Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of nonthermal therapeutic ultrasound on
quadriceps spinal reflex excitability in patients with knee joint injury. DESIGN:
Double-blind, randomized controlled laboratory study with a pretest posttest
design. SETTING: University laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Recreationally active
volunteers with a self-reported history of diagnosed intra-articular knee joint
injury and documented quadriceps dysfunction (N=30). INTERVENTIONS: A nonthermal
ultrasound, or sham, treatment was applied to the anteromedial knee. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Hoffmann reflex measurements were recorded at baseline, immediately
postintervention, and 20 minutes post-intervention. The peak Hoffmann reflex
amplitude was normalized by the peak motor response (H/M ratio) measured from the
vastus medialis using surface electromyography as an estimate of quadriceps
motorneuron pool excitability. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used
for comparisons. RESULTS:
A significant group-by-time interaction was observed
for mean (P=.016) and change (P=.044) in H/M ratio. The ultrasound group
demonstrated significantly higher mean (P=.015) and change (P=.028) in H/M ratio
20 minutes postintervention than did the sham ultrasound group. CONCLUSIONS:
Quadriceps motoneuron pool excitability was facilitated 20 minutes after a
nonthermal therapeutic ultrasound treatment, and not a sham treatment. These data
provide supporting evidence of the contribution of peripheral receptors in
modulation of the arthrogenic response in patients with persistent quadriceps
dysfunction. Future research in this area should attempt to identify optimal
treatment parameters and translate them to clinical outcomes.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS