RESUMO
Energy expenditure is an important parameter in the assessment of gait and orthotic treatment of heavily handicapped patients, since any orthosis which increases the effort required is likely to be discarded with consequently disturbing implications. Heart rate has been shown to be a reliable monitor of energy expenditure and is convenient because ECG can be telemetered by a miniature radio transmitter. Using a transmitter causes minimal interference with the patient, but care must be employed to obtain ECG signals free of artefact from subjects who are exercising. Means of reducing artefact are discussed, as are ways in which heart rate monitoring by radio telemetry is being used in the routine assessment of orthotic treatment of paediatric patients and the development of new orthotic devices.
Assuntos
Aparelhos Ortopédicos , Criança , Eletrocardiografia , Metabolismo Energético , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , Frequência Cardíaca , Humanos , Espinha Bífida Oculta/reabilitação , Telemetria , AndadoresRESUMO
Being avascular the nucleus pulposus is not normally in contact with the immune mechanisms. Rupture out of its confines may result in an inflammatory reaction and contact with immunocompetent cells. Using the lymphocyte transformation test we incubated lymphocytes of 25 patients and 43 controls with an extract of nucleus pulposus. Ten patients with sequestrated or large herniated disks had a mean transformation index of 16.6 compared to controls whose mean index was 3.6. Nine patients with negative myelograms had an idex similar to controls. These results suggest an auto-immune response to nucleus pulposus in patients with sequestrated disks.
Assuntos
Disco Intervertebral/imunologia , Vértebras Lombares/imunologia , Linfócitos/imunologia , Adulto , Inibição de Migração Celular , Humanos , Imunidade Celular , Ativação Linfocitária , Doenças da Coluna Vertebral/imunologiaRESUMO
Stimulation in vitro of allogeneic and syngeneic mixed lymphocyte cultures suggests the presence of differentiation antigens on the surface of the chondrocyte. This may provide part of the answer to the nature of the chronicity of certain arthritic processes.
Assuntos
Antígenos , Cartilagem/imunologia , Animais , Cartilagem/citologia , Membrana Celular/imunologia , Separação Celular , Ativação Linfocitária , Teste de Cultura Mista de Linfócitos , Colagenase Microbiana , Ratos , TripsinaRESUMO
Seventy-two normal children aged between three and 12 years were assessed to establish their walking function. Speed of walking and heart rate were monitored continuously, both barefoot and in shoes, over eight consecutive lengths of a 25m walkway. Since heart rate is affected by speed, the physiological cost index (PCI)--which combines the two parameters--was calculated for each child, both barefoot and in shoes. Speed tends to increase and walking heart rate to decrease with age. However, resting heart rate also decreases with age, so the PCI has the same range for all ages. The mean PCI in shoes was 0.4 and barefoot was 0.38. The PCI for children with pathological gait is appreciably greater than that for normal children, so the PCI is a valuable quantitative indicator of the level of handicap.