Patellar tendon vibration reduces the increased facilitation from quadriceps to soleus in post-stroke hemiparetic individuals.

BACKGROUND: Stimulation of the femoral nerve in healthy people can facilitate soleus H-reflex and electromyography (EMG) activity. In stroke patients, such facilitation of transmission in spinal pathways linking the quadriceps and soleus muscles is enhanced and related to co-activation of knee and ankle extensors while sitting and walking. Soleus H-reflex facilitation can be depressed by vibration of the quadriceps in healthy people, but the effects of such vibration have never been studied on the abnormal soleus facilitation observed in people after stroke. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether vibration of the quadriceps can modify the enhanced heteronymous facilitation of the soleus muscle observed in people with spastic stroke after femoral nerve stimulation and compare post-vibration effects on soleus facilitation in control and stroke individuals. METHODS: Modulation of voluntary soleus EMG activity induced by femoral nerve stimulation (2×motor threshold) was assessed before, during and after vibration of the patellar tendon in 10 healthy controls and 17 stroke participants. RESULTS: Voluntary soleus EMG activity was facilitated by femoral nerve stimulation in 4/10 (40%) controls and 11/17 (65%) stroke participants. The level of facilitation was greater in the stroke than control group. Vibration significantly reduced early heteronymous facilitation in both groups (50% of pre-vibration values). However, the delay in recovery of soleus facilitation after vibration was shorter for the stroke than control group. The control condition with the vibrator turned off had no effect on the modulation. CONCLUSIONS: Patellar tendon vibration can reduce the facilitation between knee and ankle extensors, which suggests effective presynaptic inhibition but decreased post-activation depression in the lower limb of people after chronic hemiparetic stroke. Further studies are warranted to determine whether such vibration could be used to reduce the abnormal extension synergy of knee and ankle extensors in people after hemiparetic stroke.

Fisioterapia em pacientes com amputação transtibial: revisão sistemática / Physical therapy in transtibial amputations: a systematic review

Introdução: A fisioterapia atua na reabilitação de pacientes com amputação transtibial, como também pode intervir na prevenção e tratamento das complicações decorrentes da amputação. Objetivo: Investigar a intervenção da fisioterapia em pacientes com amputação transtibial. Métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura, consultando as bases de dados: PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, LILACS e SciELO. Utilizaram-se os descritores "amputação" e "transtibial" combinados com os descritores "fisioterapia" ou "terapia física". A busca foi realizada na segunda quinzena de fevereiro de 2013. Foram incluídos ensaios clínicos controlados e randomizados, sem restrição de idioma ou período de publicação, que versavam sobre a intervenção fisioterapêutica em pacientes com amputação transtibial. Para avaliação da qualidade metodológica dos estudos foram utilizadas a Escala de Qualidade de Jadad e a Escala PEDro. Resultados: Pela estratégia de busca retornaram 23 artigos, dos quais três foram incluídos na revisão. Um utilizou a técnica de aprendizagem sem erros para a colocação da prótese, outro investigou os efeitos de um programa de treinamento de força e o terceiro comparou os efeitos da aplicação da bandagem convencional e a fisioterapia descongestiva na redução do edema no pós-operatório. Somente um estudo foi considerado de alta ou boa qualidade metodológica pelas Escala PEDro e Jadad, os outros dois estudos foram classificados de baixa qualidade metodológica pelas duas escalas. Conclusões: Observou-se evidência limitada para as modalidades de fisioterapia utilizadas.

Introduction: Physical therapy contributes to the rehabilitation of persons following a transtibial amputation, but may also intervene in prevention and complications treatment. Objective: To investigate the physical therapy intervention in persons following a transtibial amputation. Methods: A systematic review of the PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, PEDro, LILACS and SciELO databases was performed. The keywords "amputation" and "transtibial" were combined with the keywords "physiotherapy" or "physical therapy". The search was conducted in February 2013 without language restrictions. We included randomized controlled trials that focused on physical therapy intervention in persons following a transtibial amputation. The Jadad score and the PEDro score were used to assess the methodological quality. Results: Twenty-three studies were obtained from the search. Three were included in the review. One used errorless learning to fit a prosthetic limb, another investigated the effects of a strength training program, and the third study compared the conventional banding and decongestive physiotherapy to reduce edema postoperatively. Only one was considered of high or good methodological quality by Jadad and PEDro scales. The other two studies were rated low methodological quality by two scales. Conclusion: There was limited evidence for physiotherapy modalities used.

Instrumentos de avaliação da funcionalidade e incapacidade de crianças acometidas por acidente vascular encefálico: uma revisão sistemática da literatura / Instruments for assessing the functionality and disability of children with stroke: a systematic review of the literature

Objetivo: Visto o aumento da incidência associado às incapacidades resultantes do Acidente Vascular Encefálico (AVE) na infância, nesta revisão sistemática, objetivou-se analisar os instrumentos de avaliação da funcionalidade validados para crianças com AVE, incluindo a avaliação das suas propriedades psicométricas e sua interação com a CIF. Método: A partir da busca em cinco importantes bases de dados, foram selecionados trabalhos cujo objetivo era validar instrumentos para a população de crianças com AVE, publicados em português, inglês, francês ou espanhol até março de 2014. Resultados: Foram incluídos três estudos classificados com qualidade metodológica boa pelo COSMIN. Nestes, usaram-se três instrumentos e avaliaram-se 475 crianças. Todos os trabalhos utilizaram o Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM), que se mostrou um instrumento válido e com boa confiabilidade interexaminador. Conclusão: É urgente a necessidade do desenvolvimento, tradução e validação de instrumentos que visem à avaliação da funcionalidade de crianças pós- AVE.

Objective: Since there is an increasing incidence associated with disabilities arising from cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in childhood, this systematic review aimed to analyze the functionality assessment instruments developed specifically to children with stroke, including examination of its psychometric properties and its interaction with the ICF. Method: Out of a search in five major databases, papers were selected whose aim was to validate tools for the population of children with stroke, published in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish through March, 2014. Results: Three studies classified as having good methodological quality according to the COSMIN were included. These three instruments were used and 475 children were evaluated. All studies used the Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM), which proved to be a valid instrument with good inter-examiner reliability. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for the development, translation and validation of tools aimed at evaluating the functionality of post AVE children.

Abnormal coactivation of knee and ankle extensors is related to changes in heteronymous spinal pathways after stroke.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal coactivation of leg extensors is often observed on the paretic side of stroke patients while they attempt to move. The mechanisms underlying this coactivation are not well understood. This study (1) compares the coactivation of leg extensors during static contractions in stroke and healthy individuals, and (2) assesses whether this coactivation is related to changes in intersegmental pathways between quadriceps and soleus (Sol) muscles after stroke. METHODS: Thirteen stroke patients and ten healthy individuals participated in the study. Levels of coactivation of knee extensors and ankle extensors were measured in sitting position, during two tasks: maximal isometric voluntary contractions in knee extension and in plantarflexion. The early facilitation and later inhibition of soleus voluntary EMG evoked by femoral nerve stimulation were assessed in the paretic leg of stroke participants and in one leg of healthy participants. RESULTS: Coactivation levels of ankle extensors (mean ± SEM: 56 ± 7% of Sol EMG max) and of knee extensors (52 ± 10% of vastus lateralis (VL) EMG max) during the knee extension and the ankle extension tasks respectively were significantly higher in the paretic leg of stroke participants than in healthy participants (26 ± 5% of Sol EMG max and 10 ± 3% of VL EMG max, respectively). Early heteronymous facilitation of Sol voluntary EMG in stroke participants (340 ± 62% of Sol unconditioned EMG) was significantly higher than in healthy participants (98 ± 34%). The later inhibition observed in all control participants was decreased in the paretic leg. Levels of coactivation of ankle extensors during the knee extension task were significantly correlated with both the increased facilitation (Pearson r = 0.59) and the reduced inhibition (r = 0.56) in the paretic leg. Measures of motor impairment were more consistently correlated with the levels of coactivation of biarticular muscles than those of monoarticular muscles. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the heteronymous pathways linking quadriceps to soleus may participate in the abnormal coactivation of knee and ankle extensors on the paretic side of stroke patients. The motor impairment of the paretic leg is strongly associated with the abnormal coactivation of biarticular muscles.

Translation and cultural adaptation to the portuguese language of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder assessment form (ASES) for evaluation of shoulder function.

Shoulder pain affects a significant percentage of the population. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder assessment form (ASES) is an outcome tool used to assess shoulder function, regardless of the disorder. However, at the moment the current study was undertaken, a Portuguese version of the ASES was not available. The objective of this work was to translate and make a cultural validation of the ASES to the Portuguese language. The original version of the ASES underwent the specific process of translation and cultural adaptation, comprising of the initial translation, back translation, committee, pre-test and the approval by the original author. The pre-test was applied in 20 patients with shoulder disorders (9 women, 41.1 ± 13.0 years of age, 11.2 ± 8.9 months with the disorder, and 12.5 ± 3.1 schooling years). The final Portuguese version of the ASES was established after patients considered all items of this tool comprehensible and clear, and the author of the original questionnaire considered it adequate. The results obtained with this study will help Brazilian rehabilitation professionals and researchers, since they have one more outcome measure to be applied in patients with functional disabilities of the shoulder.

Tradução e adaptação cultural à língua portuguesa do American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) para avaliação da função do ombro / Translation and cultural adaptation to the portuguese language of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder assessment form (ASES) for evaluation of shoulder function

Dores na região do ombro estão presentes em grande parte da população. Um instrumento de medida utilizado para avaliar a função do ombro, independente da enfermidade ou do distúrbio, é o American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES). No entanto, até o presente estudo, o ASES não contava com uma versão em português. O objetivo deste trabalho é realizar a tradução e a adaptação cultural do ASES à língua portuguesa.A versão original do ASES passou pelo processo específico de tradução e adaptação cultural, constituído pelas etapas de tradução inicial, retrotradução, comitê, pré-teste e aprovação do autor da versão original. O pré-teste foi aplicado em vinte pacientes com distúrbios variados na articulação do ombro (9 mulheres; 41,1 ± 13,0 anos de idade; 11,2 ± 8,9 meses de acometimento; 12,5 ± 3,1 anos de escolaridade). A versão definitiva do ASES em português foi estabelecida após os pacientes julgarem todos os seus itens compreensíveis e claros, e o autor do questionário original considerar a versão adequada. O resultado deste trabalho auxiliará os profissionais de reabilitação e os pesquisadores brasileiros, que passam a contar com mais um instrumento de medida a ser aplicado em pacientes com alterações funcionais no ombro.

Shoulder pain affects a significant percentage of the population. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder assessment form (ASES) is an outcome tool used to assess shoulder function, regardless of the disorder. However, at the moment the current study was undertaken, a Portuguese version of the ASES was not available. The objective of this work was to translate and make a cultural validation of the ASES to the Portuguese language. The original version of the ASES underwent the specific process of translation and cultural adaptation, comprising of the initial translation, back translation, committee, pre-test and the approval by the original author. The pre-test was applied in 20 patients with shoulder disorders (9 women, 41.1 ± 13.0 years of age, 11.2 ± 8.9 months with the disorder, and 12.5 ± 3.1 schooling years). The final Portuguese version of the ASES was established after patients considered all items of this tool comprehensible and clear, and the author of the original questionnaire considered it adequate. The results obtained with this study will help Brazilian rehabilitation professionals and researchers, since they have one more outcome measure to be applied in patients with functional disabilities of the shoulder.