Combination of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and ibuprofen to reduce pain in femoral head necrosis

Boyu Liu; Ran Wei; Hongbo Zhu; Xuelu Zhao; Guang Wang

doi:10.62347/NEOQ3253

Combination of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and ibuprofen to reduce pain in femoral head necrosis

Am J Transl Res. 2024 Aug 15;16(8):3851-3858. doi: 10.62347/NEOQ3253. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Boyu Liu¹, Ran Wei², Hongbo Zhu¹, Xuelu Zhao¹, Guang Wang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Engineering University Handan 056000, Hebei, China.
² Department of Orthopedics, Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Cangzhou 056000, Hebei, China.
³ Department of Orthopedics, Cangzhou People's Hospital Cangzhou 061000, Hebei, China.

Abstract

Objective: The combinative effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and ibuprofen on pain in patients with femoral head necrosis were discussed and analyzed.

Method: This retrospective study analyzed data of 60 patients with femoral head necrosis hospitalized during Oct. 2020 to Oct. 2021. According to different treatment methods, the patients were divided into an observation group and a control group (30 cases in each group). The control group took oral ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, and the observation group was treated with neuromuscular electrical stimulation in addition to ibuprofen. Both groups received a 4-week treatment course. The therapeutic efficacy, Harris scale scores, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, MRI hip imaging stage, SF-36 scale score, serum plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), leptin and osteopontin levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.

Results: After treatment, the overall response rate in the observation group was higher than that in control group (P<0.05). The post-treatment scores of Harris scale were higher in both groups than those pre-treatment (P<0.05), and were higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The VAS scores were decreased in both groups (P<0.05), and the decrease was more significant in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, there were more patients with 0-I MRI hip imaging stage in the two groups than before treatment (P<0.05), and more in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The SF-36 scores in both groups were increased (P<0.05), and the increase was more significant in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The serum levels of PAI-1, leptin and osteopontin were decreased in both groups (P<0.05), and the decreases were more significant in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The combinative treatment of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and ibuprofen has a significant effect on patients with femoral head necrosis. The treatment can remarkably reduce patients' pain, improve their hip function and quality of life, and decrease the PAI-1, leptin and osteopontin levels.

Keywords: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation; curative effect; femoral head necrosis; ibuprofen; pain.