Three-dimensional measurement of rolling in tetraplegic patients

• Published in: Spinal cord Vol. 38; no. 11; pp. 683 - 686
• Main Authors: TANAKA, S, YOSHIMURA, O, KOBAYASHI, R, MINEMATSU, A, SASAKI, H, MAEJIMA, H, KANEMURA, N, SHIRAHAMA, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing 01.11.2000; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cervical Vertebrae; Electromagnetic Phenomena; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Movement; Quadriplegia - etiology; Quadriplegia - physiopathology; Rotation; Spinal Cord Injuries - complications; Spine - physiopathology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Human; Motion; Nervous system diseases; Spinal cord; Motor system disorder; Rolling (mechanics); Exploration; Trauma; Three dimensional representation; Medullary tetraplegia; Analysis; Central nervous system disease; Neurological disorder; Spinal cord disease
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.sc.3101084

To investigate the differences between traumatic tetraplegic patients who can roll and those who cannot. Motion analysis using 3-dimensional measurement. Rehabilitation centers in southwestern Japan. Nineteen male participants, all of whom had traumatic C6 complete injury. 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. 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 degrees, while the average rotation of rollers was 66.3+/-17.3degrees). 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. Rolling requires greater and adequate flexibility in the back of tetraplegic patients.