Aim: To investigate the frequency of fatigue and musculoskeletal symptoms and their correlation with laboratory data in patients with COVID‐19.Methods: This study included 80 patients hospitalised and treated for COVID‐19 in the infectious diseases clinic between March 2020 and May 2020. Data analysis was performed retrospectively from the hospital medical charts. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, and laboratory findings were noted. Clinical symptoms and correlations with laboratory results were assessed. Besides, an analysis of patients with and without chronic disease was performed for clinical symptoms and laboratory findings.Results: The frequencies of myalgia and fatigue were 46.1% and 50%, respectively. In the laboratory data, there was a significant increase in creatinine kinase (CK) level and lymphocyte count in the patients with myalgia symptoms (P < .05). There were no other significant results in the laboratory data. Of the patients with chronic disease, it has been shown that hemoglobin levels were significantly decreased (P < .05), while D‐dimer was markedly increased (P < .05).Conclusion: The laboratory findings of COVID‐19‐related myalgia suggested that patients might have a risk of progressive muscle injury. Therefore, these patients should also be followed up in terms of the myopathic process.

Context:Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint condition. Muscle dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of knee OA.Objective:It has been suggested that the agonist–antagonist strength relationship for the knee may be better described by a functional hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) ratio (Hconcentric/Qeccentric: the representative of knee flexion and Qeccentric/Hconcentric: the representative of knee extension). Therefore, in this study, the authors aimed to investigate this ratio and its importance for knee OA.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:Research clinic.Patients or Other Participant(s):Twenty healthy women and 20 women with grade 2 or grade 3 primer knee OA between the age of 50 and 80 years were included in this study.Intervention(s):Concentric and eccentric peak torque of quadriceps and hamstring muscles were evaluated for all individuals in patient and control groups with a Cybex isokinetic device. Functional H/Q ratio is calculated manually.Main Outcome Measure(s):Functional H/Q torque ratios were analyzed between the patients with OA and healthy individuals by using the isokinetic system.Results:The values of peak torque of hamstring concentric and eccentric and quadriceps concentric for the patient group were significantly lower than the control group (P < .05). No statistically important difference was found for quadriceps eccentric peak torque between 2 groups (P > .05). H/Q ratio for extension in the patient group was significantly higher than the control group (P < .05), whereas the H/Q ratio for flexion in the patient group was significantly lower than the control group (P < .05).Conclusion:This study showed the weakness of both quadriceps and hamstring muscles in patients with knee OA. The combination of functional H/Q ratio with hamstring and quadriceps muscles concentric and eccentric strength values can help to analyze the knee functions and develop preventive-therapeutic approaches for knee OA.

Ezgi Akyildiz Tezcan, M.D., Funda Levendoglu, M.D., Mehmet Sedat Durmaz, M.D., Hasan Kara, M.D., Elif Balevi Batur, M.D., Ilknur Albayrak Gezer, M.D., Muslu Kazım Korez, Ph.D.. J Rheum Dis 2023;30:36-44. https://doi.org/10.4078/jrd.22.0028

Background: The study aims to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of five clinical shoulder tests in the diagnosis of supraspinatus tears and tendinosis when compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A total of 116 shoulders of 106 consecutive patients who experienced shoulder pain were assessed for this cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study. Patients were assessed with the most commonly used clinical shoulder tests, including the Jobe test (empty can), Neer test, drop arm test, Hawkins test, and full can test to identify supraspinatus tears and tendinosis. MRI examinations were performed on a 1.5 Tesla MRI system, and images were assessed by a blinded radiologist. The primary outcomes were to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the five clinical tests and to establish their correlation with MRI for supraspinatus tears and tendinosis. Results: The Hawkins test had a higher sensitivity and accuracy when diagnosing tears (sensitivity 89.66% [95% CI, 78.83-96.11] and accuracy 56.03% [95% CI, 46.51-65.23], respectively) and higher sensitivity in tendinosis (79.07% [95% CI, 63.96-89.96]). The drop arm test had a lower sensitivity but higher specificity in both tendinosis and tears (sensitivity 0% [95% CI, 0-8.22] and 12.07% [95% CI, 4.99-23.29], respectively, and specificity 87.67% [95% CI, 77.88-94.21] and 96.5% [95% CI, 88.09-99.58], respectively). The Neer test had a higher positive predictive value (PPV) of 37.21% in diagnosing tendinosis. When compared to the Hawkins test, the combination of the clinical tests had no statistically significant contribution to sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion: The Hawkins test had higher accuracy in diagnosing tears and was the most sensitive in diagnosing supraspinatus tendinosis and tears when compared to the MRI findings. The Neer test may also be another reliable tool for the diagnosis of tendinosis due to its higher PPV.

Fatigue is one of the significant problems of post-stroke patients as it causes a decreased quality of life. Although the fatigue impact scale (FIS) is used in stroke, it lacks validation studies.T...