Content - Volume 22, Issue 3

In assessing the prospects for surgical and other kinds of rehabilitation in tetraplegia and stroke patients the two-point discrimination test, correctly performed by experienced examiners, is of great value. Valid and repeatable results depend on exact technique and proper tools. There is a firm correlation between the thresholds of two-point discrimination on the pulps of the fingers and the acc ...

Hemodynamic and endocrine variables have been unsuccessful to predict improvement in walking distance in patients with intermittent claudication following structured training programs. In the present study we evaluated the predictive value of a number of hemodynamic and endocrine parameters. In addition we included information on cognitive factors such as stress and the belief in the structured tr ...

Previous studies of the energy cost of wheelchair propulsion have used ergometers or tracks requiring little steering. We have measured minute ventilation (VE), oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2) and heart rate (HR) during exercise in a two arm, hand-rim propulsion wheelchair on a treadmill, and on three tracks of increasing tortuosity in eight able-bodied subjects. During prop ...

The maximum detrusor pressure and the duration of detrusor contractions in 10-50 ml/min fill cystometry were compared to the corresponding measurements during 12 hours of physiological filling, in 18 patients with a reflex urinary bladder after spinal cord injury. In four consecutive cystometries with 10 min intervals the intraindividual variation of the maximum detrusor pressure and the duration ...

Since patients with severe chronic primary fibromyalgia (CPF) report effort dyspnoea, respiratory function was studied in 87 consecutive women with CPF according to Yunus' criteria. Bernstein spirometry, maximum inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures were obtained in patients, and in a reference group of 61 healthy women. MIP was considerably lower in patients than in controls (3. 6 +/- ...

Joint traction and other mobilization techniques are commonly used in physical therapy for patients with osteoarthrosis. The aim of this study has been to: (a) measure the separation of the joint surfaces in the normal hip joint during application of different forces; (b) investigate whether or not the degree of separation was influenced by the position of the joint; (c) compare hip joint laxity i ...

Impaired persons often have difficulties in obtaining suitable clothing. Questionnaires on this subject were sent to a consecutive series of impaired persons. Group 1 (n = 50) had received adapted clothes and group 2 (n = 81) had not. Questionnaire A (both groups) contained general questions on clothes and questionnaire B (Group 1) contained questions on adapted clothes. The result of the study sh ...