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Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2Regional Variations in Psoriatic Arthritis: Insights From a Nationwide Multicenter Analysis in Türkiye(Turkish League Against Rheumatism, 2024) Kılıç, Erkan; Kılıç, Gamze; Tekeoğlu, İbrahim; Sargın, Betül; Kasman, Sevtap Acer; Alkan, Hakan; Nas, KemalObjectives: The study aimed to investigate and compare clinical features, disease activity, and the overall disease burden among psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients across seven distinct geographic regions in Türkiye. Patients and methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study involving 1,134 PsA patients from 25 referral centers across seven regions was conducted. Demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities, joint involvement, extra-articular manifestations, and disease activity measures were evaluated across regions. Results: A total of 1134 PsA patients from seven different geographic regions in Türkiye participated in this study. The highest number of participants was from the Marmara region (n=409), with subsequent representation from Central Anatolia (n=370), Aegean (n=139), Mediterranean (n=60), Black Sea (n=60), Eastern Anatolia (n=60), and Southeastern Anatolia (n=36) regions. There were significant variations in demographic profile, including age, body mass index, age of disease onset, educational status, comorbidities, and family history of both psoriasis and PsA. Clinical features, such as enthesitis, dactylitis, uveitis, and joint involvement, demonstrated significant variation across regions. Additionally, disease activity measures, including pain, patient and physician global assessments, acute phase reactants, disease activity indices, quality of life, and functional status, displayed considerable regional differences. Conclusion: This nationwide study revealed substantial regional diversity in demographic data, clinical characteristics, disease activity, and quality of life among PsA patients in Türkiye. These findings stress the need to customize treatment approaches to address regional needs and to conduct further research to uncover reasons for disparities. It is crucial to enhance region-specific approaches to improve patient care and outcomes for PsA.Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 15Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering for Regenerative Repair of Articular Cartilage Defects(Turkish League Against Rheumatism, 2009) Tur, Kazim; Department of Metallurgical and Materials EngineeringArticular cartilage defects heal very poorly and lead to degenerative arthritis. Existing medications cannot promote healing process; cartilage defects eventually require surgical replacements with autografts. As there is not enough source of articular cartilage that can be donated for autografting, materials that promote cartilage regeneration are important in both research and clinical applications. Tissue engineering involves cell growth on biomaterial scaffolds in vitro. These cells are then injected into cartilage defects for biological in vivo regeneration of the cartilage tissue. This review aims first to provide a brief introduction to the types of materials in medicine (biomaterials), to their roles in treatment of diseases, and to design factors and general requirements of biomaterials. Then, it attempts to sum up the recent advances in engineering articular cartilage; one of the most challenging area of study in biomaterials based tissue engineering, as an example to the research on regenerative solutions to musculoskeletal problems with an emphasis on the biomaterials that have been developed as scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering. The definitive goal on cartilage regeneration is to develop a system using biomimetic approach to produce cartilage tissue that mimics native tissue properties, provides rapid restoration of tissue function, and is clinically translatable. This is obviously an ambitious goal; however, significant progress have been made in recent years; and further advances in materials design and technology will pave the way for creating significantly custom-made cellular environment for cartilage regeneration. (Turk J Rheumatol 2009; 24: 206-17)Article Correlation of Clinical Signs and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients With Lumbar Spondylosis(Turkish League Against Rheumatism, 2023) Altan, Lale; Ökmen, Burcu Metin; Tuncer, Tiraje; Sindel, Dilşad; Çay, Hasan Fatih; Hepgüler, Simin; Uğurlu, HaticeObjectives: The purpose of the study was to contribute further to this debated topic by investigating the correlation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with the clinical picture in lumbar spondylosis patients. Patients and methods: This multicenter retrospective study (as part of the epidemiological project of the TLAR-OASG [Turkish League Against Rheumatism-Osteoarthritis Study Group]) included 514 patients (101 males, 413 females; mean age: 63.6±10.8 years; range, 40 to 85 years) who were diagnosed as lumbar spondylosis by clinical examination and direct X-ray between December 2016 and June 2018. Demographic characteristics of patients, Visual Analog Scale for pain, presence of radiating pain, Roland-Morris disability questionnaire, straight leg raise test, deep tendon reflexes, neurogenic intermittent claudication symptoms, any decrease of muscle strength, and abnormality of sensation were recorded. Lumbar MRI findings of the patients were recorded as positive or negative in terms of disc herniation, intervertebral disc degeneration, root compression, osteophytes, spinal stenosis. Statistical analysis was done to assess the correlation between the clinical symptoms, physical examination, and MRI findings. Results: Correlation analysis of the MRI results and the clinical findings showed a significant correlation between straight leg raise test and root compression (p<0.001, r=0.328) and a significant correlation between neurogenic intermittent claudication and spinal stenosis (p<0.001, r=0.376). Roland-Morris disability questionnaire had a significant correlation with all MRI findings (p<0.05, r<0.200). Conclusion: The results of this study corroborate the notion that diligent patient history and physical examination are more valuable than MRI findings, even though a higher incidence of abnormal MRI findings have been obtained in patients with disability and dermatomal radiating pain.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 3The Clinical, Functional, and Radiological Features of Hand Osteoarthritis: Tlar-Osteoarthritis Multi-Center Cohort Study(Turkish League Against Rheumatism, 2022) Duruoz, Mehmet Tuncay; Gursoy, Didem Erdem; Tuncer, Tiraje; Altan, Lale; Ayhan, Figen; Bal, Ajda; Ugurlu, HaticeObjectives: This study aims to evaluate the clinical, functional, and radiological features of hand osteoarthritis (OA) and to examine their relationships in different geographic samples of the Turkish population. Patients and methods: Between April 2017 and January 2019, a total of 520 patients (49 males, 471 females; mean age: 63.6 +/- 9.8 years) with hand OA were included in the study from 26 centers across Turkiye by the Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR). The demographic characteristics, grip strengths with Jamar dynamometer, duration of hand pain (month), the severity of hand pain (Visual Analog Scale [ VAS]), and morning stiffness were evaluated. The functional disability was evaluated with Duruoz Hand Index (DHI). The Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) OA scoring system was used to assess the radiological stage of hand OA. Results: The DHI had significant correlations with VAS- pain (r= 0.367, p<0.001), duration of pain (r=0.143, p=0.001) and bilateral handgrip strengths (r=-0.228, p=0.001; r=-0.303, p<0.001). Although DHI scores were similar between the groups in terms of the presence of hand deformity (p= 0.125) or Heberden's nodes (p=0.640), the mean DHI scores were significantly higher in patients with Bouchard's nodes (p=0.015). The total number of nodes had no significant correlations with the VAS-pain and DHI score (p>0.05). The differences between the groups of radiological hand OA grades in terms of age (p= 0.007), VAS-pain (p<0.001), duration of pain (p<0.001), and DHI (p<0.001) were significant. There were no significant differences between radiological hand OA grades according to the duration of the stiffness, grip strength, and BMI (p>0.05 for all). Conclusion: In our population, the patients with hand OA had pain, functional disability, and weak grip strength. The functional impairment was significantly correlated with the severity of the pain, and the functional status was worse in high radiological hand OA grades.
