Background: Tuberculosis has re-emerged as an infectious threatening disease. Some challenges encountered with tuberculosis are predominantly due to the lack of understanding of the disease, the rapid mutating properties of the TB microorganism, and to the lack of standardized TB screening. While great progress was made in the early 1900’s towards the development of the tuberculine skin test (TST) and successful development of an effective vaccine; the problem with standardizing accepted screening practices remain.Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to identify current TB screening practice preferences and commonalities among health care practitioners (HCPs) and to evaluate the length of time that takes HCPs to provide medical clearance to patients who tested positive for TB using a TST for screening. Methods: There were 210 participants identified as HCPs actively involved in TB screening practices. They completed a sixteen questions questionnaire. Results: Physicians were significantly more actively involved in TB screening than non-physician providers, (OR: 3.696 7 CI 1.047-13.047, p=0.03). Non-physician providers were significantly more likely to use the two-step tuberculine skin test (TST) (OR: 3.57; CI: 1.35-9.38; p = 0.007) and single blood assay (OR: 2.86; CI: 1.80-7.48; p = 0.028) than physicians. Conclusions: The findings suggest that although much research has been done on TB screening, with the advent of numerous blood assays single TB screening test, most HCPs have been extremely cautious to adopt these new practices, and continue to rely on proven TB screening tests and practice methods that have been established for many decades. However, it does not indicate that there is a commonly accepted TB screening practice among practicing HCPs. On the contrary, the study supports the variation of TB screening styles currently in use.

Zogopoulos Panagiotis is a resident of Neurosurgery at the General Hospital of Nikaia-Piraeus “Agios Panteleimon”, Athens, Greece. He has received a 6-month advanced clinical training (clinical fellow) at the Neurosurgery Department of Osaka University Hospital in Japan. Several of his papers have been published in reputed peer-review journals and he has presented various researches in international conferences.

Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder defined as pain, muscle tension or stiffness in the lumbosacral area of the spine. It results in high health costs and incapacity to work causing a significant socio-economic burden. The optimal management of non-specific chronic low back pain has yet to be determined. Recently, acupuncture for chronic low back pain in addition to routine care is receiving increased recognition and acceptance by both patients and physicians. Clinicians treating patients with chronic low back pain with acupuncture may elicit an immediate sense of calmness with subsequent well-being benefits for their patients. Apart from its analgesic effect acupuncture has been also shown to inexpensively improve functional outcome and quality of life and to be a safe and cost-effective treatment modality. In a meta-analysis of recently published clinical trials incorporating more than 10.000 patients with chronic pain, the analgesic efficacy of acupuncture compared to other treatment modalities was highly statistically significant (P< 0.001). Therefore, acupuncture should be a part of the armamentarium of every physician who treats patients with chronic low back pain.

Introduction: Few guidelines indicate immediate unrestricted weight bearing following cementless THA. Stability and ingrowth may be jeopardized by immediate loading of the implant while functional recovery may be promoted. Patients and Methods: 20 patients were managed with cementless THA and then randomized into immediate unrestricted group and graduated weight-bearing group. Clinical assessments used Harris hip score (HHS) and short physical performance battery (SPPB) immediately after surgery (initial assessment) and then 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively. Radiographs were evaluated for vertical migration of femoral stem.Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the HHS and SPPB measured at different times of assessment in the two studied groups. In unrestricted weight-bearing group, no statistically significant difference in radiological vertical micromotion of femoral stem between different assessment times was found; while in graduated weight bearing, there was statistically significant increase in the radiological vertical micromotion of femoral stem measured at 6 and 12 weeks when compared to initial assessment.Conclusion: No adverse effect of immediate unrestricted weight bearing with cementless THA was found.

Introduction:rnPhysical disability is a complex, dynamic and a multidimensional issue. Physical disability has complex relationship with various health conditions. Generally, single or multiple health conditions may interact with personal and environmental factors to produce a physical disability. However, statistics on disability and associated health conditions are lacking worldwide. rnrnObjective:rnThe objective of the present study was to describe the prevalence of physical disability and health conditions associated with physical disability. rnrnMethod:rnA community based descriptive cross sectional study was carried out among 2460 adults aged 18 to 59 years selected using cluster sampling in Kandy Municipal Council area in Central Sri Lanka. Physical disability was defined for the present study using International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Physical disability was measured using a clinical examination and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II. An interviewer administered questionnaire was administered to obtain demographic and socioeconomic data and associated health conditions information. Informed written consent was obtained from all study participants and ethical approval was granted by the ethical review committee of University of Peradeniya. rnrn

The biomechanical aetiology of so-called idiopathic scoliosis called AIS is described in Polish, English, German and in Spanish Journals in years 1995 – 2007 (T. Karski) and presented since 1995 in many Congresses and Symposia in Poland and abroad. In years 2012 – 2014 published in USA.The biomechanical aetiology of so-called idiopathic scoliosis is based on material and observations from 1984 (scholarship one month of T. Karski in Invalid Foundation Hospital in Helsinki / Finland – operator of scoliosis Dr Olai Snellman) and on material of Paediatric Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Department of Medical University in Lublin in the years 1984 – 2007/2014.They found three group and four types of scoliosis. With the type of scoliosis is connected the method of treatment and possibility of causal prophylaxis.All strengthened exercises in therapy should be reject from the program of treatment. Only the stretching exercises are proper. The causal prophylaxis should be introduced to all patients in all countries.