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Diagnostics
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Diagnostics and Assessment of Rheumatology and Physical Therapy: Clinical and...
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Diagnostics and Assessment of Rheumatology and Physical Therapy: Clinical and Technological Approaches

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 14106

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francisco Alburquerque-Sendín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Physiotherapy Section, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: research methodology; physical therapy; manual therapy; kinematics; musculoskeletal pain
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Clementina López Medina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Rheumatology Department, University Hospital Reina Sofía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
2. Maimonides Institute of Biomedical Research From Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
3. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciencies, University of Córdoba, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: spondyloarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis; psoriatic arthritis; back pain; imaging; epidemiology; machine learning; patient reported outcomes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Non-traumatic conditions of muskuloskeletal structures are the main source of pain in the general population. However, relevant gaps in the characterization of these disorders have been described, and no definitive solutions are avaliable to fix them.

Rheumatology and physical therapy share not only patients, but specific evaluation approaches, which can benefit from mutual feedback. In recent years, novel clinical and technological solutions, such as force platforms, inertial measurement units, 3D motion-capture systems, motor control devices, ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging, big data analyisis and machine learning, practice guidelines, or classification based on decision trees, among others, have improved both rheumatology and physical therapy research areas from the evidence-based paradigm.

Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to update the clinical and technological applications that can be useful for rheumatology and physical therapy diagnostics and assessment.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Alburquerque-Sendín
Dr. Clementina López Medina
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • rheumatology
  • physical therapy
  • innovative diagnostic tools
  • patient evaluation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 213 KiB  
Editorial
Future Challenges and Critical Approach to Metrology in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis
by Juan L. Garrido-Castro, Eduardo Collantes-Estévez, Francisco Alburquerque-Sendín and Clementina López-Medina
Diagnostics 2021, 11(9), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11091533 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1285
Abstract
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a rheumatic inflammatory chronic disease that mainly affects the spine, producing inflammation and structural damage at the vertebral level (erosions, syndesmophytes, and bony bridges) [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostics and Assessment of Rheumatology and Physical Therapy: Clinical and Technological Approaches)

Research

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15 pages, 2514 KiB  
Article
Morphological Parameters in Quadriceps Muscle Were Associated with Clinical Features and Muscle Strength of Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Leonardo Peterson dos Santos, Rafaela Cavalheiro do Espírito Santo, Émerson Pena, Lucas Denardi Dória, Vanessa Hax, Claiton Viegas Brenol, Odirlei André Monticielo, Rafael Mendonça da Silva Chakr and Ricardo Machado Xavier
Diagnostics 2021, 11(11), 2014; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11112014 - 29 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2517
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, inflammatory and chronic disease that may lead to loss of muscle mass, muscle strength and decreased functionality. Our objectives are to assess the quadriceps muscle morphology by ultrasound (MU) and verify its associations with clinical features, [...] Read more.
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, inflammatory and chronic disease that may lead to loss of muscle mass, muscle strength and decreased functionality. Our objectives are to assess the quadriceps muscle morphology by ultrasound (MU) and verify its associations with clinical features, muscle strength and physical function in RA patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, RA women (≥18 years) were included. Morphological parameters in quadriceps muscle consisted of the muscle thickness and pennation angle of rectus femoris (RF), vastus intermedius (VI) and vastus lateralis (VL). RA activity was measured by a 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), muscle strength by handgrip and chair stand tests, and physical function by health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), timed-up-and-go (TUG) test and short physical performance battery (SPPB). Results: Fifty-five patients were included (age: 56.73 ± 9.46 years; DAS28: 3.08 ± 1.29). Muscle thickness in RF, VI and VL were negatively associated with age (RF, p < 0.001; VI, p = 0.013; VL, p = 0.002) and disease duration (RF, p < 0.001; VI, p = 0.005; VL, p = 0.001), and were positively associated with handgrip strength (RF, p = 0.015; VI, p = 0.022; VL, p = 0.013). In addition, decreased muscle thickness in VI (p = 0.035) and a smaller pennation angle in RF (p = 0.030) were associated with higher DAS-28 scores. Conclusion: Quadriceps muscle morphology by ultrasound appears to be affected by age, disease duration, disease activity and muscle strength in patients with RA. MU can be a useful method to evaluate the impact of the disease on skeletal muscle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostics and Assessment of Rheumatology and Physical Therapy: Clinical and Technological Approaches)
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10 pages, 947 KiB  
Article
Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis Show an Altered Flexion/Relaxation Phenomenon
by I. Concepción Aranda-Valera, Juan Luis Garrido-Castro, Alfonso Martínez-Galisteo, José Peña-Amaro, Cristina González-Navas, Antonio Cuesta-Vargas, Luis Jiménez-Reina, Eduardo Collantes-Estévez and Clementina López-Medina
Diagnostics 2021, 11(5), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11050810 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3678
Abstract
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterized by the presence of inflammatory back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, the lumbar flexion relaxation phenomenon measured by surface electromyography (sEMG) differs from that in healthy individuals. However, sEMG activity in [...] Read more.
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterized by the presence of inflammatory back pain. In patients with chronic low back pain, the lumbar flexion relaxation phenomenon measured by surface electromyography (sEMG) differs from that in healthy individuals. However, sEMG activity in axSpA patients has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the flexion relaxation phenomenon in axSpA patients. A study evaluating 39 axSpA patients and 35 healthy controls was conducted. sEMG activity at the erector spinae muscles was measured during lumbar full flexion movements. sEMG activity was compared between axSpA patients and the controls, as well as between active (BASDAI ≥ 4) and non-active (BASDAI < 4) patients. The reliability (using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC)), criterion validity and discriminant validity using the area Under the curve (AUC) for the inverse flexion/relaxation ratio (1/FRR) were evaluated. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between axSpA patients and the control group in lumbar electric activity, especially during flexion, relaxation, and extension and in FRR and 1/FRR (0.66 ± 0.39 vs. 0.25 ± 0.19, respectively). In addition, significant differences were found between active and non-active but also between non-active and healthy subjects. The sEMG showed good reliability (ICC > 0.8 for 1/FRR) and criterion validity. ROC analysis showed good discriminant validity for axSpA patients (AUC = 0.835) vs. the control group using 1/FRR. An abnormal flexion/relaxation phenomenon exists in axSpA patients compared with controls. sEMG could be an additional objective tool in the evaluation of patient function and disease activity status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostics and Assessment of Rheumatology and Physical Therapy: Clinical and Technological Approaches)
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Review

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18 pages, 1069 KiB  
Review
Clinical Manifestations, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathies in Connective Tissue Diseases: More Diverse and Frequent in Different Subtypes than Expected
by Lei Jin and Yu Liu
Diagnostics 2021, 11(11), 1956; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11111956 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5762
Abstract
Purpose of review: To discuss and summarize recent findings in peripheral neuropathy (PN) related to connective tissue diseases (CTD) including its prevalence, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. Recent findings: Although PN is a common complication in CTD and has been well studied, [...] Read more.
Purpose of review: To discuss and summarize recent findings in peripheral neuropathy (PN) related to connective tissue diseases (CTD) including its prevalence, clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. Recent findings: Although PN is a common complication in CTD and has been well studied, recent research has shown that PN is more diverse and frequent in different subtypes of CTD than was expected. The incidence of PN in Sjögren’s syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) varies according to different disease subtypes, and the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain in different subtypes of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) may also differ. Neurogenic inflammation, autoantibody-mediated changes, ischemia of the vascular wall and metabolic mechanisms have been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of PN in CTD. Moreover, allergic inflammation has been recently identified as a possible new mechanism producing peripheral neuropathic pain associated with MPO-ANCA negative EGPA patients. Glucocorticoids are routinely used to relieve pain caused by PN. However, these steroids may cause hyperalgesia, exacerbate neuropathic pain, and activate the early phase of pain induction and produce hyperalgesia. Recently, neuroactive steroids, such as progesterone, tetrahydroprogesterone and testosterone, have been shown to exert protective effects for several PN symptoms, and in particular neuropathic pain. Neuroactive steroids will be an interesting topic for future research into PN in CTD. Summary: It is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of PN in CTD to be updated. Timely diagnosis, appropriate treatments, and multidisciplinary care are essential to minimize morbidity and decrease the risk of permanent neurologic deficits. Further studies are needed to guide diagnosis and treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostics and Assessment of Rheumatology and Physical Therapy: Clinical and Technological Approaches)
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