The angular displacement and angular velocity of the upper limb during elbow extension activities in spinal cord injury patients and normal individuals / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study upper limb motor strategies during elbow extension activities in C5-6 spinal cord injury (SCI) patients and compare them with the strategies of normal individuals. Methods A Peak Motus motion analysis system was used to measure the angular displacement and the angular velocity of the shoulder, elbow and wrist of fifteen C5-6 SCI patients and fifteen healthy subjects during four elbow extension activities including grasping a cup, reaching for a light switch, wheelchair ambulation and upper limb weight-bearing. Results Compared with normal individuals, the movement time of the SCI patients was significantly longer during the grasping, reaching and wheelchair ambulation activities. The angular velocity was significantly slower during reaching for a light switch and wheelchair ambulation. The patients with spinal cord injury performed the motor tasks primarily relying on increasing or decreasing the angular displacement of the shoulder during the former three elbow extension activities. They compensated for any functional deficiency by changing the movement direction of the shoulder and elbow in sagittal projection during upper limb weight-bearing activities. Conclusion C5-6 SCI patients utilize different motor patterns and strategies from healthy subjects to complete elbow extension activities.