Ultrasonographic Median Nerve Changes After a Wheelchair Sporting Event

Impink, BG and Boninger, ML and Walker, H and Collinger, JL and Niyonkuru, C (2009) Ultrasonographic Median Nerve Changes After a Wheelchair Sporting Event. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 90 (9). 1489 - 1494. ISSN 0003-9993

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Abstract

Impink BG, Boninger ML, Walker H, Collinger JL, Niyonkuru C. Ultrasonographic median nerve changes after a wheelchair sporting event. Objectives: To investigate the acute median nerve response to intense wheelchair propulsion by using ultrasonography and to examine the relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) signs and symptoms and the acute median nerve response. Design: Case series. Setting: Research room at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Participants: Manual wheelchair users (N=28) competing in wheelchair basketball. Intervention: Ultrasound images collected before and after a wheelchair basketball game. Main Outcome Measures: Median nerve cross-sectional area, flattening ratio, and swelling ratio and changes in these after activity. Comparison of median nerve characteristics and patient characteristics between participants with and without positive physical examination findings and with and without symptoms of CTS. Results: Significant changes in median nerve ultrasound characteristics were noted after activity. The group as a whole showed a significant decrease in cross-sectional area at the radius of 4.05% (P=.023). Participants with positive physical examinations showed significantly different (P=.029) and opposite changes in swelling ratio compared with the normal group. Subjects with CTS symptoms had a significantly (P=.022) greater duration of wheelchair use (17.1y) compared with the asymptomatic participants (9y). Conclusions: Manual wheelchair propulsion induces acute changes in median nerve characteristics that can be visualized by using ultrasound. Studying the acute median nerve response may be useful for optimizing various interventions, such as wheelchair set up or propulsion training, to decrease both acute and chronic median nerve damage and the likelihood of developing CTS. © 2009 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.

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Details

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Impink, BG Boninger, ML boninger@pitt.edu BONINGER Walker, H Collinger, JL Niyonkuru, C
Centers:	Other Centers, Institutes, Offices, or Units > Human Engineering Research Laboratories
Date:	1 September 2009
Date Type:	Publication
Journal or Publication Title:	Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume:	90
Number:	9
Page Range:	1489 - 1494
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.1016/j.apmr.2009.02.019
Schools and Programs:	School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences > Rehabilitation Science and Technology
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	0003-9993
MeSH Headings:	Adult; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome--etiology; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome--ultrasonography; Humans; Male; Median Nerve--ultrasonography; Middle Aged; Sports; Wheelchairs
PubMed ID:	19735775
Date Deposited:	18 Oct 2012 18:26
Last Modified:	03 Feb 2019 06:55
URI:	http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15927

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