Hokuriku University (北陸大学, Hokuriku Daigaku), abbreviated as Hokudai (北大) is a private university in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. The university is locally nicknamed Hokudai, though typically the term is used nationwide to refer to Hokkaido University..
Background:In this retrospective study, we analyzed postoperative cervical and lumbar symptoms following cervical laminoplasty (CLP) for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). Methods:Patients with DCM (2013-2022) were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, the back pain evaluation questionnaire (BPEQ), the cervical myelopathy evaluation questionnaire (CMEQ), the neck disability index (NDI), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the visual analog scale (VAS). Preoperative and postoperative scores were compared at 1 postoperative year. Results:The study included 155 males and 55 females with an average age of 62.66 years. Patients from both groups demonstrated significant improvement in cervical and lumbar JOAs, BPEQ (ambulation, social life, and mental status), CMEQ (cervical, upper and lower extremities, and quality of life), NDI, ODI, and VAS (neck, shoulder, and upper extremities) using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Conclusion:CLP proved to be an effective treatment for alleviating cervical and lumbar symptoms associated with DCM.
Vitamin D deficiency, which is highly prevalent in modern society, is associated with health issues, including sleep–wake disorders and depression. This pilot study aimed to examine the relationship between dietary vitamin D intake or vitamin D synthesis from ultraviolet exposure and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels as an indicator of vitamin D status, as well as their association with sleep health and depressive symptoms. Twenty-nine young adult women participated in two surveys conducted in spring and summer. Vitamin D intake was estimated based on responses to a dietary questionnaire. The amount of vitamin D synthesized in the skin through ultraviolet exposure was calculated by estimating ultraviolet exposure over a 2-week period. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Sleep habits were assessed using a 2-week sleep diary, and depression and insomnia symptoms were evaluated using questionnaires. The mean (SD) serum 25(OH)D concentrations in spring and summer were 8.9 (2.9) and 15.5 (4.8) ng/mL, respectively. The median (IQR) dietary vitamin D intake adjusted for energy expenditure based on dietary surveys was 8.5 (6.6, 9.2) μg/day in spring and 6.2 (4.3, 10.2) μg/day in summer (P = 0.40). The median (IQR) amount of vitamin D produced from ultraviolet exposure increased from 10.5 (4.6, 17.4) μg/day in spring to 17.0 (10.1, 34.5) μg/day in summer (P = 0.009). Among those with low serum 25(OH)D concentrations or low vitamin D intake in summer, the delayed midpoint of sleep was observed. No significant correlation was found between changes in serum 25(OH)D concentrations from spring to summer and changes in depression or insomnia symptoms. All participants exhibited vitamin D deficiency during the spring term. In contrast, during the summer term, serum 25(OH)D levels increased, primarily due to enhanced vitamin D synthesis resulting from ultraviolet exposure of the skin. However, the observed increase in serum 25(OH)D levels from spring to summer did not correlate with any improvement in depression or insomnia symptoms.
Aging is associated with changes in intramuscular collagen structure and metabolism, which may impair mechanical adaptability and regenerative capacity. We investigated the effects of aging and repeated passive stretching on intramuscular collagen remodeling in the tibialis anterior muscles of mice. The tibialis anterior muscles of young and aged mice were exposed to repeated passive stretching, and the localization of collagen and collagen-related factors was evaluated. Baseline gene expression of collagens I and IV was significantly reduced in aged muscles and was not restored by stretching. Repeated passive stretching increased the area and intensity of collagen I immunoreactivity in both young and aged mice but produced little change in collagen IV. Stretch-induced dynamic changes in lysyl oxidase-positive cells in the extracellular matrix (ECM) were evident in young mice but were markedly attenuated in aged mice. In addition, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2 and MMP9) mRNA and protein expressions did not differ between groups. No significant age- or stretch-dependent changes were observed in the localization of advanced glycation end products. These findings suggest that although the increase in fibrillar collagen in response to stretching is maintained with aging, the regulatory mechanisms controlling ECM stabilization, particularly those related to cross-linking dynamics, may be impaired.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Adhesive capsulitis is characterized by progressive pain and restricted shoulder mobility, with inflammatory changes frequently observed in the rotator interval (RI). This study aimed to evaluate whether ultrasound-assessed RI vascularity is associated with immediate changes in shoulder external rotation range of motion following combined corticosteroid injection and radial extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (r-ESWT) in adhesive capsulitis. METHODS:In this single-group quasi-experimental preliminary study, 20 patients with adhesive capsulitis received intra-articular corticosteroid injection followed by five r-ESWT sessions targeting the RI. RI vascularity was assessed using power Doppler ultrasonography (PD-US) and graded using a four-point scale (Grades 0-3). Passive external rotation (ER) was measured before and after each session, and the immediate ER change (ΔER) was calculated. A linear mixed-effects model was employed to identify factors associated with ΔER while accounting for repeated measures. RESULTS:Vascularity grade was significantly associated with ΔER (F = 11.42, p < 0.001). Compared with Grade 3, significantly smaller gains were observed in Grades 0 (estimate = -8.72, p = 0.014) and 1 (estimate = -8.91, p = 0.003), whereas Grade 2 exhibited a smaller improvement that did not reach statistical significance (estimate = -6.23, p = 0.051). No significant associations were observed for other examined covariates. DISCUSSION:Greater RI vascularity assessed using PD-US was associated with larger immediate ΔER following combined corticosteroid injection and r-ESWT in patients with adhesive capsulitis. These exploratory findings suggest that PD-US-based vascular assessment may provide clinically relevant information regarding stage-related biological activity and short-term physiological responsiveness and warrant further investigation in larger controlled studies.
