53 research outputs found
Caratterizzazione della comunità macrozoobentonica dei bacini lacustri dell’Alto Appennino Modenese: il lago Baccio.
No full textSono state analizzate le comunità litorali a macroinvertebrati del lago Baccio, nel Parco Regionale dell’Alto Appennino Modenese. Il lago Baccio ha profondità massima di 4 m, abbondante vegetazione riparia ma lo specchio d’acqua è libero. I campionamenti, di tipo qualitativo, sono stati effettuati nell'estate 2000, 2001 e 2006. In ogni occasione sono stati misurati temperatura, conducibilità, ossigeno disciolto e pH. Complessivamente sono stati rinvenuti 50 taxa. L'elevata valenza ecologica del bacino suggerisce l'opportunità di innalzare il livello di protezione ambientale del Lago Baccio
Does botulinum toxin treatment affect the ultrasonographic characteristics of post-stroke spastic equinus? A retrospective pilot study
No full textEquinovarus/equinus foot is a pattern most commonly treated with botulinum toxin type A in patients with post-stroke spasticity involving the lower limbs; the gastrocnemius is the muscle most frequently injected. Spastic equinovarus/equinus can present a mixture of conditions, including spasticity, muscle/tendon shortening, muscle weakness and imbalance. In this study, we wanted to determine whether botulinum toxin treatment affects the ultrasonographic characteristics of post-stroke spastic equinus. The same dose of AbobotulinumtoxinA was injected into the gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis of 21 chronic stroke patients with spastic equinus. Clinical (Ashworth scale and ankle range of motion) and ultrasound (conventional and sonoelastography) evaluation of the treated leg was carried out before and 4 weeks after injection. No significant effects of botulinum toxin treatment on the ultrasonographic characteristics of spastic equinus were observed. As expected, there were significant improvements in ankle passive dorsiflexion range of motion and calf muscle spasticity at 1 month after treatment. There was a direct association between Achilles tendon elasticity and calf muscle spasticity at baseline evaluation. Larger studies with a long-term timeline of serial evaluations are needed to further investigate the possible effects of botulinum toxin injection on spastic muscle characteristics in patients with post-stroke spasticity
Combined effects of backward treadmill training and botulinum toxin type A therapy on gait and balance in patients with chronic stroke: A pilot, single-blind, randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground: Backward walking is recommended to improve the components of physiological gait in neurological disease. Botulinum toxin type A is an effective safe first line-treatment for post-stroke spasticity. Objective: To compare the effects of backward treadmill training (BTT) versus standard forward treadmill training (FTT) on motor impairment in patients with chronic stroke receiving botulinum toxin type A therapy. Methods: Eighteen chronic stroke patients were randomly assigned to receive BTT (n = 7) or FTT (n = 11) as adjunct to botulinum toxin type A therapy. A total of twelve 40-minute sessions (3 sessions/week for 4 weeks) of either BTT or FTT were conducted. A blinded assessor evaluated the patients before and after treatment. The primary outcome was the 10-meter Walking Test (10 MWT). Secondary outcomes were the modified Ashworth Scale, gait analysis, and stabilometric assessment. Results: Between-group comparison showed a significant change on the 10 MWT (P = 0.008) and on stabilometric assessment [length of centre of pressure CoP (P = 0.001) and sway area (P = 0.002) eyes open and length of CoP (P = 0.021) and sway area (P = 0.008) eyes closed] after treatment. Conclusions: Greater improvement in gait and balance was noted after BTT than after FTT as an adjunct to botulinum toxin therapy in patients with chronic stroke
Robot-assisted arm training for treating adult patients with distal radius fracture: a proof-of-concept pilot study
No full textBACKGROUND: Fracture of the distal radius is a common wrist injury. As to its management after orthopedic (conservative or surgical) treatment, there is weak evidence for conventional rehabilitation interventions. Despite the increasing interest for robot-assisted arm therapy as to neurological disabilities and its growing diffusion in rehabilitation facilities, no previous study investigated the feasibility of robotic training on arm orthopedic impairment. Aim. To evaluate the feasibility in terms of efficacy of robot-assisted arm training on upper limb impairment in patients with fracture of the distal radius. DESIGN: Proof-of-concept, pilot, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University hospital. POPULATION: Twenty adult outpatients with distal radius fracture due to wrist injury. METHODS: All participants underwent ten, 1-hour (40 minutes of arm training + 20 minutes of conventional occupational therapy) training sessions, five days a week for two consecutive weeks. They were randomly assigned to two groups: patients allocated to the Robotic Arm Training group received arm training by means of a robotic device and patients allocated to the Conventional Arm Training group performed arm training following a conventional rehabilitation program. All patients were evaluated before, immediately after treatment and at four weeks of follow-up. The following outcomes were considered at the affected arm: forearm pronation/supination and wrist extension/flexion passive and active range of motion; maximal pinch and grip strength; the Patient-Rated Wrist and Hand Evaluation. RESULTS: No difference was found between groups as to the primary (wrist active and passive range of motion) and secondary (pinch and grip strength; Patient-Rated Wrist and Hand Evaluation score) outcomes at all time points. Within-group comparisons showed similar improvements at all time points as to all outcomes considered in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings support the hypothesis that robot-assisted arm training might be a feasible tool for treating upper limb impairment in adult patients with distal radius fracture treated conservatively or surgically. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The treatment of arm impairment consequent to distal radius fractures by means of robot-assisted arm training may allow therapists to focus on functional rehabilitation during occupational (individual) therapy and supervise (more than one) patients simultaneously during robotic training sessions
Diagnostic nerve block in prediction of outcome of botulinum toxin treatment for spastic equinovarus foot after stroke: A pilot retrospective observational study
No full textObjective: To evaluate the role of diagnostic nerve block in predicting the outcome of botulinum toxin type A treatment for spastic equinovarus foot due to chronic stroke. Design: Pilot, retrospective, observational study. Patients: Fifty chronic stroke patients with spastic equinovarus foot. Methods: Each patient was given diagnostic tibial nerve block (lidocaine 2% perineural injection) assessment followed by botulinum toxin type A inoculation into the same muscles as had been targeted by the nerve block. All patients were evaluated before diagnostic nerve block, after the nerve block, and 4 weeks after botulinum toxin injection. Outcomes were ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion of the affected side, and calf muscle spasticity, measured with the modified Ashworth scale and the Tardieu Scale. Results: Significant improvements were measured after diagnostic nerve block and botulinum toxin injection compared with the baseline condition. Diagnostic nerve block led to significantly greater improvements in all outcomes than botulinum toxin injection. Conclusion: This study confirmed diagnostic nerve block as a valuable screening tool in deciding whether to treat spastic equinovarus with botulinum toxin. However, the results support the evidence that diagnostic nerve block results in a greater reduction in muscle overactivity than does botulinum toxin type A in patients with spastic equinovarus due to stroke
Training for Radiographic Assessment of Scoliosis: A Pilot Educational Study
No full textAbstract: Background: Given the prevalence of scoliosis, it is essential for residents in
Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop proficiency in evaluating spinal radiographs, particularly in measuring the Cobb angle. This education and training study aimed
to define the minimum educational requirements for residents to achieve competency in
Cobb angle measurement with acceptable inter- and intra-operator variability, as reported
in the literature. Methods: In this ethics-approved study, Physical and Rehabilitation
Medicine residents measured Cobb angles and the Risser index using specialized software
on 30 different spinal X-rays, with oversight to ensure consistency and eliminate bias.
Results: The data revealed that 44.4% of residents achieved the target accuracy for primary
Cobb angles (<3.6◦
), but only 11.1% did so for secondary curves. For intra-operator error,
88.9% of residents met the target for primary curves, but only 11.1% achieved the target
for secondary curves. The Risser index showed minimal deviation across all participants.
Conclusions: These findings highlight that mastering Cobb angle measurement is challenging and generally requires more than 20 different measurements for inter-operator
reliability and over 30 repetitions for intra-operator reliability, particularly when secondary
curves are included
Le mummie di Roccapelago: ricostruzione delle attività occupazionali in una piccola comunità dall’alto Appennino modenese del XVIII secolo attraverso gli indicatori scheletrici di carico biomeccanico e con l’ausilio di tecnologie virtuali 3D
No full textUn piccolo borgo montano arroccato su uno sperone di roccia nell’Alto Appennino modenese e la scoperta, tanto fortuita quanto eccezionale, nella chiesa parrocchiale, di una cripta sepolcrale contenente i corpi, in parte mummificati, degli antichi abitanti della località. Questo lo scenario entro il quale si è sviluppato il progetto: Storia e vita di una piccola comunità dell’Alto Appennino modenese tra il XVI e il XVIII secolo. Archeologia e antropologia: una ricerca interdisciplinare, promosso dall’allora Soprintendenza peri i Beni Archeologici dell’Emilia-Romagna e dal Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Università di Bologna (Campus di Ravenna), con la collaborazione di numerose altre istituzioni scientifiche italiane e
straniere. L’eccezionale ritrovamento ha rappresentato un’occasione unica per la realizzazione di un progetto che, per l’approccio multidisciplinare adottato, i protocolli d’intervento elaborati e l’integrazione dei risultati perseguita, può costituire un vero e proprio progetto pilota, un modello di riferimento da applicare nel caso di ritrovamenti archeologici simili a quello di Roccapelago. Nel presente volume vengono pubblicate le relazioni scientifiche degli ultimi due convegni sulle “Mummie di Roccapelago”: il primo, Le Mummie di Roccapelago: archeologia, antropologia e scienze applicate a confronto (Modena, 15 febbraio 2014) e il secondo, Le Mummie di Roccapelago 3.0: la rinascita degli antichi abitanti
attraverso cinque anni di studi (Ravenna, 24 marzo 2017). I contributi scientifici che esso raccoglie spaziano dall’approfondimento degli aspetti storici della comunità di
Roccapelago al vasto campo delle ricerche archeo-antropologiche, archeo-genetiche, paleopatologiche, paleonutrizionali e biodemografiche, dallo studio e ricostruzione dell’abbigliamento, agli aspetti conservativi e alla valorizzazione del sito. Questa molteplicità e varietà delle ricerche condotte dimostrano l’enorme potenzialità scientifica multi e interdisciplinare che questo sito ha offerto e continua ad offrire insieme all’eccezionale interesse divulgativo che esso è stato in grado di suscitare nel pubblico
Short-wave diathermy for spastic equinus foot in chronic stroke patients: a proof-of-concept pilot study
No full textBACKGROUND: Physical modalities may be useful to manage post-stroke spasticity. Shortwave diathermy has been demonstrated to improve extensibility of the myotendinous tissue. Spasticity may alter morphology of the muscle and its elastic properties. Our main aim was to evaluate the effects of shortwave diathermy on spastic equinus foot in stroke patients. METHODS: Ten chronic stroke patients with spastic equinus foot received 10 shortwave diathermy sessions, 5 days/week for 2 consecutive weeks to the spastic calf muscles. Clinical (modified Ashworth scale and ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion) and ultrasound (spastic gastrocnemius muscle echo intensity and hardness percentage measured by sonoelastography) evaluation was done before, after treatment, and at two weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: A significant difference in calf muscle spasticity (P=0.004), ankle passive range of motion (P=0.014), and spastic gastrocnemius muscle hardness percentage (P=0.004) was found after treatment. A significant difference in calf muscle spasticity (P=0.004) was found also at the follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings support the hypothesis that shortwave diathermy might improve calf muscle tone, ankle passive range of motion, and gastrocnemius muscle elasticity in chronic stroke patients with spastic equinus. This might be due to the deep thermal effects coupled with the rheological direct action of shortwave diathermy on spastic muscle
Effects of deep heating modalities on the morphological and elastic properties of the non-insertional region of achilles tendon: a pilot study
No full textBackground: Over the last 20 years, both diathermy and ultrasound have been popular choices for many clinicians in treating musculoskeletal disorders. However, there is a lack of clinical evidence of deep heating modalities to treat tendon pathology, There is no study to investigate the effects of such as physical modalities on morphological and elastic properties on the human tendons. Objective: the objective of the present study was to compare the effects of diathermy and ultrasound therapies on cross sectional area, transversal height and hardness percentage of the non-insertional region of the Achilles tendon in able-bodied subjects. Methods: healthy volunteers were divided in diathermy and ultrasound group received six 15-min treatment sessions. Before and after treatment a sonographic assessment was conducted by mean of ultrasonography and the following parameters were recorded: cross sectional area, transversal height and hardness percentage. Results: thirty-two subjects were enrolled. Between-group comparisons showed a significant change on hardness percentage (p = 0.004) after treatment in diathermy therapy group. Within-group comparison showed a significant improvement in the hardness percentage for the diathermy (p = 0.001) and ultrasound (p = 0.046) after two weeks of treatment. Conclusion: this pilot study demonstrated larger effects on morphological and elastic properties of the non-insertional region of the Achilles tendon after diathermy than ultrasound therapy in normal tendons. Diathermy may be a useful deep heat modality for treating non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy
- …
