http://jhs.sagepub.com/content/24/2/226.short
- From the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery and the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Louisville KY, USA
- L. R. Scheker MD, Kleinert, Kutz and Associates Hand Care Center, One Medical Centre Plaza, Suite 700, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Abstract
We have investigated a therapeutic regimen
using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and dynamic bracing
to assess
their effectiveness in reducing upper-extremity
spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. Nineteen patients between 4
and
21 years of age with documented diagnoses of
spastic cerebral palsy were treated. The patients included in the study
followed
a regimen of two 30-minute sessions of NMES of the
antagonist extensors combined with dynamic orthotic traction during the
day. A static brace was used at night. Spasticity
of the wrist and fingers was assessed periodically using the Zancolli
classification.
Treatment ranged from 3 to 43 months. After
treatment with electrical stimulation and dynamic bracing, all the
patients moved
up 1 to 3 levels in the Zancolli classification and
showed a marked improvement in upper-extremity function. These results
show that combining NMES and dynamic orthotic
traction dramatically decreases spasticity of the upper extremity in
young patients
with cerebral palsy.
Full 7 pages here:
No comments:
Post a Comment