CoP) path length, sample entropy (SampEn), fractal dimension (FD), and the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) were calculated separately for AP and ML directions from standing with EO/EC. Cluster analysis did not result in correct allocation to the groups according to all variables. The discriminant model included LyE (ML-EO, ML-EC, AP-EC), FD (AP-EO, ML-EC, AP-EC), CoP-path AP-EC, and SampEn AP-EC. Regression analysis showed that all nonlinear variables depend on the group. The CoP path length is different only in THR patients. It was concluded that standing with EC is a better way to assess the amount of regularity of CoP movement and attention paid to maintain balance. Nonlinear measures better differentiate TKR and THR patients from healthy controls.

Exercises in virtual reality (VR) have recently become a popular form of rehabilitation and are reported to be more effective than a standard rehabilitation protocol alone. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of adjunct VR training in improving postural control in patients after total knee replacement surgery (TKR). Forty-two patients within 7–14 days of TKR were enrolled and divided into a VR group and a control group (C). The C group underwent standard postoperative rehabilitation. The VR group additionally attended twelve 30-min exercise sessions using the Virtual Balance Clinic prototype system. Balance was assessed on the AMTI plate in bipedal standing with and without visual feedback before and after the four-week rehabilitation. Linear measures and sample entropy of CoP data were analyzed. After four weeks of rehabilitation, a significant reduction in parameters in the sagittal plane and ellipse area was noted while the eyes remained open. Regression analysis showed that sample entropy depended on sex, body weight, visual feedback and age. Based on the sample entropy results, it was concluded that the complexity of the body reaction had not improved. The standing-with-eyes-closed test activates automatic balance mechanisms and offers better possibilities as a diagnostic tool.

Total knee replacement (TKR) is the treatment of choice for advanced stages of osteoarthritis but it requires good postoperative rehabilitation. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of exercises using virtual reality to improve gait parameters in patients after TKR. Fifty-nine patients 7–14 days after TKR surgery were divided into a study group (VRG, n = 38) and a control group (CG, n = 21). Both groups underwent the same 4-week rehabilitation protocol. The VRG group had 12 additional nonimmersive virtual reality game sessions on the Virtual Balance Clinic prototype system at 30 min each, focusing on gait and balance improvement. Spatiotemporal, force and foot plantar pressure parameters were collected on an instrumented treadmill during a 30 s walk. The most significant improvement was in the symmetry indices of forefoot force, maximum forefoot force, loading response time, and preswing time (p < 0.05) in both groups. Gait speed increased by 31.25% and 44% in the VRG and CG groups, respectively (p < 0.005). However, the extra exergaming sessions did not significantly improve rehabilitation outcomes. Therefore, additional VR training does not improve gait better than standard rehabilitation alone, but the improvement of gait, especially its symmetry, is significant within the first six weeks after surgery.

Wprowadzenie: Ziarna pyłku ze względu na mikroskopijne rozmiary, wszechobecność i odporność na zniszczenie stanowią niezwykle cenny materiał biologiczny, który może być wykorzystany w postępowaniu dochodzeniowym. Cel pracy: Określenie składu gatunkowego ziaren pyłku osadzonych na ubraniu i skórze ciała osób spacerujących w okolicach powiatu włodawskiego w okresie letnim. Materiał i metody: Badaniom zostały poddane ziarna pyłku zdeponowane na powierzchni skóry i elementach garderoby osób spacerujących w czterech miejscowościach powiatu włodawskiego. Materiał pobierano na preparaty z taśmą dwustronnie klejącą. Skład jakościowy oraz ilościowy ziaren pyłku oceniono po analizie preparatów mikroskopowych przy powiększeniu 400-krotnym. Wyniki: W przeprowadzonych badaniach zidentyfikowano ziarna pyłku roślin kwitnących w lecie, czyli w okresie, w jakim został przeprowadzony eksperyment. Z analizy palinologicznej wynika, że najdogodniejszym miejscem osadzania się ziaren pyłku jest powierzchnia ubrania na ramionach oraz powierzchnia skóry na przedramionach, natomiast najmniej ziaren znaleziono na powierzchni skóry na łydkach. Z analizy statystycznej wynika, że różnice w liczebności sporomorf zdeponowanych na różnych powierzchniach nie są istotne statystycznie. Wnioski: Materiał palinologiczny zabezpieczany z podejrzanych lub ofiar powinien być pobierany z różnych części ubrania i skóry, ponieważ nie przyczepia się do nich w jednakowy sposób.

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