Content - Volume 27, Issue 4

Functional electrical stimulation and treadmill training with partial body weight support through suspension by a parachute harness were combined for gait restoration in 11 chronic non-ambulatory hemiparetic patients. Individually adjusted multichannel stimulation of the trunk and of upper and lower limb muscles, as well as a motor driven treadmill, induced functional gait within 3 to 6 weeks. The ...

Thirteen different motor and balance functions were examined in 76 patients age 65 +/- 13 (mean +/- SD) years with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) before and 3 months after a ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation. Preoperatively, the tests were performed before and after lumbar tap of 50 cc cerebrospinal fluid. The patients showed significant improvement in all thirteen functions at the 3-month ...

A new method (The Sødring Motor Evaluation of Stroke Patients) has been developed for physiotherapists to evaluate motor function and activities in stroke patients. Its main characteristics are the assessment of motor activity without assisting the patient, and the use of a rating which reflects quantity as well as quality in motor performance. A hospitalised group of stroke patients (n = 93) was ...

The reliability of knee extensor and flexor strength measurements was assessed in 20 women (aged 68-88 years) who had experienced a hip fracture two to four weeks before but who were otherwise healthy. Using the Cybex 6000 isokinetic dynamometer, isokinetic knee extensor and flexor strength (peak torque, total work and power) at 30 and 120 degree/second and isometric knee extensor and flexor stren ...

The incidence of hip fractures has increased over the past decades, and for patients with hip fractures, medical and social conditions have deteriorated during the same time. In this study the results of orthopaedic rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease and a hip fracture are compared with those in all other hip fracture patients. A total of 74 patients with Parkinson's disease and h ...

Functional balance was studied in a sample of 98 women and 75 men from a population study. Tests used were one-legged stance and walking in a figure of eight. The results revealed that both static and dynamic functional balance were significantly correlated to isometric knee extensor strength, walking speed and stair-climbing capacity, while the association with activities of daily living (ADL) wa ...

The study was initiated to evaluate the effect of pain-reducing therapies on factors previously associated with work-related shoulder and neck pain, namely increased muscle activity in the upper trapezius and perceived general tension. Thirty-three women in three groups were assessed before and after an intervention period and by questionnaire 6 months later. The purpose of this study was primaril ...