Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36520243›Full record

Trial reportTechniques in coloproctology2023

Pelvic floor physical therapy in the treatment of chronic anal fissure (PAF trial): quality of life outcome.

D A van Reijn-Baggen, H W Elzevier, J P B M Braak, H Putter, R C M Pelger, I J M Han-Geurts

Open access · bronzeAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Techniques in coloproctology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 42% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

D A van Reijn-BaggenDepartment of Surgery, Proctos Clinics, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. davr@me.com.ORCID 0000-0002-7861-1915
H W ElzevierDepartment of Urology and Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
J P B M BraakDepartment of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
H PutterDepartment of Biomedical Data Science, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
R C M PelgerDepartment of Urology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
I J M Han-GeurtsDepartment of Surgery, Proctos Clinics, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Leiden University Medical Center · NLBergman Clinics · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic anal fissure is one of the most common anorectal diseases and is associated with reduced quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pelvic floor physical therapy on quality of life in patients with chronic anal fissure using the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (RAND-36).

methodsAdult patients, with chronic anal fissure and concomitant pelvic floor dysfunction, such as dyssynergia and increased pelvic floor muscle tone, were recruited at the Proctos Clinic in the Netherlands, between December 2018 and July 2021 and randomly assigned to an intervention group, receiving 8 weeks of pelvic floor physical therapy or assigned to a control group receiving postponed pelvic floor physical therapy (PAF trial). Quality of life and pain ratings were outcomes of the study and were measured at 8- and 20-week follow-up.

resultsOne hundred patients (50 women and 50 men, median age 44.6 years [range 19-68 years]), completed the RAND-36 questionnaire and visual analog (VAS) pain scale score at admission. A significant improvement was found at 20-week follow-up in all domains of the RAND-36; physical functioning, pain, health change (p < 0.001); physical role, vitality, general health, social functioning, emotional role, mental health (p < 0.05). VAS pain was significantly reduced at 8 weeks (mean estimated difference 1.98; 95% CI 1.55-2.42, p < 0.001) and remained significant at 20-week follow-up (p < 0.001). The difference between the groups as regards change in the mean pain intensity scores at 8 weeks was 2.48 (95% CI - 3.20 to - 1.75; p < 0.001). Compared to the reference values of the general Dutch population, the patients in our study with a chronic anal fissure and pelvic floor dysfunction reported an impaired quality of life in 8 of 9 domains of the RAND-36. After treatment, significant lower scores were found in 2 out of 9 domains.

conclusionsThe results of this study provide evidence that treatment by pelvic floor physical therapy improves quality of life and reduces pain, making it an important tool in management of chronic anal fissure and concomitant pelvic floor dysfunction.

Indexed as

Fissure in AnoAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPainPelvic FloorPhysical Therapy ModalitiesQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultChronic anal fissurePelvic floor physical therapyQoLQuality of lifeRAND-36SF-36

Identifiers

PMID36520243
PMCPMC9753858
OpenAlexW4311670219

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.