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Posture Influence on the Pendulum Test of Spasticity in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury
Author(s) -
Azevedo Eliza Regina Ferreira Braga Machado,
Maria Renata Manzano,
Alonso Karina Cristina,
Cliquet Jr Alberto
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/aor.12500
Subject(s) - supine position , spasticity , sitting , medicine , spinal cord injury , tetraplegia , physical medicine and rehabilitation , physical therapy , spinal cord , anesthesia , pathology , psychiatry
The study aims to investigate the influence of different postures on spasticity results by pendulum test in patients with spinal cord injury ( SCI ). The setting was at the U niversity of C ampinas ( UNICAMP ), C ampinas, SP , B razil. Five individuals with SCI and five individuals in the control group were included. All individuals went through the pendulum test in three different positions: supine, semi‐supine at an angle of 30°, and sitting up at an angle of 60°. An electrogoniometer was attached to the right leg for measurement of knee joint angles. All situations were performed five times. Blood pressure was monitored during tests. Relaxation index ( RI ), normalized relaxation index ( RIn ), test duration in seconds, initial flexion angle, and resting angle were analyzed at three different positions. Results were compared between different positions, and statistically no differences were found. In individuals with SCI , RI (1.83 ± 0.2), RIn (1.14 ± 0.13), and test duration values (13.95 ± 4.14), in sitting up position, were similar to the control group results. In sitting up position, patients showed spasticity reduction. However, the other two postures produce pain and increase blood pressure in patients with tetraplegia. Therefore, these postures should be avoided in patients with lesions above T 6, due to possible autonomic dysreflexia symptoms.