The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and sonographic effects of the ultrasound (US) therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), and Kinesio taping (KT) in the lateral epicondylitis (LE). A total of 40 patients with LE were included in the present study. The patients were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: US (n = 13), ESWT (n = 14), and KT (n = 13) groups. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores significantly decreased in all groups (p < 0.05). Grip strength significantly increased after eight weeks in only the KT group (p < 0.05). The Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation Scale (PRTEE) scores significantly decreased after two weeks and after eight weeks in the US and ESWT groups and after eight weeks in the KT group (p < 0.05). The common extensor tendon (CET) thicknesses significantly decreased after eight weeks in only the ESWT group (p < 0.05). The US therapy, KT, and ESWT are effective in reducing pain and improving functionality. However, none of these treatment methods were found to be superior to the others in reducing the pain and improving functionality.

Background: Sarcopenia, an age-related decline in muscle mass and function, poses significant health risks. While AI tools like ChatGPT-4 (ChatGPT-4o) are increasingly used in healthcare, their accuracy in addressing sarcopenia remains unclear. Methods: ChatGPT-4’s responses to 20 frequently asked sarcopenia-related questions were evaluated by 34 experts using a four-criterion scale (relevance, accuracy, clarity, Ccmpleteness). Responses were rated from 1 (low) to 5 (high), and interrater reliability was assessed via intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: ChatGPT-4 received consistently high median scores (5.0), with ≥90% of evaluators rating responses ≥4. Relevance had the highest mean score (4.7 ± 0.5), followed by accuracy (4.6 ± 0.6), clarity (4.6 ± 0.6), and completeness (4.6 ± 0.7). ICC analysis showed poor agreement (0.416), with Completeness displaying moderate agreement (0.569). Conclusions: ChatGPT-4 provides highly relevant and structured responses but with variability in accuracy and clarity. While it shows potential for patient education, expert oversight remains essential to ensure clinical validity. Future studies should explore patient-specific data integration and AI comparisons to refine its role in sarcopenia management.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a chronic syndrome commonly characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. Current evidence suggests that FMS diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and patient-reported symptoms. MicroRNAs, which serve as key regulators of gene expression, have been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of FMS and other chronic pain syndromes. In this pilot study, miRNA-223-3p expression levels were examined in patients with FMS, and their relationship with pain intensity—assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)was evaluated. To obtain a broader understanding of the inflammatory response, serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels were also measured. miRNA-223-3p expression levels were significantly reduced in the FMS group compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05), whereas IL-1β levels did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.1135). The negative correlation between miRNA-223-3p and VAS scores indicates that lower miRNA levels are associated with increased pain severity. Overall, these results suggest that reduced miRNA-223-3p expression levels may be linked to neuroimmune processes and heightened pain perception in FMS. The findings provide valuable preliminary insights that may guide future studies with larger sample sizes.

Objectives: Back pain during pregnancy is a common issue that impacts the quality of life for many women. YouTube has become an increasingly popular source of health information. Pregnant women often turn to YouTube for advice on managing back pain, but the quality of available videos is highly variable. This study aimed to assess the quality and comprehensiveness of YouTube videos related to back pain during pregnancy. Methods: A YouTube search was conducted using the keyword "back pain in pregnancy", and the first 100 resulting videos were included in the study. After a thorough review and exclusion of ineligible videos, the final sample consisted of 71 videos. Various parameters such as the number of views, likes, viewer interaction, video age, uploaded source (healthcare or nonhealthcare), and video length were evaluated for all videos. Results: Regarding the source of the videos, 44 (61.9%) were created by healthcare professionals, while 27 (38%) were created by nonprofessionals. Videos created by healthcare professionals had significantly higher scores in terms of DISCERN score, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, and Global Quality Scale (GQS) (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate a statistically significant and strong positive correlation among the three scoring systems (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Videos created by healthcare professionals were generally of higher quality, but many videos were still rated as low-moderate quality. The majority of videos focused on self-care strategies, with fewer discussing other treatment options. Our findings highlight the need for improved quality and comprehensiveness of YouTube videos on back pain during pregnancy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate retinal and choroidal microvascular changes in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) treated with long-term anti-TNF therapy and NSAIDs and in healthy control subjects using optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCT-A). Methods: A total of 162 eyes from 81 participants were included: 52 eyes from 26 axSpA patients treated with anti-TNF therapy (≥5 years), 44 eyes from 22 axSpA patients treated with NSAIDs, and 66 eyes from 33 healthy control subjects. SS-OCT-A imaging was used to assess retinal thickness, ganglion cell layer thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and the vessel densities of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillaris (CC). Disease activity was assessed with ASDAS-CRP. Results: Both axSpA subgroups showed a significant expansion of the foveal avascular zone and reduced SCP and DCP densities compared to the controls. The CC vessel density was higher in axSpA patients than in healthy subjects. The anti-TNF group had a lower CC vascular density than the NSAIDs group. The disease duration correlated with a decreased central DCP density and increased paracentral SCP and CC densities. Conclusions: SS-OCT-A revealed subclinical retinal and choroidal changes in axSpA patients, highlighting the impact of chronic inflammation on the retinal vasculature. While anti-TNF therapy effectively controls systemic inflammation, it cannot completely prevent microvascular changes. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical relevance of these results.

This retrospective observational study evaluated the efficacy of 2 different surgical approaches for the treatment of frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis). This study aimed to compare the efficacy, safety, and recovery times of the 2 treatment modalities. Fifty patients diagnosed with frozen shoulder and treated at Seyhan State Hospital were included in the study. The patients were retrospectively divided into 2 groups based on the treatment received. Group 1 consisted of 25 patients who underwent standard closed manipulation under anesthesia, a technique involving passive movements of the shoulder joint to tear the tight capsule and expand the range of motion (ROM). Group 2, which included 25 patients, underwent closed manipulation in addition to open bursectomy and biceps tendon capsule release. Open bursectomy involves surgical removal of the bursa to alleviate inflammation, while biceps tendon capsule release addresses chronic biceps tendonitis by partially removing the capsule of the tendon. Data on demographic information, operative details, preoperative and postoperative conditions, and patient-reported outcomes were collected and analyzed. Data analysis revealed that the combination of closed manipulation with open bursectomy and biceps tendon capsule release was more effective in reducing pain, increasing ROM, and improving quality of life than closed manipulation alone. The discussion would typically elaborate on how the results compare with existing literature, the clinical implications, and any potential limitations of the study. The results showed that the method that combined closed manipulation with open bursectomy and biceps tendon capsule release was better than closed manipulation alone in terms of reducing pain, increasing ROM, and improving quality of life.