Abstract BACKGROUND: Among the chronic leg ulcers, venous ulcers are the most common and constitute a major burden to public health. Despite all technology available, some patients do not respond to established treatments. In our study, carboxymethylcellulose was tested in the treatment of refractory chronic venous ulcers. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of carboxymethylcellulose 20% on the healing of chronic venous ulcers refractory to conventional treatments. METHODS: This is an analytical, pre-experimental study. Thirty patients were included with refractory venous ulcers, and applied dressings with carboxymethylcellulose 20% for 20 weeks. The analysis was based on measurement of the area of ulcers, performed at the first visit and after the end of the treatment. RESULTS: There was a reduction of 3.9 cm2 of lesion area (p=0.0001), corresponding to 38.8% (p=0.0001). There was no interruption of treatment and no increase in lesion area in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Carboxymethylcellulose 20% represents a low cost and effective therapeutic alternative for the treatment of refractory chronic venous ulcers. However, controlled studies are necessary to prove its efficacy.

Défices sensoriais persistentes após a reconstrução do ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) podem causar alterações como fraqueza muscular e comprometimento do equilíbrio e do desempenho funcional. Diversos estudos discutem se essas alterações também estão presentes no membro inferior não-acometido e se esse membro pode ser utilizado como referência nas avaliações desses pacientes. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar o torque extensor e flexor do joelho, o equilíbrio unipodal e o desempenho funcional sobre o membro não-acometido de pacientes submetidos à reconstrução do LCA, com membros inferiores de sujeitos saudáveis. Participaram do estudo 23 indivíduos submetidos à reconstrução do LCA e 22 sujeitos saudáveis, que foram avaliados quanto ao torque extensor e flexor do joelho durante contração isocinética concêntrica a 60 graus/s no dinamômetro isocinético, à velocidade média de oscilação do centro de pressão em apoio unipodal no baropodômetro, e submetidos a dois testes de salto para avaliar o desempenho funcional. Os resultados não revelaram diferenças entre o membro não-acometido e os membros inferiores do grupo controle em todas as variáveis estudadas (p>0,05). Esses resultados sugerem que o membro não-acometido de pacientes submetidos à reconstrução do LCA pode ser utilizado como referência nos estudos de avaliação desses pacientes.

Persistent sensorial deficits after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction might lead to muscle weakness, balance and functional performance disorders. Several studies inquire whether these alterations also appear in the uninjured limb and whether the latter could be used as reference for patient assessment. The aim of the present study was to compare knee extensor and flexor torque, balance and functional performance of non-injured lower limb, after contralateral ACL reconstruction, with lower limbs of healthy subjects. Twenty-three male patients who had had ACL reconstruction, and 22 control subjects were assessed as to knee flexor and extensor torque during concentric isokinetic contraction at 60o/s with an isokinetic dynamometer, mean speed of centre of pressure swing during single-limb stance, and submitted to two hop tests to assess functional performance. Results showed no significant differences between uninjured side and healthy subjects lower limbs at all assessed variables (p>0.05). These findings suggest that the uninjured limb may be safely used as reference in studies to assess post-ACL patients.