Article

The aim of this study was to correlate clinical and functional evaluations with
kinematic variables of upper limp reach-to-grasp movement in patients with
tetraplegia. Twenty chronic patients were selected to perform reach-to-grasp
kinematic assessment using a target placed at a distance equal to the arm's
length. Kinematic variables (hand peak velocity, movement time, percent
time-to-maximal velocity, index of curvature, number of peaks, and joint range of
motion) were correlated to clinical (Standard Neurological Classification of
Spinal Cord Injury-American Spinal Injury Association) and functional [Functional
Independence Measure (FIM) and Spinal Cord Independence Measure II (SCIM II)]
evaluation scores. Twenty control participants were also selected to obtain
normal reference parameters. There was a positive correlation between total motor
index and FIM (r=0.6089; P=0.0044) and SCIM II (r=0.5229; P=0.018). Both
functional scores showed positive correlation with each other (r=0.8283;
P<0.0001). A correlation was also observed between the right and left motor
indices, the motor FIM, and the SCIM II in most of the reach-to-grasp kinematic
variables studied (hand peak velocity, movement time, index of curvature, and
number of peaks). In contrast, for the joint range of motion (shoulder, elbow,
and wrist), only the wrist in the horizontal plane showed correlation with
clinical variables. This study shows that muscle strength assessed by the
American Spinal Injury Association motor index influences the reach-to-grasp
kinematic variables of patients with tetraplegia. However, the functional
assessments did not present the same influence.

Langue : ANGLAIS