gms | German Medical Science

15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR)

15.04. - 17.04.2019, Berlin

Effects of dynamic lycra orthosis as an adjunct to rehabilitation after botulinum toxin-a injection of the upper limb in adults following stroke: a randomized single blinded controlled study

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Esra Giray - Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
  • author Nurullah Eren - Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
  • author Kardelen Gencer-Atalay - Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
  • author Hakan Gündüz - Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
  • author Evrim Karadag-Saygi - Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR). Berlin, 15.-17.04.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2019. Doc040

doi: 10.3205/19efrr040, urn:nbn:de:0183-19efrr0409

Published: April 16, 2019

© 2019 Giray et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Background: Dynamic lycra splints are proposed to modify hypertonicity due to the effects of neutral warmth, circumferential pressure and by creating a low intensity prolonged stretch on hypertonic muscles, all of which contribute to increased sensory awareness of the involved limb.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate effects of dynamic lycra sleeve as an adjunct to botulinum toxin injection of the upper limb rehabilitation in stroke

Method: Patients with post-stroke spasticity were randomized to two groups: Lycra sleeve plus rehabilitation (n=10) and only rehabilitation group (n=6). After botulinum toxin injection, both groups underwent upper limb rehabilitation program. Intervention group wore lycra sleeve for eight hours a day, five days a week for three weeks in addition to rehabilitation program. Fugl Meyer Upper Limb Motor score, Motricity index, Modified Ashworth scale, Box and Block test, Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments and star cancellation tests were assessed by blinded investigators at before treatment, post-treatment (at 3 weeks) and three months post-treatment. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT03546959.

Results/findings: There were no differences between groups in terms of Fugl Meyer Upper Limb Motor score, Motricity Index, Box and Block test and light touch threshold difference after treatment in index, ring and little finger. Improvement in light touch threshold of thumb finger at 3 weeks was found to be greater in lycra sleeve plus rehabilitation than only rehabilitation group.

Discussion and conclusions: Using lycra sleeve as adjunctive to upper limb rehabilitation program after stroke did not provide additional benefit in motor function while it yielded improvement in sensory function.