Comparing Outcomes of Elbow Extension Tendon Transfers
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Hospital, Women's Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Other, Reproductive |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 60 |
| Updated: | 4/21/2016 |
| Start Date: | August 2011 |
| End Date: | December 2015 |
A Comparison of Two Surgical Procedures That Restore Elbow Extension
Active elbow extension has significant functional benefits for individuals with tetraplegia.
The proposed work will provide information to assess how effectively people are using their
elbow extension tendon transfers, and whether one surgery works more effectively than the
other. This study will provide recommendations to clinicians about the possibility of
improving function after surgery using rehab techniques.
The proposed work will provide information to assess how effectively people are using their
elbow extension tendon transfers, and whether one surgery works more effectively than the
other. This study will provide recommendations to clinicians about the possibility of
improving function after surgery using rehab techniques.
Voluntary control of elbow extension significantly improves functional abilities for
individuals with tetraplegia. As a result, surgical reconstruction of elbow extension via
tendon transfer is considered a fundamental intervention that benefits the patient, even if
other tendon transfers aimed at improving hand function are never performed. Presently,
there are two common tendon transfer surgeries used to restore elbow extension following
spinal cord injury. These are the posterior deltoid to triceps transfer and the biceps to
triceps transfer. Both surgeries significantly improve voluntary elbow extension, although
there is variability in the amount of control that is restored among patients. This study
will directly compare the performance of the posterior deltoid transfer to the biceps
transfer with regard to: voluntary elbow extension strength, the ability to activate the
transfer, and neural factors associated with voluntary and involuntary control of individual
muscles. These comparisons will be made in functionally relevant postures and will provide
fundamental information that will improve clinical understanding of the capacity of each of
these two procedures to restore elbow extension.
The fundamental hypothesis of this proposal is that an inability to maximally activate the
transferred posterior deltoid and the transferred biceps significantly limits the elbow
extension moment that can be produced.
individuals with tetraplegia. As a result, surgical reconstruction of elbow extension via
tendon transfer is considered a fundamental intervention that benefits the patient, even if
other tendon transfers aimed at improving hand function are never performed. Presently,
there are two common tendon transfer surgeries used to restore elbow extension following
spinal cord injury. These are the posterior deltoid to triceps transfer and the biceps to
triceps transfer. Both surgeries significantly improve voluntary elbow extension, although
there is variability in the amount of control that is restored among patients. This study
will directly compare the performance of the posterior deltoid transfer to the biceps
transfer with regard to: voluntary elbow extension strength, the ability to activate the
transfer, and neural factors associated with voluntary and involuntary control of individual
muscles. These comparisons will be made in functionally relevant postures and will provide
fundamental information that will improve clinical understanding of the capacity of each of
these two procedures to restore elbow extension.
The fundamental hypothesis of this proposal is that an inability to maximally activate the
transferred posterior deltoid and the transferred biceps significantly limits the elbow
extension moment that can be produced.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Cervical Spinal Cord Injury (C5-C7)
- Posterior Deltoid to Triceps Tendon Transfer at least one year post-surgery
- Biceps to Triceps Tendon Transfer at least one year post-surgery
Exclusion Criteria:
- Subjects will be excluded from the studies if there is presence of concurrent severe
medical illness, including:
- unhealed decubiti
- use of baclofen pumps
- existing infection
- cardiovascular disease
- significant osteoporosis (as indicated by a history of fractures following
injury)
- or a history of pulmonary complications or autonomic dysreflexia
We found this trial at
1
site
Click here to add this to my saved trials
