ABSTRACT
Herein, we report a case of a 49-year-old man with a history of bilateral hemiplegia caused by severe traumatic brain injury. During his stay in the convalescent rehabilitation hospital, he developed a flexion deformity of the 4th and 5th fingers of his right hand. Elbow palpation and ultrasonography showed that the ulnar nerve was dislocated from the elbow canal, and a nerve conduction study revealed that the conduction velocity was low in the right elbow. Thus, a diagnosis of cubital tunnel syndrome was made and an ulnar nerve transfer was performed to prevent progression. Prior to onset, an over-table had been used by the patient for daily activities such as sitting, training, and eating. Therefore, it was considered that the repeated use of the over-table plausibly exerted pressure on the dislocated ulnar nerve, leading to the onset of the cubital tunnel syndrome.As over-tables and wheelchair armrests are often used during rehabilitation, it is imperative to pay attention to elbow compression when using them in patients with ulnar nerve dislocation.
ABSTRACT
Herein, we report a case of a 49-year-old man with a history of bilateral hemiplegia caused by severe traumatic brain injury. During his stay in the convalescent rehabilitation hospital, he developed a flexion deformity of the 4th and 5th fingers of his right hand. Elbow palpation and ultrasonography showed that the ulnar nerve was dislocated from the elbow canal, and a nerve conduction study revealed that the conduction velocity was low in the right elbow. Thus, a diagnosis of cubital tunnel syndrome was made and an ulnar nerve transfer was performed to prevent progression. Prior to onset, an over-table had been used by the patient for daily activities such as sitting, training, and eating. Therefore, it was considered that the repeated use of the over-table plausibly exerted pressure on the dislocated ulnar nerve, leading to the onset of the cubital tunnel syndrome.As over-tables and wheelchair armrests are often used during rehabilitation, it is imperative to pay attention to elbow compression when using them in patients with ulnar nerve dislocation.
ABSTRACT
Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) staging and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) are commonly used for clinical evaluation of Parkinson's disease (PD). Iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are useful for the differential diagnosis of PD from other Parkinsonism. Additionally, gravicorders or gait analysis systems and upper limb voluntary movement analyzing systems may be helpful for the quantitative evaluation of parkinsonian symptoms. From the early stage of H-Y, PD patents should be informed and coached about rehabilitation programs by expert therapists. Educational and health promotional gymnastics are the main programs used in stage I and II. Muscle stretching exercises, postural exercises, balance training and activity/instrumental-activity training are needed in stage III and IV. Finally, preventing changes due to disuse and lightening the caregiver load are the main purpose of rehabilitation in stage V. It is very important to understand not only the patients' clinical stages but also their personal situations such as their life-stage and life-style and their family situation. Home visit rehabilitation is useful to discover the actual daily living problems faced by patients and their families. Then, evaluation according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is available to clarify and solve the problems. With the progression of the clinical stage, patients need many social resources. Therefore, medical social workers (MSW) should be a part of the rehabilitation team to support the home care of patients from their incipient stage.