ABSTRACT
Background: Following the Spinal Cord Injury, patient’s ability for gait and endurance is been limited. Hence this further causes difficulty in managing activities of daily living and transfers. Thus reducing the ambulatory capacity and increasing patients dependability to be wheelchair bond and significantly affecting the use of lower limb muscle strength. This will eventually land in secondary complications. Muscle strengthening has been proved to be one of the important intervention. The purpose of this study is to quantify muscle strength with respect to its energy expenditure and later target those muscle group in improving their ambulatory capacity. Materials and Methods: Seventeen incomplete spinal cord injury patients were recruited. Their initial pre-assessment was done. Muscle strength and Ambulatory capacity was graded using Manual Muscle Testing and Ambulatory Capacity grading. Energy expenditure was calculated using Physiological Cost Index. Initial heart rate at rest was taken. Later subject had to walk for six minutes and post heart rate and laps were taken. Using Mac-Gregor equation energy expenditure was calculated. Results: The results interpreted that muscle strength to physiological cost index is negative correlation and to ambulatory capacity it is a positive correlation. Conclusion: There is correlation of muscle strength with respect to energy expenditure and ambulatory capacity in an incomplete spinal cord injury.
ABSTRACT
@# Objective To explore the effect of body-weight support treadmill training (BWSTT)on ambulatory capacity in individuals following incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI).Methods 36 cases of incomplete SCI patients were divided randomly into control and BWSTT groups who were classified as ASIA C or D.All received comprehensive rehabilitation, and patients in BWSTT group also received BWSTT for 3 months when the physical condition was permitted.They were assessed before and after treatment.The evaluation items included measurement of ASIA lower-extremity motor assessment, functional independence measure (FIM) ambulatory function measure, 10meter ambulatory velocity and modified Barthel Index.Results The scores of ASIA lower-extremity motor assessment, FIM ambulatory function, the ambulatory 10-meter velocity in BWSTT group improved significantly when compared with the control group (P<0.05).The scores of modified Barthel Index were no difference between two groups before and after treatment (P<0.05).Conclusion BWSTT could improve ambulatory capacity for incomplete SCI patients
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To explore the effect of body-weight support treadmill training(BWSTT)on lower extremity muscle atrophy and ambulatory capacity in complete spinal cord injured(SCI)patients.Methods 20 patients with complete SCI at the thoracic level were divided into control and BWSTT group.They all received comprehensive rehabilitation,and patients in BWSTT group also received BWSTT for 3 months when the physical condition was permitted.They were assessed before and after treatment with measurement of thigh girth,ambulatory capacity measure of Functional Independence Measure(FIM),10 meters ambulatory velocity and activity of daily living(ADL)evaluation.Patients in BWSTT group also received middle thigh MRI examination before and after BWSTT.Results The muscles at the mid-thigh of the BWSTT group looked larger after BWSTT than before.The scores of FIM ambulatory function,the 10 miters ambulatory velocity of BWSTT group improved significantly when compared with that of the control group(P<0.05).The thigh girth and the scores of ADL were no different between these two groups before and after treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion BWSTT may ameliorate lower extremities skeletal muscle atrophy and improve ambulatory capacity for SCI patients.
ABSTRACT
@#Objective To study the effect of early rehabilitation on the ambulatory capacity and the relationship between motor , sensory function and ambulatory function in patients with acute spinal cord injury.Methods 47 patients with spinal cord injury were treated with comprehensive rehabilitation program. Their motor and sensory function were assessed using Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ASIA, 1992) and their ambulatory function were assessed using Hoffer's ambulation classification during the treatment.Results Motor and sensory function increased significantly in the 12 months after trauma (P<0.05). Motor score at admission was correlated with the outcome of the ambulatory capacity(P<0.05).Conclusion Early rehabilitation was effective. The initial motor function was related to the outcome of the ambulatory capacity in patients with spinal cord injury.