Abstract
Objective: To investigate the differences between traumatic tetraplegic patients who can roll and those who cannot.
Design: Motion analysis using 3-dimensional measurement.
Setting: Rehabilitation centers in southwestern Japan.
Participants: Nineteen male participants, all of whom had traumatic C6 complete injury.
Methods: We used an electromagnetic device to examine the degree of spinal movement in axial rotation during rolling (shifting from supine to side lying). This system (3-Space Win) measures the position and orientation of sensors in space. Two sensors were mounted on a subject over the spinous process of T1 and L5.
Results: The spinal rotation of patients who could not roll was significantly lower than that of patients who could roll. (The average rotation of non-rollers was 31.5±17.5°, while the average rotation of rollers was 66.3±17.3°). In this study, there were no statistically significant differences in the members of the two groups in terms of age, height, weight or time after injury.
Conclusion: Rolling requires greater and adequate flexibility in the back of tetraplegic patients.
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Tanaka, S., Yoshimura, O., Kobayashi, R. et al. Three-dimensional measurement of rolling in tetraplegic patients. Spinal Cord 38, 683–686 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101084
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101084