OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a clinical and administrative partnership with an academic urban Level I trauma center on the patient transfer practices at a suburban/rural Level II center. METHODS: Data for 2 years before affiliation (PRE) abstracted from inpatient charts and the trauma registry were compared with that ...

The functional consequences of ventilatory muscle impairment of spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects has been evaluated through spirometric and maximal respiratory pressure tests. Nevertheless, underlying functional abnormalities may be evident only under dynamic conditions, such as with a ventilatory muscle endurance test (VME). In order to evaluate the VME of ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the nature and incidence of injuries suffered by racewalkers. DESIGN AND SETTING: A total of 682 questionnaires were distributed to racewalkers in the San Diego/Long Beach, CA area, participants in a national qualifying race held in Washington, DC, and subscribers to The Ohio Racewalker. SUBJECTS: Four hundred ...

Many patients with long-term disabilities have inactive lifestyles that put them at risk for chronic diseases and secondary disabilities. The purpose of this case report is to illustrate the process of aerobic exercise prescription for a patient with chronic multisystem impairments. The patient was a 43-year-old man who incurred a ...

We investigated the early effects of in vivo fluid percussion injury (FPI) on hippocampal synaptic potentials and excitability. In vitro field potential recordings and immunocytochemistry were performed in the CA1 region in slices from naïve, post-FPI, or sham-operated rats. The following electrophysiological and morphological parameters were affected following FPI: (1) ...

Rupture of the pectoralis major muscle is an uncommon athletic injury that can result in both functional and cosmetic deficiency. To date, most ruptures occurring in athletes have occurred while performing bench press or overhead lifting maneuvers. We describe a case of a pectoralis major rupture occurring while performing weighted ...

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of four conditions that might improve oxygen transport and/or utilization during maximal exercise performance in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Five males with tetraplegia (TP) and four males with paraplegia (PR) performed maximal arm cranking exercise in the following ...

Spinal cord lesion leads to an interruption of pathways from brain to the peripheral sympathetic nervous system, which results in pathological changes in sympathetic innervation. Free epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) were measured in 30 tetraplegics (TETRA), 15 high-lesion paraplegics (T1 and T4, HPARA), 15 paraplegics with injuries ...

During the 25-year period 1970-1994 694 patients were diagnosed with neck sprain resulting from a car accident at the Emergency Room of the University Hospital Groningen. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the prevalence, groups at risk and trends in these patients, taking into account changes in ...

Multiple organ failure with thrombophilia is suggested to occur in the course of polytrauma with septicaemia. The aim of the study was to investigate fibrinogen level, other proteins of acute phase response: positive-orosomucoid and negative-transferrin and soluble cytoadhesive molecules in plasma of patients (n = 28) with polytrauma (I-II. stage ...

This study investigated effects of ankle dorsiflexion range and pre-exercise calf muscle stretching on relative risk of selected injuries in 1093 male Army recruits undertaking 12 weeks of intensive training. Prior to training, ankle dorsiflexion range was measured and recruits were allocated to stretch and control groups using a quasi-random ...

To examine injury prevalence in competitive paddlers, a cross-sectional, retrospective, written survey of the athletes competing in the four regional Olympic canoe and kayak qualifying races for the United States Canoe and Kayak Team was conducted in the spring of 1996. A total of 375 questionnaires were distributed, of which ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serum level of serotonin (5-HT) during rest and response to exercise in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) with different levels of physical activity. Twenty-five male subjects with traumatic paraplegia, the neurological levels being between T1 and T12, volunteered for the ...

Electrical stimulation-induced leg muscle contractions provide a useful model for examining the role of leg muscle neural afferents during low-intensity exercise in persons with spinal cord-injury and their able-bodied cohorts. Eight persons with paraplegia (SCI) and 8 non-disabled subjects (CONTROL) performed passive knee flexion/extension (PAS), electrical stimulation-induced knee flexion/extension (ES) ...

PURPOSE: Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS])-induced systemic organ injury leads to disruption of normal systemic organ metabolic processes, which are manifest clinically by signs of accelerated anaerobic metabolism (e.g., tissue acidosis and hyperlactatemia) and altered VO2-DO2 relationships. The association of increased anaerobic metabolism with VO2-DO2 alterations has led to the notion that ...

The hypothesis that neutrophil activation exacerbates brain injury in acute stroke is currently receiving wide acceptance. However, the temporal relationship of neutrophil activation to the ischemic event in clinical states is not clear. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine human neutrophil activation by the technique of luminol-dependent chemiluminescence in ...

We measured the ventilatory responses and subjective sensations during arm exercise in patients with lower cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord injuries in order to evaluate the effects of chest wall deafferentation on these responses. Visual analog scales with verbal descriptors were used to quantify respiratory sensations of different affectional ...

BACKGROUND: There are few studies of smoke injury combined with thermal burn. METHODS: Seven sheep (G1) received smoke injury alone; eight (G2) received a 40% full-thickness scald burn immediately after smoke injury. All animals were resuscitated with lactated Ringer's solution and killed 48 hours after injury. Cardiopulmonary variables and blood ...

Successful rehabilitation programs arise from the balance of wisdom obtained through scientific laboratory experiment, and the "art" developed from clinical experience. Specifically, choosing the best exercises is enhanced by knowledge of the resultant tissue loads to reduce the risk of injury exacerbation and to strengthen healthy supporting tissues. The following ...

Recently, increases in blood pressure (BP) and concomitant bradycardia, suggestive of autonomic dysreflexia (AD), have been documented during functional electrical stimulation (FES) in individuals with a high spinal cord injury (SCI). If uncontrolled, this response could preclude the safe use of FES among such individuals. FES induced pain is partly ...

Although definitions of proprioception sense of joint position may vary, its importance in preventing and rehabilitating athletic injury remains constant: Restoring it after injury allows the body to maintain stability and orientation during static and dynamic activities. Any type of joint injury can interrupt position sense. Proprioceptive programs need to ...

We report a significant incidence of warm water immersion foot (WWIF) in a light infantry battalion during a field exercise. Four hundred soldiers belonging to this battalion were surveyed to determine the prevalence of the WWIF syndrome. One hundred forty-nine soldiers surveyed developed the WWIF syndrome. The affected soldiers had ...

The nature of so-called autochthonous bubbles was investigated. Their presence in compressed/decompressed goats was compared with that in animals killed before decompression and in controls. Ten goats (group 1) were subjected to compression/decompression in air. Clinical signs of spinal decompression sickness usually occurred. Within 35 min of surfacing, the animals ...

BACKGROUND: Despite the predominance of superficial injuries after explosive blast exposure, major morbidity or mortality among immediate survivors is caused by delayed perforation of intestinal mural contusions. Previous studies have suggested that small bowel and colonic contusions larger than 10 mm in diameter are at high risk. This experimental study ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the task-nonspecific effects of functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS)-assisted ambulation training on the physiological responses of persons with paraplegia to upper extremity exercise challenge. DESIGN: Before-after trial. SETTING: Human spinal cord injury (SCI) applied research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve men and three women with motor- and sensory-complete thoracic-level SCI ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe performance parameters and effects on anthropometric measures in spinal cord injured subjects training with the Parastep 1 system. DESIGN: Before-after trial. SETTING: Human spinal cord injury applied research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen men and 3 women with thoracic (T4-T11) motor-complete spinal cord injury: mean age, 28.8yrs; mean duration ...

The purpose of this investigation was to (1) assess the physical demands of soldiers involved in Deployable Medical Systems (DEPMEDS) activities, and (2) evaluate the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among reserve military personnel involved in these tasks. The primary study group consisted of 190 soldiers participating in a 2-week annual ...

OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine if a hybrid exercise (leg plus arm) training program performed immediately after functional electrical stimulation (FES) leg cycle exercise (LCE) training would further improve aerobic capacity when compared with FES leg cycle training alone, and (2) to compare the submaximal responses occurring during both FES-LCE alone ...

Clinical, histopathological, and EM findings are described for two Cairn terrier litter mates, an 18-months-old male and an 11-month-old female with progressive neuronopathy. The initial clinical signs were characterized by hind limb weakness and ataxia, which deteriorated with exercise. These signs progressed over several months to tetraparesis. Pathological examination revealed ...

A range of discourse analyses are effective in identifying features which are aberrant following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We examined the exchanges of five traumatically brain-injured subjects and five matched controls across four speaking situations which included speaking to a therapist, to the bus timetable information service, to the police, ...

Spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals most often contract their injury at a young age and are deemed to a life of more or less physical inactivity. In addition to the primary implications of the SCI, severe SCI individuals are stigmatized by conditions related to their physically inactive lifestyle. It is ...

Electrical stimulation has been sporadically used in the treatment of hemiplegia. Reported benefits include decreasing spasticity, providing a supplementary means for range of motion exercises, increasing strength, and improving local blood flow in a paretic or paralyzed limb. Some studies have also shown functional gains in the hemiplegic upper limb ...

Mortality rates and injuries requiring medical treatment associated with sports and exercise are generally low. However, higher injury rates are reported for athletes and members of sports clubs. This study focuses on the sport- and exercise-related injury rate for various age and sex groups in the general population and how ...

We have examined the distribution and composition of gangliosides in central and peripheral nervous tissues from two patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). There were marked decreases in total ganglioside levels in CJD, with reductions in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum in the order of 20-30% and 50% of control values, ...

Skeletal origins of exercise intolerance and performance failure can reside in multiple tissues. Diagnosis of injury that results in an ability to continue to exercise, yet inefficiently do so, requires familiarity with evaluation of subtle lameness and often with the specific demands of the different equine sports. Imaging is usually ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of providing the ability to stand and to facilitate the performance of standing transfers to individuals with cervical-level spinal cord injuries via functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS). The applicability of implantable technology to this population was investigated, and the characteristics of the potential system users were ...

OBJECTIVE: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technology that may allow some patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) to integrate standing and upright mobility with wheelchair mobility. The purpose of this study was to document the patterns of home and community use of a FES system for standing and mobility. ...

Mechanical allodynia (MA) following hand injury is a well-documented clinical problem. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the relationship between hand MA and the upper limb tension test (ULTT). The ULTT mechanically stresses the neural structures from the C5/6/7 neural foramina to the median nerve distally. This ...

The starting lists for the alpine disciplines during the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer totalled 555 racers, but only 354 of them (64%) completed the different races. The race completion rate was 43% in the slalom, 51% in the giant slalom, 75% in the super giant slalom and 91% ...

This investigation tested the hypothesis that bradykinin causes excitatory effects in the thoracic spinal cord that augment the exercise pressor reflex. Thus we performed 30 s of electrically stimulated static contraction of the hindlimb in the anesthetized cat (alpha-chloralose) to provoke reflex-induced increases in mean arterial pressure, maximal rate of ...

This study investigated the modulation of hindlimb reflex excitability after transection of the spinal cord in adult rats. After transection, the H-reflex exhibited decreased depression at high stimulation frequencies compared to intact animals. Groups of animals which received a spinal cord transection followed by either an exercise regimen for the ...

We have previously demonstrated that purified ginsenosides produce pulmonary vasodilation and prevent effects of free radical injury on the lung. We examined the effect of artificially digested standardized ginseng preparation G115 in perfused rabbit lungs. G115 was incubated in artificial gastric juice (0.03 M NaCl + 0.08 M HCl) 37 ...

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate physiological changes and injury rates associated with lateral motion (slideboard) training. Twenty-five females performed slideboard exercise 3 days per week, 1 hour each session, over a 10 week period. Eleven females served as controls. The subjects were pre and post tested via ...

Burner syndrome (brachial plexus injury) is common in contact sports, especially on the football field, but not always benign. Our case report describes a 15-year-old football player who suffered burner symptoms that resolved quickly but led to shoulder weakness and neck pain a few days later. Detailed serial clinical examinations ...

Exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis is a frequent event occurring after severe forms of exercise. This is usually a short-lived, uncomplicated phenomenon that is seldom of any clinical significance. The rare progression of this muscle injury to compartment syndrome is, however, a limb- and life-threatening condition that typically presents in the anterior compartment ...

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo should be considered when a patient complains of attacks of dizziness of brief duration, that seem to occur under particular circumstances related to the position of the head. The true nature of the disorder may be missed unless examination is carried out in a certain way: ...

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) assisted resistance training has been effective in increasing muscular strength and endurance in spinal cord injured men and women in preparation for FES-assisted cycle programs and for FES-assisted standing and walking. Increases in blood pressure and a concomitant bradycardia suggestive of autonomic dysreflexia have been reported ...

Specific elbow and wrist injuries are predictable in the skeletally immature athlete based on the biomechanics of the sport and the age of the patient. The physician must be aware of the potential for overuse injuries. Modification in training regimens is essential for recovery. A greater emphasis must be placed ...

Carbon dioxide inspired as a 40% mixture in oxygen and halothane protected the spinal cords of 5 rabbits subjected to 30 min of surgically created spinal cord ischemia. Spinal cord ischemia was produced in 20 New Zealand White rabbits by transection of four of the five pairs of segmental arteries ...

Isotonic fluids have been thoroughly studied and for the vast majority of neurosurgical patients are both safe and effective. Conversely, HS may have some transient beneficial effects on cerebral physiology in animal models of brain injury. However, further studies are needed to measure the functional outcome rather than early parameters ...