Abstract
Study design:
Evaluation of knees of tetraplegic patients who have been walking for several months with the aid of a system that involves neuromuscular stimulation, treadmill and a harness support device.
Objectives:
To investigate if the training program could cause knee injury to tetraplegic patients.
Setting:
Hospital das Clinicas – UNICAMP. Campinas-SP, Brazil.
Methods:
Nine patients were evaluated. Clinical exam and magnetic resonance images (MRIs) were used for evaluation. MRIs were taken before and after the training program, in a 6-month interval for each patient. There were two sessions of training every week. Each session lasted 20 min.
Results:
No severe clinical abnormality was observed in any patient. Mild knee injury was observed in four of nine patients studied.
Conclusions:
Tetraplegic patients undergoing treadmill gait training deserve a close follow-up to prevent knee injury.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful for the support from the State of São Paulo Research Support Foundation (FAPESP).
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Ferro, F., González, H., Ferreira, D. et al. Electrical stimulation and treadmill gait in tetraplegic patients: assessment of its effects on the knee with magnetic resonance imaging. Spinal Cord 46, 124–128 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3102078
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3102078
