Citations
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To evaluate the feasibility of a new position (internal rotation in hanging) in ultrasonography, we compared the length of the glenohumeral joint space and the effectiveness of steroid injection with the hanging position and with the commonly used abdomen or cross position.
A prospective, randomized controlled trial was performed in 42 patients with adhesive capsulitis of shoulder. We used three arm positions for the posterior approach as follows: the patient's palm on thigh, other hand on abdomen (abdomen position); hand on patient's opposite shoulder (cross position); arm in hanging position with internal rotation of shoulder (hanging position). The order of shoulder position was randomized and blinded. Real-time ultrasonography-guided intra-articular steroid injection was performed by posterior approach at the first position in each patient. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and range of motion (ROM) were measured before steroid injection and 2 weeks after injection.
The lengths of the joint space were 2.88±0.75, 2.93±0.89, and 2.82±0.79 mm in abdomen, cross, and hanging position respectively, with no significant difference among the three positions (p=0.429). Treatment efficacy was significantly improved in ROM, total BPI, and SPADI in all three positions (p<0.001). The changes in ROM for shoulder abduction were 23.6°±19.7°, 22.2°±20.9°, and 10.0°±7.8° in abdomen, cross, and hanging position, respectively. Changes in total BPI scores were 25.1±15.7, 23.6.±18.0, 11.6±6.1, and changes in total SPADI score were 35.0±14.2, 30.9±28.9, and 16.5±10.3 in abdomen, cross, and hanging position, respectively. There were no significant difference among the three positions for all parameters (p=0.194, p=0.121, and p=0.108, respectively.
For patients with adhesive capsulitis who cannot achieve or maintain abdomen or cross position, scanning and injection with the shoulder in internal rotation with hanging position may be a useful alternative.
Citations
To compare quantitative muscle activation between erect and slouched sitting postures in the muscles around the scapula, and to investigate the correlation between the angle of thoracic kyphosis and the alteration of muscle activity depending on two different sitting postures.
Ten healthy males participated in the study. Unilateral surface electromyography (SEMG) was performed for serratus anterior, middle trapezius (MT), and lower trapezius (LT), which are scapular stabilizer muscles, as well as latissimus dorsi. Participants elevated their shoulders for 3 seconds up to 90° abduction in the scapular plane, tilting 30° anterior in the coronal plane. They were told to hold the position for 10 seconds and voluntary isometric contractions were recorded by SEMG. These movement procedures were conducted for three times each for erect and slouched sitting postures and data were averaged.
Activities of MT and LT increased significantly more in the slouched sitting posture than in the erect one. There was no significant correlation between kyphotic angle and the area under curve of each muscle.
Because MT and LT are known as prime movers of scapular rotation, the findings of this study support the notion that slouched sitting posture affects scapular movement. Such scapular dyskinesis during arm elevation leads to scapular stabilizers becoming overactive, and is relevant to muscle fatigue. Thus, slouched sitting posture could be one of the risk factors involved in musculoskeletal pain around scapulae.
Citations
To evaluate the risk of phrenic nerve injury during ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block (US-SGB) according to sonoanatomy of the phrenic nerve, and determine a safer posture for needle insertion by assessing its relationship with surrounding structure according to positional change.
Twenty-nine healthy volunteers were recruited and underwent ultrasound in two postures, i.e., supine position with the neck extension and head rotation, and lateral decubitus position. The transducer was placed at the anterior tubercle of the C6 level to identify phrenic nerve. The cross-sectional area (CSA), depth from skin, distance between phrenic nerve and anterior tubercle of C6 transverse process, and the angle formed by anterior tubercle, posterior tubercle and phrenic nerve were measured.
The phrenic nerve was clearly identified in the intermuscular fascia layer between the anterior scalene and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The distance between the phrenic nerve and anterior tubercle was 10.33±3.20 mm with the supine position and 9.20±3.31 mm with the lateral decubitus position, respectively. The mean CSA and skin depth of phrenic nerve were not statistically different between the two positions. The angle with the supine position was 48.37°±27.43°, and 58.89°±30.02° with the lateral decubitus position. The difference of angle between the two positions was statistically significant.
Ultrasound is a useful tool for assessing the phrenic nerve and its anatomical relation with other cervical structures. In addition, lateral decubitus position seems to be safer by providing wider angle for needle insertion than the supine position in US-SGB.
Citations
Parkinson disease, one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, is characterized by cardinal motor features including bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, postural instability, freezing gait, and fatigue. Of these, postural instability in the form of hyperflexion of the thoracolumbar spine upon standing and walking that disappears on recumbent positioning is called camptocormia. Many different trials have been conducted on the treatment of camptocormia, including physiotherapy, corsets, medications, and deep brain stimulation. However, there is insufficient evidence as to which treatment modality is the most valid in terms of effectiveness, cost, safety, and patient satisfaction. In this study, we present a patient whose symptom of camptocormia was effectively resolved using a cruciform anterior spinal hyperextension (CASH) brace and back extensor strengthening exercise which was modified through follow-ups based on a short-term outpatient setting for proper application with minimal discomfort. The patient was satisfied with the amount of correction provided by the brace and exercise.
Citations
To investigate the effect of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) injection into the salivary gland and to evaluate the changes of drooling in varied postures in tetraplegic patients with brain injury.
Eight tetraplegic patients with brain injury were enrolled. BTA was injected into each parotid and submandibular gland of both sides under ultrasonographic guidance. Drooling was measured by a questionnaire-based scoring system for drooling severity and frequency, and the sialorrhea was measured by a modified Schirmer test for the patients before the injection, 3 weeks and 3 months after the injection. Drooling was evaluated in each posture, such as supine, sitting, and tilt table standing, and during involuntary mastication, before and after the injection.
The severity and frequency of drooling and the modified Schirmer test improved significantly at 3 weeks and 3 months after the injection (p<0.05). Drooling was more severe and frequent in tilt table standing than in the sitting position and in sitting versus supine position (p<0.05). The severity of drooling was significantly increased in the patients with involuntary mastication (p<0.05).
Salivary gland injection of BTA in patients with tetraplegia resulting from brain injury who had drooling and sialorrhea could improve the symptoms for 3 months without complications. The severity and frequency of drooling were dependent on posture and involuntary mastication. Proper posture and involuntary mastication of the patients should be taken into account in planning drooling treatment.
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To investigate the effect of gastrocnemius muscle fatigue on postural control ability in elderly people.
Twenty-four healthy elderly people participated in this study. The postural control ability of single leg standing was evaluated with Health Improvement & Management System (HIMS) posturography before and after fatiguing exercises. After evaluating initial postural control ability, the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of ankle plantarflexion was assessed using a surface electromyogram from the medial belly of the gastrocnemius muscle. After a 5-minute resting period, subjects began submaximal isometric ankle plantarflexion (40% MVC) until 40% of MVC was dropped below 95% for 5 seconds, or subject couldn't continue working out due to muscle fatigue. And postural control ability was assessed after fatiguing exercise. The mean deviation of center of pressure (COP), length of COP movement, occupied area of COP were measured, and analyzed by paired t-test.
Mediolateral deviation, length of COP movement, and area of COP occupied were increased after fatiguing exercise of the gastrocnemius muscle. Anteroposterior deviation and length of COP movement were also increased, but had low statistical significance.
These findings suggest that the gastrocnemius muscle fatigue affects mediolateral stability and accuracy during single leg standing in elderly people. Therefore muscle endurance training is necessary to prevent falls in elderly people.
Citations
To identify the subtle change of postural control in elderly patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) with computerized dynamic posturography.
Twenty-two healthy women and twenty-six women with unilateral knee OA, aged 60 and over, were enrolled. The computerized posturographic measures included a weight bearing pattern during squatting and sit-to-stand, sway velocity of center of gravity (COG) during one leg standing, on-axis velocity and directional control of COG during rhythmic weight shift, rising index during sit-to-stand, end sway during tandem walk, and movement time during step up/over.
It was shown that patients bore significantly less weight on the affected side during the 30° and 60° squat and sit-to-stand. Sway velocity of COG during one leg standing was greater whereas the on-axis velocity and directional control during the front/back rhythmic weight shift were significantly lower in the patient group. The rising index during sit-to-stand was significantly lower and movement time during step up/over with the affected side was significantly longer in patients.
This study demonstrated in detail a decline of postural balance by utilizing computerized posturography in elderly women with unilateral knee OA. They had less weight-bearing, more sway, and less ability of intentional postural control on the affected side.
Citations
To investigate the factors influencing the quiet standing balance of patients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injuries. Also to find the correlations between posturographic parameters and clinical balance tests as well as to find the correlation between posturographic parameters and functional independence.
We conducted a tetra-ataxiometric posturography, lower extremity motor score (LEMS), Korean version of the Berg Balance Scale (K-BBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and Korean Version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) of 10 patients. 10 healthy adults carried out the posturography. We checked stability, weight distribution, Fourier and synchronization indices of eight positions, and the fall index of the posturography.
The patient group showed significantly higher stability and weight distribution indices in all eight positions. Stability indices significantly increased with eyes closed or standing on pillows. Weight distribution indices were significantly higher with eyes closed or the head bent backwards. The patient group showed significantly higher Fourier indices of low, low-medium, and high frequency in eight positions. The Fourier indices at high-medium frequency were significantly higher with eyes closed on pillows or in variable head positions. There were no significant differences of synchronization indices between the patient and the control group. The falling index of the patient group significantly correlated with K-BBS, TUG, and K-MBI. LEMS had significant correlation with some synchronization indices, but not with the falling index.
The quiet standing balance of the patients was influenced by somatosensory limitations or insufficient visual compensation. We should try to improve the postural balance and functional independence of patients through proper proprioceptive and lower extremity strength training for better postural and pedal control, and to make efforts to minimize environmental hazards.
Citations
Method: 15 healthy persons who were pain-free and didn't have the history of neuromuscular disease were participated in this study. Measurements were taken in three different sitting positions (relaxed, erect and forward head posture) with staring forward and arms hanging at the side. Paraspinal myoelectrical activities were measured by surface electrodes in paracervical, paralumbar, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and levator scapular (LS) muscles. Simultaneously whole spine lateral X-ray including skull was taken. We measured cranio-cervical spinal alignment indicies (craniovertical, craniocervical, cervicohorizontal and upper cervical angles) introduced by Huggare and Gonzalez, lower cervical angle, lumbar lordosis angle and myoelectrical activity of each muscle in three different sitting positions.
Results: The analysis of relationship between lumbar lordosis and cranio-cervical spinal alignment index showed significant results. The more the lumbar lordosis increased, the head forward displacement decreased. But, the myoelectrical activities of paraspinal muscles were not influenced by the posture.
Conclusion: Maintaining lumbar lordosis is very important to correct forward head posture and research for the distraction force loaded to soft tissue of the neck in forward head posture is needed. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2003; 27: 126-130)
Objective: Poor head and neck support during sleep can exacerbate the neck pain. Based on the ideal sleep posture and pillow suggested by Cyriax, we designed a new cervical pillow and compared the degree of pain reduction, quality of sleep and pillow satisfaction with a low hospital pillow and a high pillow.
Method: The newly designed pillow has a built-in pressure-adjustable air bag in the cervical area and provides normal cervical lordotic curve in supine position and maintains cervical and thoracic vertebrae to form a horizontal line in side-lying position. Thiry-four patients with cervical pain used low hospital pillows for the first week of 3-week randomized crossover design study. They were subsequently randomly assigned to use each of the other two pillows for 1-week period. Outcomes were measured using visual analog scale, sleep questionnaire and a pillow satisfaction scale.
Result: Compared with the other 2 types of pillows, subjects using the newly designed pillow showed much reduced pain intensity, increased duration of sleep and sleep quality and better pillow satisfaction.
Conclustion: We designed a cervical pillow with built-in pressure adjustable air bag and it can significantly reduce pain intensity and improve quality of sleep in patients with cervical pain.
Objective: To study the incidence and degree of the cervical instability in the cerebral palsied patients and to investigate the cause of the high incidence of cervical myelopathy in these patients.
Method: The static and dynamic radiography of the cervical spine in the sagittal plane was performed in seventy-two patients with athetoid and spastic cerebral palsy and the incidence of spondylolisthesis, range of motion(by the Penning Method), sagittal diameter of the cervical canal, and posture of the cervical spine were evaluated.
Results: The incidence of the cervical spondylolisthesis was fifty percent with athetoid cerebral palsy and twenty-seven percents with spastic cerebral palsy. The incidence of spondylolisthesis was especially high at the level of C3/4 and C4/5. The excessive range of motion in flexion/extension by the sagittal plane was observed in 66.7% of athetoid patients and 53.3% of spastic patients, especially at the C2/3 and C3/4 levels. The abnormal curvature was noted in 66.6% of athetoid and spastic patients. C-curve and S-curve were more common in athetoid patients and straightening of the C-spine was more common in spastic type. A sagittal diameter of the cervical spinal canal was significantly decreased in patients with athetoid patients with C3/4 spondylolisthesis and/or abnormal curvature such as a C-curve or S-curve(P<0.05). Height of the vertebral body was decreased in both athetoid and spastic patients.
Conclusion: The combination of a cervical instability and a narrow spinal canal predisposes the neurological progression to a cervical myelopathy in cerebral palsied patients.
Intermittent catheterization has reduced the frequency of urinary tract infection(UTI), calculus formation and vesicourethral reflux in spinal cord injured(SCI) patients. Still the residual urine (RU) following catheterization has been suggested as one of the possible causes of UTI.
The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of postures on RU following catheterization, for the rehabilitation of neurogenic bladder in SCI patients. The inclusion criteria were: SCI patients with neurogenic bladder; completion of bladder rehabilitation program; good sitting balance and intact hand function. twelve SCI patients fulfilled the criteria and completed ultrasonographic RU measurement in sitting and supine posture following catherterization, respectively. We also studied the frequency of UTI, the functional type of neurogenic bladder and the postures during bladder evacuation at home.
All patients had ultrasonographical evidence of RU following catheterizations both in sitting and supine postures. Residual urine volume following catheterization was significantly smaller in sitting posture than in supine posture(p<0.05). Frequency of UTI was significantly lower in the patients who performed catheterizations in sitting posture than in supine posture(p<0.05).
In conclusion, bladder training in sitting posture would be better than in supine posture to minimize RU in SCI patients with good sitting balance and intact hand function.
The oropharyngeal swallow of 26 patients with dysphagia was studied quantitatively and qualitatively using videofluoroscope. Videofluoroscopic examination was done with head in neutral position, and with three different consistency of test meals; thin liquid, thick liquid, and solid. When aspiration or laryngeal penetration was noted in neutral position, the study was repeated with different head positions. We compared them with each other and with 25 normal subject(previously presented).
11/26(42%) patients revealed laryngeal penetration or aspiration at least with one consistency of test meal. Aspiration occurred more frequently in thin liquid than thick liquid or solid. Head position change successfully eliminated aspiration in 10/10 patient(100%). Other one patient could not change his head position.
9 numerical parameters were derived and calculated for quantitative examination. Liquid meal oral discharge time, pharyngeal delay time, and pharyngeal transit time were significantly increased in patients with aspiration than in patients without aspiration. Also significantly increased than those of normal controls.
Because different test meal consistency gave different values, direct comparison of values regardless of meal consistency was fruitless. And because all the process of swallowing cannot be expressed as numerical parameters, qualitative examination of videofluoroscopic result was essential.
In conclusion, liquid meal oral discharge time, pharyngeal delay time, and pharyngeal transit time were useful parameters in differentiating and quantifying dysphagia. Aspiration can be reduced when appropriate position assumed. Calculated values were different according to the consistency of the test meal. Quantitative analysis was helpful, but qualitative examination of videofluoroscopy was essential.
Dysphagia is a disorder of the swallowing mechanism and presents a major problem in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. In the present study, computerized laryngeal analyzer (CLA) was used for noninvasive assessment of the pharyngeal phase of the swallowing mechanism. Laryngeal elevation was measured with pressor sensor placed on the skin over the thyroid cartilage. In the study, CLA was applied at each posture of neck flexion, neutral, and extension in stroke group and control group. Significant differences were found in each of these parameters measured in control group and stroke group. The quantitative measurements may aid the physician in choosing the appropriate therapy during the course of recovery.
The onset latency of swallowing was delayed in stroke group than control group at all posture of neck(p<0.05). The pharyngeal transit time (PTT) was longer at extension than flexion and neutral posture of neck in stroke group(p<0.05). The PTT was longer in stroke group than control group at all posture of neck, but not significant(p>0.05). The amplitude of swallowing was decreased in stroke group at extension and neutral posture of neck compared to those of control group(p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between stroke group and control group in neck flexion (p>0.05).