Objective To investigate variables for assessment of stroke-related sarcopenia that are alternative options to the current assessment for sarcopenia, which focuses on age-related sarcopenia and also has limitations in addressing sarcopenia due to weakness resulting from stroke.
Methods Forty patients (17 men, 23 women; mean age, 66.9±15.4 years) with first-ever stroke who can walk independently were included. Muscle mass was determined by measuring ultrasonographic muscle thickness of vastus intermedius, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, and biceps brachii muscles in addition to using the skeletal muscle index (SMI) with bioelectrical impedance analysis. Muscle strength was assessed with the Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score as well as handgrip (HG) strength. Physical performance was measured by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) along with 4-meter gait speed (4MGS). Correlations between each assessment in the three categories were analyzed and adjusted by stroke severity, comorbidity, and nutritional status.
Results For muscle mass, SMI showed the highest correlation with the tibialis anterior muscle (r=0.783, p<0.001) among the other muscles. Regarding muscle strength, the MRC sum score correlated with the HG (r=0.660, p<0.001). For physical performance, the BBS correlated with the 4MGS (r=0.834, p<0.001). The same result was obtained after adjusting for factors of stroke severity, comorbidity, and nutritional status.
Conclusion These results suggest that ultrasonographic muscle thickness of the tibialis anterior, the MRC sum score, and BBS might be alternatives to SMI, HG, and usual gait speed for sarcopenia in stroke patients.
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Objective To investigate if the extent of lumbar segmental motion is correlated with the recovery process in the form of pain intensity in patients with acute single level lumbar disc herniation (LDH).
Methods A retrospective review of medical records was performed on patients presented with acute low back pain from January 2011 to December 2017. With prerequisites of undergoing both lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging and functional radiography, patients with etiologies other than single level LDH were excluded. A total of 46 patients were selected, including 27 patients with disc herniation at L4-5 level and 19 patients at L5-S1 level. Pearson correlation analysis of pain intensity against segmental range of motion (sROM) and percentage of sROM of each lumbar segment was performed at the initial evaluation point and follow-ups.
Results Serial documentation of pain intensity and functional radiography exhibited an inverse correlation between changes in visual analogue scale (VAS) and sROM in single level LDH at L4-5 level (r=-0.69, p<0.05). In addition, percentage of sROM showed a negative correlation with pain intensity at the aforementioned segment (r=-0.74, p<0.05). Initial pain intensity was also inversely correlated to sROM of the affected segment (r=-0.83, p<0.01 at L4-5; r=-0.82, p<0.05 at L5-S1).
Conclusion Improvement in sagittal mobility of the affected segment in LDH adequately reflected mitigation of low back pain during the recovery process. This conjunction could illustrate that the involved segment is overcoming natural immobilization, evidently demonstrating an inverse relationship between initial pain intensity and limitation of sagittal range of motion.
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