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Biomedical subjects

F Genêt

Publications and source records attributed to F Genêt.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

[Radiculopathy following intrathecal baclofen pump implantation].

INTRODUCTION: Intrathecally delivered baclofen has been used as a treatment for severe spasticity since 1984. After a successful intrathecal baclofen trial, a programmable drug delivery system was implanted. Few early complications such as infection or hematoma are observed after this surgery. OBJECTIVE: To describe an unusual and unknown complication of intrathecal baclofen therapy. METHOD: We report 2 cases of complications of intrathecal baclofen therapy, radiculalgy, that appeared early after pump implantation. The clinical symptoms and computed tomography (CT) results are described. RESULTS: The first patient described pain, which evoked left S1 radiculopathic features. The second had left L5 radiculopathic involvement. The mean pain level was estimated on a 10-point visual analog scale as 7.5 (range 4-9). Lumbar CT scan showed a conflict between the symptomatic root and the catheter and eliminated other causes of the symptoms. Treatment with analgesic drugs was successful in 1 patient. The other presented with proximal disconnection of the catheter, which led to surgical replacement of the catheter. The pain disappeared after this surgery. CONCLUSION: Intrathecal baclofen therapy with a subcutaneously implanted progammable pump can be complicated by radiculalgy secondary to a conflict between the catheter and symptomatic root. The diagnosis is made by CT lumbar scan. If medical treatment is not sufficient, surgery could be proposed to replace the catheter.

Adult↗

[Psychobehavioural assessment for chronic low back pain].

INTRODUCTION: Psychobehavioural assessment may be a complementary approach to assess response to treatment for pain and disability in patients with low back pain. OBJECTIVES: To assess the correlation between psychobehavioural factors and pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain in France. METHODS: We asked 83 patients with chronic low back pain to complete questionnaires during a primary care consultation by a general practitioner. Pain was measured by a visual analog scale (VAS), disability by the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and psychobehavioural factors by the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and the Coping Strategy Questionnaire (CSQ). RESULTS: Pain was poorly correlated with anxiety (R = 0.36) and scores on the FABQ 1 (R = 0.46) and FABQ 2 (R = 0.30) and not correlated with depression (R = 0.22), duration of pain evolution (R = 0,10) and body mass index (R = 0.12). The duration of stopping work was poorly correlated with disability (R = 0.35) and FABQ 1 score (R = 0.43) and not correlated with pain (R = 0.11), anxiety (R = 0.11), depression (R = 0.26) and FABQ 2 score (R = 0.23). Disability was poorly correlated with scores on the FABQ 1 (R = 0.45) and FABQ 2 (R = 0.3), anxiety (R = 0.39) and depression (R = 0.47) and not correlated with pain (R = 0.25). Dramatization is the only way to cope with pain and was correlated with pain (R = 0.34), scores on the FABQ 1 (R = 0.47) and FABQ 2 (R = 0.43), disability (R = 0.38), anxiety (R = 0.44) and depression (R = 0.46). The use of prayer was poorly correlated with FABQ 1 score (R = 0.37) and anxiety (R = 0.30). Distraction was poorly correlated with scores on the FABQ 1 (R = 0.40) and FABQ 2 (R = 0.30). No strategy was correlated with duration of pain and stopping work. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION: All the correlation assessments with psychobehaviour factors are weak. So evaluating each of these parameters will be interesting. Duration of pain was not correlated with increasing pain or change in behavioural strategy. Psychobehavioural factors are more invalidating than pain. More study is needed to assess psychobehavioural therapies in patients with low back pain.

Adult↗

[Disabled workers with motor impairments: data from an occupational health service].

INTRODUCTION: Mediclen is an occupational health service in charge of following-up 36,736 workers (divided among 1770 companies) in 3 cities of an area near Paris. The employment rate of disabled people among the French population is not well known (rough estimate 4.4%), and few studies have reported on the situation of workers with a motor impairment. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The recent computerization of medical records allowed us to identify 195 workers considered disabled by the French administration (i.e. 0.55% of the 36,736 workers followed up in 2002). Among these, 26 had a motor impairment. RESULTS: Twenty-one neurological disabilities were central and 5 were peripheral or neuromuscular. The workers were 44-years-old. Only two workers had a severe handicap. Companies had to adapt workstations for half of the workers, with the advice of neurologists (7 of 10 advice given) and once a physical medicine doctor. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION: The integration of people with motor impairments into the world of work is rare and difficult. This practical experience showed the difficulties people with motor impairment face. Close collaboration of physical medicine services with occupational health services is necessary to improve the integration of this population into the world of work.

Adult↗

[Constituted adult equine from the ankle: surgical treatment by Ilizarov external fixator].

INTRODUCTION: Ilizarov's external fixator indications are classically used in children to lengthen the lower limbs. This technique is used for adults to gradually correct articular limitations, especially in the knee, ankle and foot. METHOD AND RESULTS: We report a case of a 53-year-old patient with distal microangiopathy of the lower limbs leading to amputation of the toes and a bilateral, direct, irreducible, isolated equine feature? from the back foot to 0/50/60 degrees? on retraction of the Achilles tendon. The aim of patient management was to regain walking ability. Because of vascular and cutaneous fragility, the classical surgical treatment was contra-indicated. Progressive reduction by Ilizarov's external fixator was tried. Dorsal inflection was obtained by twice-daily screwing until a radiological angle of 90 degrees was obtained between the tibia and talus. At ten weeks post-surgery, the dorsal voluntary inflection ankle amplitude was symmetrical to 0/10/60 degrees. The patient walked with orthopaedic shoes compensating for the few degrees of residual equine. DISCUSSION: Correction of adult equine without osseous deformation by Ilizarov's external fixator should be considered when conventional surgery is contra-indicated.

Age Factors↗

Josephson junction through a thin ferromagnetic layer: negative coupling.

We investigate Josephson coupling through a ferromagnetic thin film using superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor planar junctions. Damped oscillations of the critical current are observed as a function of the ferromagnetic layer thickness. We show that they result from the exchange energy gained or lost by a quasiparticle Andreev-reflected at the ferromagnet-superconductor interface. The critical current cancels out at the transition from positive ("0") to negative ("pi") coupling, in agreement with theoretical calculations.

Journal Article↗

[Effectiveness and compliance to a center-based short rehabilitation program with a home-based program for chronic low back pain].

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and compliance to a short center-based intensive rehabilitation program followed by a home-based program for chronic low back pain. METHODS: Open prospective study in patients with chronic low back pain. The program included five weekly meetings of 12 day. Followed by a home-based program consigned on a booklet. Evaluation of deficiencies (lumbar and radicular pains on an analog visual scale, Schöber Mac Rae test, distance finger-ground, Shirado test, Sorensen test), disabilities (Quebec functional index), and handicap (analog visual scale) were assessed at J0, five weeks, three months and one year. Compliance was assessed quantitatively (a number of exercises, duration of the meetings, numbers meetings per week) and qualitatively (semi-quantitative ordinal scale). Patient's global opinion on the effectiveness of the program was collected on a semi-quantitative ordinal scale. RESULTS: 60 patients (20 women), aged of 45 +/- 10,4 years, were included. Duration of the symptoms was 110 +/- 123 months. At five weeks, a significant improvement of all parameters was observed. This improvement was maintained at three months. At 12 months, there was no more significant improvement. Compliance to the program was 64,4%. 40.7% of the patient did not realize their exercises correctly. The majority gave up back muscle isometric reinforcement exercises. Score of Shirado test, Quebec index and EVA handicap were significantly different in the group realizing the home-base program. At one year, 79% of the patients regarded this program as useful. CONCLUSION: Although quantitative compliance with the home-based program can be considered as satisfactory, the effectiveness of this intensive rehabilitation program of lumbar decrease after three months. This can be explained by a fast deterioration of qualitative compliance. The effectiveness of a short supervised program between 3 and 6 months associated a more powerful message of motivation must be evaluated.

Adult↗