Introduction: Sarcopenia associated with stroke can significantly impact patient prognosis; however, the current standard diagnostic methods for sarcopenia are rarely used in stroke patients. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate whether the temporal muscle thickness (TMT) or area (TMA) could serve as a surrogate marker for measuring skeletal muscle mass. Methods: This retrospective chart review study was conducted on 244 participants from March 2018 to February 2020. The TMT and TMA were measured at the supraorbital roof level using brain CT or T1-weighted MR imaging obtained from participants. The skeletal muscle mass and skeletal muscle index (SMI) and whole-body phase angle (WBPA) at 50 kHz were collected. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between the TMT or TMA and the results of the bioimpedance analysis. Results: The mean TMT showed significant positive correlations with skeletal muscle mass (male, r = 0.520; female, r = 0.706), SMI (male, r = 0.426; female, r = 0.582), and WBPA (male, r = 0.295; female, r = 0.232). The mean TMA showed significant positive correlations with skeletal muscle mass (male, r = 0.490; female, r = 0.657), SMI (male, r = 0.289; female, r = 0.473), and WBPA (male, r = 0.232; female, r = 0.243). Conclusion: We observed moderate to strong positive correlations between body composition analysis measured by BIA and TMT or TMA, suggesting that TMT or TMA could serve as a reliable surrogate marker for identifying low skeletal muscle mass in cerebrovascular disease.

Objective: Primary frozen shoulder causes significant pain and progressively restricts shoulder movements. Diagnosis is primarily clinically based on patient history and physical examination. Management is mainly non-invasive owing to its self-limiting clinical course. However, clinical practice guidelines for frozen shoulder have not yet been developed in Korea. The developed guidelines aim to provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of frozen shoulder.Methods: A guideline development committee reviewed the literature from four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and KMbase). Using the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome) framework, the committee formulated two backgrounds and 16 key questions to address common clinical concerns. Recommendations were made using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework.Results: Diabetes, thyroid disease, and dyslipidemia significantly increase the risk of developing a frozen shoulder. Although frozen shoulder is often self-limiting, some patients may experience long-term disabilities. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging should be used as adjunctive tools alongside clinical diagnosis, and not as independent diagnostic methods. Noninvasive approaches, such as medications, physical modalities, exercises, electrical stimulation, and manual therapy, may reduce pain and improve shoulder function. Other noninvasive interventions have limited evidence, and their application should be based on clinical judgment. Intra-articular steroid injections are recommended for treatment, and physiotherapy or hydrodilatation with steroid injections can also be beneficial.Conclusion: These guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing and treating primary frozen shoulder.

Shin S, et al. Brain Neurorehabil. 2024 Nov;17(3):e20. https://doi.org/10.12786/bn.2024.17.e20

Recently, ultrasound measurements of the shoulder such as thickening of the rotator interval (RI) and the axillary recess (AR) are suggested as specific indicators of adhesive capsulitis. Herein, we evaluated the sequential changes in ultrasound parameters and clinical impairments and the correlation between the two in the case of adhesive capsulitis through a prospective observational study of 56 patients with adhesive capsulitis. Clinical assessments and ultrasound parameters, including the thicknesses of the RI and AR, were surveyed at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 months. In 56 patients with adhesive capsulitis, the thickness of the AR significantly decreased at each follow-up evaluation, but the thickness of the RI showed a significant decrease only between the baseline and 1-month evaluation. In repeated analyses of correlation, the thickness of the AR was strongly correlated with all clinical impairments except the pain at rest and range of internal rotation in the affected shoulder. The thickness of AR was correlated with clinical impairments in patients with adhesive capsulitis during the 6 months follow up and could be useful as a surrogate marker in patients with adhesive capsulitis.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) are major complications of spinal cord disease. However, studies of their incidence in Korean patients are limited. Thus, this study investigated the incidence and risk factors of DVT and PTE in Korean patients with spinal cord disease.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 271 patients with spinal cord disease who were admitted to a rehabilitation unit within 3 months of disease onset at a tertiary hospital. The presence of DVT and PTE was mainly determined using Doppler ultrasonography and chest embolism computed tomography. Risk factor analysis included variables such as sex, age, obesity, completeness of motor paralysis, neurological level of injury, cause of injury, lower extremity fracture, active cancer, and functional ambulation category (FAC) score.Results: The incidences of DVT and PTE in the patients with spinal cord disease were both 6.3%. Risk factor analysis revealed that age of ≥65 years (p=0.031) and FAC score of ≤1 (p=0.023) were significantly associated with DVT development. Traumatic cause of injury (p=0.028) and DVT (p<0.001) were significant risk factors of PTE. Conclusion: Patients with spinal cord disease developed DVT and PTE within 3 months of disease onset with incidence rates of 6.3% and 6.3%, respectively. Age of ≥65 years and an FAC of score ≤1 were risk factors for DVT. Traumatic cause of injury and DVT were risk factors for PTE. However, given the inconsistent results of previous studies, the risk factors for DVT and PTE remain inconclusive. Therefore, early screening for DVT and PTE should be performed in patients with acute-to-subacute spinal cord disease regardless of the presence or absence of these risk factors.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional survey of Korean patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) within 6 months post-injury. Objectives: To evaluate urodynamic parameters and identify unfavorable urodynamic findings in patients with neurogenic bladder due to SCI during the acute to subacute stages of the disease based on the post-injury time interval. Setting: National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Korea. Methods: Data from urodynamic tests performed on individuals with SCI within 6 months post-injury were collected. Based on the time interval from injury to testing, the recruited patients were divided into three groups: 0–90 days, 91–135 days, and 136–180 days. Based on these groups, urodynamic test parameters and incidence of high-risk findings (high detrusor pressure exceeding 40 cmH₂O during the filling phase, low compliance of the bladder, and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia [DSD]) and unfavorable urodynamic findings (detrusor overactivity [DO], underactive or acontractile bladder) were compared. Results: Analysis of urodynamic study (UDS) findings in 191 individuals with acute to subacute SCI, revealed that unfavorable urodynamic findings were observed within 3 months after injury in both complete and incomplete SCI. The UDS test results and incidence of unfavorable outcomes based on the interval between injury and examination showed no significant statistical differences over time. Conclusions: The urodynamics of individuals with SCI suggest that high-risk or unfavorable urodynamic results are common in the acute to subacute stages of SCI.