BACKGROUND: Balance disorders cause disability in stroke and increase risk of falls. The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), examines balance, determines parameters causing balance disorders, provides information on risk factors for falls. OBJ

Targeted intervention for subgroups is a promising approach for the management of patellofemoral pain. Treatment designed according to subgroups will improve clinical outcomes in patients unresponsive to multimodal treatment. Prospective crossover intervention. Level 3. Patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP; n = 61; mean age, 27 ± 9 years) were enrolled. Patients with PFP received standard multimodal treatment 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Patients not responding to multimodal treatment were then classified into 1 of 3 subgroups (strong, weak and tight, and weak and pronated foot) using 6 simple clinical tests. They were subsequently administered 6 further weeks of targeted intervention, designed according to subgroup characteristics. Visual analog scale (VAS), perception of recovery scale (PRS), 5-Level European Quality 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L), and self-reported version of the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs scale (S-LANSS) were used to assess pain, knee function, and quality of life before and after the interventions. In total, 34% (n = 21) of patients demonstrated recovery after multimodal treatment. However, over 70% (n = 29/40) of nonresponders demonstrated recovery after targeted treatment. The VAS, PRS, S-LANSS, and EQ-5D-5L scores improved significantly after targeted intervention compared with after multimodal treatment (P < 0.001). The VAS score at rest was significantly lower in the “weak and pronated foot” and the “weak and tight” subgroups (P = 0.011 and P = 0.008, respectively). Posttreatment pain intensity on activity was significantly lower in the “strong” subgroup (P = 0.006). Targeted treatment designed according to subgroup characteristics improves clinical outcomes in patients unresponsive to multimodal treatment. Targeted intervention could be easily implemented after 6 simple clinical assessment tests to subgroup patients into 1 of 3 subgroups (strong, weak and tight, and weak and pronated foot). Targeted interventions applied according to the characteristics of these subgroups have more beneficial treatment effects than a current multimodal treatment program.

Background/Objectives: Feeding difficulties in late preterm infants are a major factor contributing to prolonged hospitalization and re-admission. Early support for the sucking and swallowing muscles may accelerate their maturation, facilitating safe and early discharge. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the Kinesio-taping technique on feeding muscles and assess feeding and swallowing function in late preterm infants through the acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds. Methods: Seventy-four late preterm infants (mean gestational age 35.30 ± 0.81 weeks) were randomly assigned to either a Kinesio-taping group or a control group. A single physiotherapist applied Kinesio taping to support the masseter and hyoid muscles, using a facilitatory technique to enhance muscle function. The Kinesio taping was removed two days after its application. The amount of milk intake, the time for milk intake, oxygen saturation during milk intake, the number of days required for transition to full oral feeding, the length of hospital stay, the duration of oxygen requirement, the maximum number of rhythmic swallows, and the heart rate during milk intake were recorded using a digital stethoscope before and two days after Kinesio-taping application. The collected data were assessed through acoustic analysis. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the Kinesio-taping and control groups regarding milk intake amount, feeding duration, oxygen saturation during feeding, the transition time to full oral feeding, the length of hospital stay, or the duration of oxygen support (p > 0.05). However, a significant difference was found between the groups in the maximum number of rhythmic swallows during feeding and the heart rate during milk intake (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The application of the Kinesio-taping technique showed no adverse effects on preterm infants in the NICU during the feeding skills intervention. The assessment of acoustic analysis revealed a significant difference in the maximum number of rhythmic swallows and heart stabilization during feeding in the Kinesio-taping group. Further studies are warranted, incorporating different application types and techniques with larger sample sizes, especially among preterm infants with an early gestational age in the NICU, to stabilize the suck and swallow muscles.

In addition to medical care and intervention, physiotherapy and rehabilitation practices are used for the health of premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. Thus, it is aimed to reach physiological stability of the premature baby, to maintain growth and development, to minimize the risk of complications due to preterm birth, and to support neuromotor and behavioral development. As a member of the interdisciplinary team in the neonatal intensive care unit, the neonatal physiotherapist plays an active role in family education and environmental regulations, as well as planning the physiotherapy program that includes pulmonary and neuromuscular physiotherapy applications customized according to the gestational age and needs of the baby. With physiotherapy approaches, the health of the premature baby is supported in terms of neuromotor and behavioral development, while contributing to parent-infant attachment. In this review, physiotherapy and rehabilitation approaches applied to premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit are described.

Objectives: In healthy young adults, thoracic kyphosis can be attributed to a number of factors, including a sedentary lifestyle, stress, poor posture, activity and daily habits, muscle pain, fatigue, and anxiety. In regard to clinical diagnosis and evaluation methods, high-cost radiological measurements and a variety of non-radiological clinical methods are employed. In this study, a decision support system that performs automatic thoracic kyphosis angle measurements has been developed with the objective of avoiding exposure of the human body to radiation and reducing the time required for measurements. Methods: The features were determined with reference to the thoracic kyphosis measurements that were manually marked by the expert on the subjects. The kyphosis angle was calculated by automatically identifying the T1 and T12 points through image segmentation using a convolutional neural network (CNN), which is a type of deep learning algorithm. Results: Intra-class consistency of ICC > 0.95 (p < 0.05) and internal consistency reliability of Cronbach’s α = 0.947 are obtained. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm exhibits high intra-class consistency and high internal consistency reliability to provide an automated thoracic kyphosis angle measurement system.