Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and sonographic characteristics of
thickened finger extensor tendons in affected hands of patients with stroke.
DESIGN: Observational survey. SUBJECTS: Thirty-six patients (12 women, 24 men)
admitted for rehabilitation because of stroke. Control group: 30 right-handed
healthy volunteers. METHODS: We used an 8-16 or a 6-12 MHz sonographic transducer
to measure tendon thickness of the extensor digitorum communis of the middle
(EDCiii) and ring (EDCiv) fingers at the wrist level.
RESULTS: The thickness of
EDCiii (1.79 mm, standard deviation (SD) 0.56) and EDCiv (2.31 mm, SD 0.63)
tendons of affected hands were significantly greater than those of the
contralateral hands (EDCiii: 1.31 mm (SD 0.23), EDCiv: 1.59 mm (SD 0.46), p <
0.0001). When the upper limits of side-to-side tendon thickness differences were
set at mean value plus 3 times SD among healthy volunteers (EDCiii: 0.60 mm,
EDCiv: 0.74 mm), 18 (50%) patients and no volunteers had tendon thickening. No
clinical features other than hand weakness correlated with tendon thickening.
CONCLUSION: Thickening of finger extensor tendons of the affected hands is common
among stroke patients. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of
swelling of the dorsal wrists and hands in stroke-affected upper limbs.

Langue : ANGLAIS