Rao Sanjana, Huang Meizhen, Chung Sun Gun, Zhang Li-Qun
Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
Front Neurol. 2021 Dec 14;12:742260. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.742260. eCollection 2021.
To assess the short-term effects of strenuous dynamic stretching of the elbow joint using an intelligent stretching device in chronic spastic stroke survivors. The intelligent stretching device was utilized to provide a single session of intensive stretching to the spastic elbow joint in the sagittal plane (i.e., elbow flexion and extension). The stretching was provided to the extreme range, safely, with control of the stretching velocity and torque to increase the joint range of motion (ROM) and reduce spasticity and joint stiffness. Eight chronic stroke survivors (age: 52.6 ± 8.2 years, post-stroke duration: 9.5 ± 3.6 years) completed a single 40-min stretching intervention session. Elbow passive and active ROM, strength, passive stiffness (quantifying the non-reflex component of spasticity), and instrumented tendon reflex test of the biceps tendon (quantifying the reflex component of the spasticity) were measured before and after stretching. After stretching, there was a significant increase in passive ROM of elbow flexion ( = 0.021, = 0.59) and extension ( = 0.026, = 0.59). Also, elbow active ROM and the spastic elbow flexors showed a trend of increase in their strength. The intelligent stretching had a short-term positive influence on the passive movement ROM. Hence, intelligent stretching can potentially be used to repeatedly and regularly stretch spastic elbow joints, which subsequently helps to reduce upper limb impairments post-stroke.
评估在慢性痉挛性中风幸存者中使用智能拉伸设备对肘关节进行剧烈动态拉伸的短期效果。使用智能拉伸设备在矢状面（即肘关节屈伸）为痉挛性肘关节提供单次强化拉伸。以安全的方式将拉伸施加到极限范围，控制拉伸速度和扭矩以增加关节活动范围（ROM）并降低痉挛和关节僵硬程度。八名慢性中风幸存者（年龄：52.6±8.2岁，中风后病程：9.5±3.6年）完成了单次40分钟的拉伸干预疗程。在拉伸前后测量肘关节的被动和主动ROM、力量、被动僵硬度（量化痉挛的非反射成分）以及肱二头肌腱的仪器化腱反射测试（量化痉挛的反射成分）。拉伸后，肘关节屈曲的被动ROM（ = 0.021， = 0.59）和伸展的被动ROM（ = 0.026， = 0.59）有显著增加。此外，肘关节主动ROM和痉挛性肘屈肌的力量呈增加趋势。智能拉伸对被动运动ROM有短期积极影响。因此，智能拉伸有可能用于反复定期拉伸痉挛性肘关节，这随后有助于减少中风后的上肢损伤。
