LAUSR

OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between gliding and lateral femoral pain (LFP) with trochanteric fracture (TF). DESIGN Prospective, cohort study. SETTING The survey was conducted at approximately 3 weeks and 11 weeks postoperatively. PARTICIPANTS Patients (N=23) with TF after surgery. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Pain was assessed using a numerical rating scale for the following five conditions: rest pain, tenderness pain, stretch pain (SP), contraction pain, and weight-loading pain (LP). Based on LP, the subjects were divided into two groups, severe and moderate. Gliding of both the vastus lateralis muscle (VL) and subcutaneous tissue (SC) were recorded during knee motion using B-mode ultrasonography with a 12 MHz linear transducer fixed on the lateral thigh using an original fixation device. Particle image velocimetry analysis software was adapted to create the flow velocity of both VL and SC from echo imaging, and two regions of interest were selected on the VL and SC. Gliding was calculated using a coefficient of correlation from each time series data-set. RESULTS Gliding and pain (stretch/contraction) were significantly different between the two groups at 3 weeks postoperation. Changes in both LP (r=0.49) and SP (r=0.42) correlated significantly with improvements in gliding. CONCLUSION Patients with LP after surgery for TF showed decreased gliding during recovery, and an improvement in gliding was associated with improvements in both LP and SP.