Approximately 25% of women over the age of 50 in the United States will suffer one or more vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) related to osteoporosis. VCFs are the most common of all osteoporotic fractures, with an incidence of approximately 700,000 annually. Such a fracture may cause significant pain, disability, and loss of general health and mobility and may lead to a progressive decline in quality of life. This is a review of the clinical literature on VCFs, including patient presentation, methods of diagnosis, and current rehabilitation and medical management. Much of the pain and disability that follow a VCF may be minimized by addressing the psychological impact of such a fracture, using current medications to help limit bone loss and preserve bone mass, adhering to a well-planned rehabilitation program, and consideration of vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty in appropriate patients. A multifaceted approach will help to optimize recovery from a VCF related to osteoporosis.

Mast cell leukemia is a rare, severe disease that may manifest through an array of clinical presentations, including vasomotor flushing and hypotension. Leukemic infiltrate of muscle and bone may rarely occur, resulting in nonspecific myalgias, bony pain, and neuropathic pain secondary to compression of nerves by bone. Mast cell leukemia as a clinical entity has not been well described. We present the case of a 25-year-old man with a remote medical history of germ cell tumor who was initially diagnosed with mast cell leukemia after presenting with low back pain. One and a half years later, the patient presented with a chief complaint of back pain and myalgias and was found to have relapsed mast cell leukemia. Medical management and, specifically, rehabilitation of these patients can be extremely difficult. This report shows the complex management of patients with mast cell leukemia.

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is a type of paraneoplastic syndrome that may initially manifest with weakness and gait abnormalities. These symptoms may precede the diagnosis of malignancy by months or years, and morbidity and mortality may be significantly affected by early detection of the malignancy. A case report and review of the diagnosis, management, and treatment of these syndromes are presented, with particular emphasis on the rehabilitation management of these patients, often overlooked in medical treatment.

Xiong Y, Lachmann E, Marini S, Nagler W. Thoracic disk herniation presenting as abdominal and pelvic pain: a case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82;1142-4. We report the case of a young woman who presented with a 2-month history of severe abdominal and pelvic pain. The past history was significant for a fall from a bicycle 1 week before the onset of her pain. Physical examination was remarkable for periumbilical tenderness. Work-up including pelvic sonogram and diagnostic laparoscopy suggested endomyometritis. The pain was minimally relieved by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and narcotic analgesics. Thoracic spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large disk herniation at the T9-10 level compressing the spinal cord. The patient subsequently underwent T9-10 diskectomy and laminectomy with dramatic relief of her symptoms. Postoperative rehabilitation hastened her functional improvement. This is a rare case of symptomatic thoracic disk herniation after trauma presenting as abdominal and pelvic pain. Physicians should be aware of this unusual presentation of thoracic disk herniation to avoid invasive diagnostic procedures. © 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Sacral insufficiency fractures (SIF) are a type of stress fracture that occur primarily in postmenopausal women. They were first described in 1982 by Lourie and have since been frequently overlooked as a cause of low back, buttock, or groin pain. We present two cases of SIF to demonstrate the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with SIF. Both patients were elderly women with complaints of pelvic and low back pain in the absence of significant trauma. Physical examination was significant for marked sacral tenderness. Diagnostic imaging supported the diagnosis of SIF. Both patients underwent early rehabilitation, including early ambulation, and had good functional outcomes. These patients serve to illustrate how conservative treatment yields excellent clinical results in the majority of patients, with most reporting improvement within 1-2 weeks after fracture and complete resolution of symptoms after 6-12 months of treatment.

Unilateral extremity swelling may be secondary to two major causes in female patients with cancer, deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and lymphedema. In women of all ages, DVT is high on the differential diagnosis list for unilateral extremity swelling. However, in women with an underlying malignancy, DVT and lymphedema must both be considered. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment are necessary to improve the quality of life and function of the female patient with cancer.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a type of paraneoplastic syndrome that primarily affects women with gynecological cancers. Patients typically experience pancerebellar symptoms, including gait ataxia, dysarthria, nystagmus, and truncal and appendicular ataxia. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman with PCD and presumed ovarian cancer who initially complained of ataxia and dysarthria. PCD was diagnosed on the basis of her symptoms, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory work. PCD symptoms may precede the diagnosis of malignancy by months or years. Early diagnosis and treatment of these syndromes, including rehabilitation, may result in improvements in quality of life for this population of patients.

Sacral insufficiency fractures are an often unsuspected cause of low back pain in elderly women with osteoporosis who have sustained minimal or no trauma. Many of the references in the literature advocate bed rest initially; however, we support early mobilization, because most of these fractures are stable and require no surgical intervention. With good pain control, patients can begin progressive ambulation with assistive devices in a supervised environment and minimize the complications of immobility.

Liu S, Tunkel R, Lachmann E, Nagler W. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration as the first evidence of cancer: a case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:834-6. Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is the most frequently seen paraneoplastic syndrome affecting the brain. PCD is most commonly associated with cancers of the ovary, breast, and lung. The anti-Purkinje cell antibodies (anti-Yo) that specifically damage the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum are found in the patient's serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The typical presentation of PCD includes limb and truncal ataxia, often along with dysarthria. This report describes the case of a 47-year-old woman without significant medical history who developed new onset of unsteady gait, headache, and vertigo. The imaging studies suggested rhombencephalitis. The patient initially responded to corticosteroid treatment. Unfortunately, her gait ataxia worsened and she developed dysarthria, neither of which responded to increasing dosages of corticorsteroids. Extensive imaging studies showed no evidence of tumor, but the patient was found to have positive anti-Yo antibodies and elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA-125). Pathology results from exploratory laparotomy revealed stage III C adenocarcinoma of the ovary. This case demonstrates that PCD may be the presenting symptom of an occult malignancy. The pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of PCD, and its rehabilitation implications, are reviewed. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

s of Scientific Papers and Posters Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Academic Physiatrists

Transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy is a rare, self-limiting skeletal disorder, the origin of which remains unclear. We report the case of a 36-year-old Japanese woman who developed pain in the left hip, groin, and knee in the seventh month of pregnancy. The pain gradually worsened and prevented weight-bearing. The hip and knee pain progressed to bilateral involvement and persisted after an emergent cesarean section at 35 weeks. Radiographs after delivery revealed gross osteopenia of both the femoral heads, left distal femur, and proximal tibia, consistent with transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy. The patient remained mostly wheelchair-dependent because of severe hip and knee pain. Several weeks later, the patient was started on alendronate, a biphosphonate, which provided dramatic relief of hip and knee pain. The patient's ambulatory function subsequently improved dramatically as a result of pain relief and assistance with gait training. This case is unique for several reasons. First, it is rare for transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy to involve both hip joints, and it rarely involves the knee. Second, this is the first reported case of pain management of transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy being successfully treated with an antiresorptive agent. Finally, the use of alendronate in transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy may help shorten disability by providing pain relief and decreasing the fracture risk associated with this disease.

Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) usually involves tethering of the lower cord at the conus medullaris from dural abnormalities, but may occur after spinal cord herniation. A tethered thoracic spinal cord is rare. We present an unusual case of a 30-year-old woman with a history of myelopathy presumed to be secondary to T6 cord compression resulting from T6–T8 arachnoid cyst. She continued to deteriorate after partial excision of the cyst. Repeat magnetic resonance imaging suggested recurrence of the presumed arachnoid cyst with cord compression and showed tethering at T6–T8. Surgical exploration revealed myelocele with cord herniation through the anterior thoracic dura. Pathologic diagnosis showed neural tissue with gliosis. After physical therapy treatments, the patient had increased lower extremity strength, ambulated with a cane, and regained some bladder control. Progressive myelopathy may represent tethering of the cord resulting from cord herniation. Early recognition of TCS, even in patients with minimal neurologic deficits, could prevent progressive disability.

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system, non-caseating granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. Although spinal cord involvement is rare, it may cause severe neurological complications. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman who developed low back pain and a progressive flaccid paraparesis whose investigations revealed pulmonary and spinal sarcoidosis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of sarcoidosis of the conus medullaris and cauda equina diagnosed by an unusual enhancement pattern observed on magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium. Biopsy of the lumbar nerve roots and of the lung revealed a non-caseating granuloma. Treatment with steroids and intensive rehabilitation resulted in remarkable functional improvement. Although rare, sarcoidosis of the conus medullaris and cauda equina should be considered in the differential diagnosis of flaccid paraparesis, particularly in patients with non-diagnostic evaluations.

Insufficiency fractures of the pelvis are commonly overlooked as causes of severe hip and low back pain. Predisposing factors include postmenopausal osteoporosis, corticosteroids, and local irradiation. Differential diagnosis includes metastatic disease to bone. We present the case of a 65-year-old woman who had a 2-month history of low back pain and left groin pain. Her medical history included osteoporosis and endometrial cancer that was treated with radiation therapy to the pelvis 1 year prior to presentation. Despite bed res, analgesics, and therapeutic modalities, her pain remained intractable and prevented ambulation. Plain radiographys showed no fracture. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging showed fractures of the pelvis but were suggestive of malignancy. CT-guided bone biopsy was consistent with radiation osteonecrosis. After diagnosis and continued therapy, the patient progressed to ambulation with moderate discomfort. Failure to diagnose insufficiency fractures could lead to further pelvic irradiation, compromising already weekend bones and causing prolonged disability.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, characterized by pain, swelling, vasomotor instability, and trophic changes in an extremity, has been infrequently described in patients with occult malignancy. Two cases of reflex sympathetic dystrophy associated with local tumor involvement are reported. Both patients had a history of cancer in clinical remission. Despite aggressive physical therapy measures, the patients' symptoms persisted. Workup of the first patient found an apical paravertebral mass in the lung; biopsy revealed recurrent breast carcinoma. In the second case, workup found an axillary mass contiguous with the lower brachial plexus. Biopsy revealed lymphoma, a second primary malignancy. In both cases, medical treatment of the tumor was instituted, with consequent improvement of hand and shoulder function. Both patients required prolonged hospitalization and multiple procedures that might have been avoided if malignancy had been suspected. Spontaneous development of reflex sympathetic dystrophy in patients with a history of cancer should alert the physician to the possibility of occult malignancy.