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Background and Objective: Cervical stabilization training is a method of exercise which is designed to improve the mechanisms by which the cervical spine maintains a stable, injury-free state. The aim of this study was to compare effectiveness of muscle stabilization training with dynamic exercises on the chronic neck pain and disability. Materials and Methods: In this double-blind clinical trail study twenty-six patients with chronic neck pain were recruited. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a stabilization (n=13) or a dynamic exercises group (n=13). Before and after intervention, pain was assessed with visual analog scale (ordinal) and Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPNPQ), disability (ordinal) with Neck Disability Index (NDI), neck muscles strength (bar) using Dynatest and cervical ranges of motion (degrees) with specific neck goniometer. A 24 session exercise program which lasted 12 weeks, two sessions per week, and 45 minutes per session was performed for both groups. Independent t-test or Mann-Whitney U and paired t-test or Wilcoxon were used for comparison between the pretreatment and post treatment test results between groups and within groups, respectively. Results: The mean neck pain (NPNPQ) decreased from 18.23±0.77 to 7.54±4.39 in the stabilization group and from 18.31±3.99 to 11.85±3.89 in the dynamic group (P<0.05). The mean disability (NDI) decreased from 22.69±4.99 to 8.23±4.09 in the stabilization group and from 22.23±4.88 to 14.92±5.54 in the dynamic group (P<0.05). After treatment, neck muscles strength and range of extension increased and both neck pain and disability decreased in the stabilization group compared with the dynamic ones (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between two groups regarding flexors and left lateral flexors strength and ranges of flexion, right and left lateral flexion. Conclusion: This study showed that neck specific stabilization and dynamic exercises increase, range of motion, decrease pain and disability. Also specific stabilization exercies was more useful than dynamic procedure.

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Background and Objective: Muscle size is considered to be a good indicator of muscle function. Previous studies demonstrated a major role for longus colli muscle in cervical spine stabilization. This study was designed to compare muscle size and shape of cervical longus colli muscle between patients with bilateral chronic neck pain and healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: In this case – control study, bilateral ultrasound images of longus colli muscle, 2 centimeters below the thyroid cartilage were taken in 20 subjects (10 males and 10 females) with bilateral chronic neck pain and in 20 healthy subjects during 2008. Cross sectional area (cm2) and muscle shape ratio (ratio between lateral and anterior posterior dimensions) were measured. T- test was used for comparison of cross sectional area and shape ratio of right and left sides between the two groups. Results: In healthy subjects the cross sectional area of longus colli muscle in right and left sides were 0.85±0.11 and 0.86±0.12 respectively which was greater than that of neck pain patients: 0.76±0.11 and 0.68±0.07 respectively (P<0.05). In addition, longus colli muscle shape ratio of healthy subjects in right and left sides was 1.18±0.17 and 1.16±0.19 respectively which was smaller than that of neck pain patients: 1.50±0.25 and 1.50±0.27 respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showd that patients with bilateral chronic neck pain had generally smaller cross sectional area and larger shape ratio of longus colli compared to controls.

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Background and Objective: Several organization such as AAPM (American Association of Physicist in Medicine), ACR (American College of Radiology), ACMP (American College of Medical Physics) and ESTRO (European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology) recommended the need for periodic quality control procedure in radiation oncology. One of the best methods for quality control is in vivo dosimetry, while radiotherapy is performed. The aim of this study was to design and optimiz a protocol for the quality control of radiation treatment of patients with head and neck malignancy. Materials and Methods: In this case series study midle line dose was measured in vivo in conjunction with portal imaging in 19 patients that were treated using a Co-60 unit, in August and December 2007. Distribution of entrance and exit dose was determined using two diodes, off axis ratios and portal imaging together with a user code written in MATLAB. User code was applied to convert optical intensity of portal film to optical density. Midline dose was calculated in one centimeter intervals using entrance and exit dose with the Huyskens algorithm method. Results: The midline dose was calculated in 165 points. The mean and standard deviation between measured and prescribed dose was about 4.27±3.61%. In 110 points (66.66%), the deviation was less than 5% (2.27±1.37), in 41 points (24.84%) the mean deviation was between 5 and 10% (6.51±1.2) and in 14 points (8.48%) mean deviation was more than 10% (13.37±2.34). The maximum and minimum deviations were found in center of the field (2.6±1.63) and 5cm away from center of the field (7.24±4.86) respectively. Maximum and minimum deviations correspond to the equivalent field of 14cm2 (5.08±3.53) and 8cm2 (2.95±2.13) respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that using a portal detector in conjunction with two diodes is a simple and accurate method for daily quality control in radiotherapy. The data is acquired in this way can be used for evaluating the accuracy of treatment steps including determination of output of a treatment machine, quality control of a treatment planning system and precision of calculations and patient setup.

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Background and Objective: Radiotherapy is a main therapeutic regiment in the treatment of head and neck cancers. Radiation not only eradicate cancer but it also cause damage to healthy surrounding tissues, giving rise to objective and subjective problems. This study was done to evaluate the subjective complications of post radiation in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: This descriptive –analytic study was carried out on 45 patients with head and neck cancer (28 males and 17 females) whom were gone under radiotherapy in Rasht, Iran. Subjective complications evaluated before, during, 1 month and 3 months after radiotherapy. Persian version of LENT-SOMA questionnaire was used. Pain, xerostomia, dysphagia, trismus and dysgeusia were recorded for each subject. Results: 80% of subjects experienced Pain. In the study period, pain intensity, frequency and analgesic consumption were belonging to ear and throat. One month after post radiation, pain intensity, frequency and analgesic consumption belong to ear, throat, jaw, mouth and teeth which were significantly more than 3 months after radiotherapy (P<0.05). One month after post treatment, xerostomia, dysphagia, trismus and dysgeusia were significantly more than 3 months after radiotherapy (P<0.05). Pain in ear and jaw had significant correlation with radiation dosage (P<0.05). Conclusion: Intensity of subjective complains were aggravated and merge one month after radiotherapy and can be reduced to nearly the initial stage of treatment, three months after radiotherapy.

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Background and Objective: One of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in modern societies is neck and shoulder pains which often lead to postural disorders and soft tissue shortenings. This study was done to compare the length of shoulder girdle’s muscles in healthy subjects and patients with shoulder and neck pain.

Methods: This case-control study was done on16 patients with chronic neck- shoulder pain as cases and 15 healthy subjects as control group. Length of upper trapezius, pectoralis major and minor muscles was evaluated with functional tests. Also, the range of shoulder abduction and external rotation and cervical flexion and lateral flexion were measured by goniometer.

Results: Significant differences between patient and control groups were found in pectoralis major and minor muscles length in involved side (P<0.05) and also in neck active range of lateral flexion (P<0.05). Furthermore, there were significant differences between shoulder active range of abduction and external rotation (P<0.05) in the groups.

Conclusion: This study confirmed a significant reduction in range of motion in the neck and shoulder and also a remarkably shortening in the muscles of in the involved side.

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Pediatric femoral neck fracture is rare and account for less than 1% of all fractures in childhood. The proximal femur in children is extremely strong, and high-energy forces in 80-90%, following the axial force associated with hip rotation or direct blow are necessary to cause fracture. In this report, the method of femoral neck fracture fixation in eight-year-old girl after car accident is reported. During the operation, we noted a severe femoral neck fracture that was irreparable with the available tools (pin, screw, plate and DHS), which inevitably had to be used by Transosseous method with fiber wire #2, used in proximal humeral fracture fixation. Then, we obtained a fairly satisfactory result with a distal femoral pin inserting it into two-sided spica cast. Although, this kind of fracture is rare, but with a qualified clinical examination, early diagnosis, proper treatment, familiarity with surgical techniques and fixation reduces the complications and this method can be effective in obtaining the desired result.

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Background and Objective: Neck pain is a prevalent problem negatively affecting individuals’ health and quality of life. Therefore, the present research was conducted to determine the impacts of neck stabilization and thoracic mobility exercises on disability, range of motion, and endurance of females with non-specific chronic neck pain.
Methods: This single-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 36 females with non-specific chronic neck pain in three 12-people groups in the city of Qom. The subjects of the first intervention group (those doing neck stabilization exercises) and the second intervention group (those doing neck stabilization exercises with thoracic mobility) performed the exercises as three 60-minute sessions per week for 8 weeks in the gym, and the control group received a set of corrective exercises. Disability, the neck range of motion, and muscular endurance were measured by the Neck Disability Index (NDI), goniometer and the Progressive Iso-inertial Lifting Evaluation (PILE) test, and biofeedback sphygmomanometer, respectively.
Results: Disability, range of motion, and muscular endurance of the subjects in both intervention groups significantly improved compared to the control group (P<0.05). Compared to the first intervention group, the range of motion and muscular endurance of subjects in the second intervention group showed a significant improvement (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Doing neck stabilization and thoracic mobilization exercises was found to be an influential intervention in the improvement of disability, range of motion, and muscular endurance of females with non-specific chronic neck pain.