Article

Objective: To investigate the effects of adding core stabilisation exercises to
traditional rehabilitation in patients with arm injuries.
Design: Randomized
controlled trial. Setting: Outpatient clinic. Subjects: Twenty-seven patients
with elbow and wrist injuries were randomized to a stabilisation or control
group. Interventions: The stabilisation group received core stabilisation
training and traditional arm rehabilitation and the control group received
traditional arm rehabilitation alone for three days/week for six weeks. Main
measures: Pre- and post-treatment assessments comprising an analysis of
compensatory movement patterns and trunk muscle strength as well as functional
measurements of the arm, including pain, range of motion, disabilities of arm,
shoulder and hand questionnaire and endurance and fatigue severity were
performed. Results: Inter-group comparison revealed significantly greater
improvements in the degree of mean change (SD) in total compensation (in degrees)
of the head (-14.47 (21.65)) and trunk (-5.56 (5.71)) as well as total
compensation (-50.02 (48.62)) for the stabilisation group than for the control
group (p < 0.05). Increase in trunk muscle strength (2.43 (3.46)) was
statistically significant in the stabilisation group compared with the control
group. No significant differences were found for functional measures, including
pain, range of motion, disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand or endurance and
fatigue severity between the groups, although trends towards greater improvement
were observed in the stabilisation group. Conclusions: Adding core stabilisation
exercises to traditional arm rehabilitation for patients with traumatic arm
injury reduces compensatory movement patterns. Trends towards better functional
outcomes in the stabilisation group are worth testing in a large-scale trial.

Langue : ANGLAIS