FREQUENCY OF TIBIA VARA AMONG OBESE ADOLESCENTS: DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background of the study: Tibia Vara is defined as a growth abnormality which leads to Varus malalignment of the lower limb. It is caused by excessive loading on the medial part of proximal tibia. Progressive Tibia Vara can result in a bowleg deformity which is most noticeable in posteromedial part of upper tibial physis. Other than that, it gives rise to in toeing of feet and lateral knee thrust, altering the normal biomechanics of an individual. This study aim to determine the frequency of Tibia Vara among obese adolescents (13-18years). Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done using non probability convenient sampling. Total 214 obese adolescents of age range 13 to 18 years were recruited from different parks and schools of Lahore. Adolescents with BMI less than 30 and with history of fracture or dislocation in the lower limb were excluded from the study. Manual goniometer was used to assess tibia vara in obese adolescent which had an intra-rater reliability of 0.75. Results: Out of 214 obese adolescents, 128 were male and 86 were female. The percentage of Tibia Vara in this population was found to be 38% (n= 82). Whereas; on the basis of gender, male participants presenting with Tibia vara was found to be 26% (n= 56) and the percentage of females reported with Tibia vara was only 12% (n= 26). Conclusion: Tibia vara had been reported in 38% of the obese adolescents in Lahore, Pakistan. Whereas, on the basis of gender most frequently tibia vara was reported among male participants.

Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacognostic Exploration of Folk Medicines of Deosai Plateau

This dissertation communicates an explorative endeavor of the ethnobotany and pharmacognosy of folk medicines of Deosai plateau; a cold desert area of 7200km2, mostly located at an elevation of more than 4000m above the sea level. The plateau is an uninhabitable mountainous terrain surrounded by deep valleys covered with snow for almost nine months of the year. A structured questionnaire was used for documentation of folk knowledge regarding native plants used by Deosai associated communities. The localities analyzed for the pharmacognostic exploration included Dass Khirum Nalla, Chilim, Choti Deosai, Barri Deosai, Burzil, Sardar Kothi of District Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan Province, Pakistan. Formal interviews for documenting traditional knowledge regarding folk medicines of the area were gathered from traditional healers, hakeems, shepherds, farmers and forest guards of Deosai National Park. Ethnopharmacognostic of the drugs like texture, fracture, color, size, surface and broken surface features were noted. The plants used in folk remedies were collected from their natural habitats and submitted to Hazara University Herbarium, as future reference. It was observed that 93 plant species belonging to 38 families were used as folk remedies in the inaccessible areas of Deosai for treating diseases like dyspepsia, asthma, coughs, abdominal pain, tonic, expectorant, anathematic, carminative, skin diseases, snakebites, jaundice, diarrhea and dysentery. Folk preparations used for different ailments were documented. Field records in Deosai supported by observations of the community experts revealed that vegetation of the area was generally threatened with the indiscriminate use by the communities and their livestock, which has resulted in extinction pressure on 17 precious medicinal plants, which needs proper location-specific analyses for their rehabilitation/recovery of the species. The trends like uprooting medicinal plants, overgrazing, habitat fragmentation, and habitat loss due to soil erosion and land sliding are threatening plant life. Proper conservation efforts are necessary for sustainable development of plant resources especially medicinal plants for improved livelihood of the far placed communities of Deosai.