Electrical stimulation of antagonist muscles after botulinum toxin type A for post-stroke spastic equinus foot. A randomized single-blind pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injection is an effective treatment for lower-limb spasticity and should be offered as first-line treatment for focal manifestations. Although its possible role has been hypothesized, the efficacy of electrical stimulation (ES) of antagonists of the injected muscles for improving clinical outcome after BoNT-A injection remains to be established. OBJECTIVES: This randomized single-blind pilot study aimed to investigate the efficacy of ES of antagonist muscles as adjunct treatment after BoNT-A injection to plantar flexor muscles in hemiplegic patients with spastic equinus foot. METHODS: After BoNT-A injection at triceps surae, patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups: group 1, single ES session on injected muscles plus 5 sessions of ES on antagonist muscles, and group 2, single ES session on injected muscles alone. Both groups underwent daily physical therapy for 60min for 2 weeks (5 days/week). Assessments were performed before treatment (T0) and at 10 days (T1), 20 days (T2), and 90 days (T3) after treatment. Our primary outcome was gait velocity at a comfortable speed at T2 (10-m walk test [10MWT]). The following were secondary outcomes: triceps surae spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), ankle passive range of motion (pROM), strength of tibialis anterior muscle, and 2-min walk test (2MWT). RESULTS: The 30 patients enrolled were randomly allocated to the 2 groups: 15 in group 1 and 15 in group 2. At T1, T2 and T3, both groups showed a significant reduction in muscle tone and an increase in ankle pROM (P<0.05). At T2 and T3, both groups showed a significant increase in 10MWT and 2MWT. The groups did not significantly differ in tibialis anterior strength or primary or secondary outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: ES of antagonist muscles does not improve clinical outcomes in the post-stroke spastic equinus foot after BoNT-A injection.

[Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation. Treatment option for spasticity?]. / Repetitive periphere Magnetstimulation. Therapieoption bei Spastik?

BACKGROUND: In an open study the effect of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (RPMS) on the spastic talipes equinus of various origins, degree and duration was evaluated in 53 children and adolescents. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Clinical and electrophysiological investigations were designed to measure the RMPS effect on the spasticity and the functional capabilities of the spastic talipes equines. Moreover, the duration of the effect of one RPMS session should be established. The magnetic stimulation comprising 10 series of 10 s duration was applied over the first sacral radix using a frequency of 20 Hz and a 1.2-fold intensity above the motoric threshold. RESULTS: The RPMS significantly reduced the tonus of the spastic talipes equines and this effect lasted for 1 week. No significant changes of electrophysiological parameters measuring the F-wave, H-reflex und ASR tendon reflex could be observed. CONCLUSION: The RPMS could prove to be an effective option for the treatment of spasticity. However, this method needs further evaluation by evidence-based studies.

Fibular collateral ligament-biceps femoris calcific bursitis causing flexion contracture in the knee, external rotation in the leg, and equinus deformity in the ankle.

OBJECTIVE: The fibular collateral ligament (FCL)-biceps femoris (BF) bursa is not a commonly known location for calcific bursitis. A case of FCL-BF calcific bursitis is presented. CLINICAL FEATURES: An 18-year-old man had a blunt trauma on the lateral side of his right knee approximately 1 year before his examination. The pain and physical distortion developed in the trauma region over time. Physical examination revealed a 30 degrees flexion contracture and slight valgus deformity in the right knee. There was 30 degrees of external rotation in the leg and a 15 degrees equinus deformity in the ankle. The patient had toe-toe gait. There was a tender swelling 3 x 4 cm in size on the posterolateral aspect of the right knee. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Plain radiography and computed tomography revealed a calcific mass, approximately 1.5 x 4 cm in size, between soft tissues adjacent to the posterolateral side of the right lateral femoral condyle. There were articular cartilage thinning and joint space narrowing at the lateral site of the knee joint, and magnetic resonance imaging showed bone marrow edema at the lateral condyles of the tibia and femur. The enlarged calcified bursa was excised. A segment of the contracted iliotibial tract was excised, and a fractional lengthening was performed on the BF tendon. CONCLUSION: This case report revealed that calcific bursitis can occur in the FCL-BF bursa, which may lead to complications when neglected.

The use of the analytic hierarchy process to aid decision making in acquired equinovarus deformity.

OBJECTIVE: To increase the transparency of decision making about treatment in patients with equinovarus deformity poststroke. DESIGN: The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used as a structured methodology to study the subjective rationale behind choice of treatment. SETTING: An 8-hour meeting at a centrally located rehabilitation center in The Netherlands, during which a patient video was shown to all participants (using a personal computer and a large screen) and the patient details were provided on paper. PARTICIPANTS: A panel of 10 health professionals from different backgrounds. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The performance of the applicable treatments on outcome, impact, comfort, cosmetics, daily effort, and risks and side effects of treatment, as well as the relative importance of criteria in the choice of treatment. RESULTS: According to the model, soft-tissue surgery (.413) ranked first as the preferred treatment, followed by orthopedic footwear (.181), ankle-foot orthosis (.147), surface electrostimulation (.137), and finally implanted electrostimulation (.123). Outcome was the most influential consideration affecting treatment choice (.509), followed by risk and side effects (.194), comfort (.104), daily effort (.098), cosmetics (.065), and impact of treatment (.030). CONCLUSIONS: Soft-tissue surgery was judged best on outcome, daily effort, comfortable shoe wear, and cosmetically acceptable result and was thereby preferred as a treatment alternative by the panel in this study. In contrast, orthosis and orthopedic footwear are usually preferred in daily practice. The AHP method was found to be suitable methodology for eliciting subjective opinions and quantitatively comparing treatments in the absence of scientific evidence.

A pilot study to investigate the combined use of botulinum neurotoxin type a and functional electrical stimulation, with physiotherapy, in the treatment of spastic dropped foot in subacute stroke.

The objective was to inform sample size calculations for a full randomized controlled trial (RCT). The design included an RCT pilot trial with a 16 week study period, including a 4 week baseline phase. The subjects were adults within 1 year of first stroke, ambulant with a spastic dropped foot. Twenty-one participants were recruited from the stroke services of 4 centers. For intervention all participants received physiotherapy; the treatment group also received botulinum neurotoxin Type A (BoNTA) intramuscular injections to triceps surae (800 U Dysport) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the common peroneal nerve to assist walking. The main outcome measure was walking speed. The result was a significant upward trend in median walking speed for both the control (p = 0.02) and treatment groups (nonstimulated p = 0.004, stimulated p = 0.042). Trend lines were different in location (p = 0.04 and p = 0.009, respectively). In conclusion, there is evidence of an additional, beneficial effect of BoNTA and FES. Sufficient information has been gained on the variability of the primary outcome measure to inform sample size calculations for a full RCT to quantify the treatment effect with precision.