Biomedical subjects

E Mevellec

Publications and source records attributed to E Mevellec.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

[Relationship between gait speed and strength parameters in multiple sclerosis].

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have focused on correlation between strength and gait parameters in hemiplegia, suggesting the interest for strength training in patients with central nervous system lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate this correlation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with special regard to the different clinical forms including proprioceptive loss or cerebellar ataxia. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Gait speed and muscular function were performed in 27 patients with moderate affected gait (EDDS < 6). Gait speed was evaluated with Locometre and peak-torques of quadriceps and hamstrings were evaluated with isokinetic dynamometer. Patients were separated in three groups related to their deficiency: spastic group (8 patients), spastic with proprioceptive loss (12 patients) and spastic with cerebellar ataxia (7 patients). Gait parameters were evaluated in 10 healthy subjects as control group. RESULTS: Gait speeds (spontaneous and maximal) and peak torques of quadriceps and hamstring were similar in the three groups. In the whole patients group, gait speed was reduced and related to hamstring peak torque (r = 0.56 at spontaneous speed and 0.51 at high speed) but not with quadriceps peak torque. Patients with proprioceptive loss exhibited not only a higher correlation between gait speed and hamstring torque (r = 0.76 and 0.65 respectively) than other patients but also with quadriceps torque (r = 0.66 and 0.59 respectively) when patients in other groups did not. CONCLUSION: As it was previously pointed out in hemiplegic patients, MS patients exhibit some correlation between gait speed and muscle strength, mainly with hamstrings. These correlations can change in special sensory conditions suggesting that patients with sensory loss use different muscular strategies to maintain gait speed. Strength training may therefore be discussed in MS including specific modalities as a function of clinical parameters.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed2002

[Knee orthosis. Evaluation of clinical efficiency with a review of the literature].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this work was to collect literature data to assess the knee orthosis use with controlled clinical trials. METHOD: The international literature relating to the years 1980-2000 was carried out with the Medline data bank. RESULTS: Five hundred and twelve articles were collected and 35 were retained, 32 related to clinical studies and three related to toxicity. The evaluations were performed with either functional tests or clinical studies. The open-non controlled clinical trials are far higher than prospective comparative clinical trials that were developed only during last years. Main criteria of judgement are articular stability, functional pain and clinical index. Most of studies focused the anterior cruciate ligament lesions, patellar pains and osteoarthritis. DISCUSSION: This review of the literature may help to determine the interest and the limits of orthosis use as well as side effect occurrence. Both these clinical and experimental data point out the methodological difficulties facing the investigatory clinician in knee orthosis evaluation. CONCLUSION: Many studies contributed to the clinical evaluation of the knee orthosis. This work highlights various clinical indications for the same orthosis and variable results for the same indication. These methodological difficulties may not prevent a further evaluation of these devices to improve their use in current practice.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament↗

PubMed2002

Relation between walking speed and muscle strength is affected by somatosensory loss in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between gait speed and strength in multiple sclerosis (MS) with particular regard to patients presenting with proprioceptive loss. METHODS: Gait evaluation and isokinetic testing of muscular function were performed in 20 patients with unaided gait (expanded disability status scale < 6). Patients were separated into two groups in relation to the occurrence of somatosensory involvement: pyramidal group (8 patients) and sensory-pyramidal group (12 patients). Ten healthy subjects of similar age, sex, and height constituted a control group to evaluate gait parameters. RESULTS: In the whole patient group, gait speed was reduced and strongly related to hamstring peak torque but not with quadriceps peak torque. The gait speed and peak torques of quadriceps and hamstrings were similar in both groups of patients. However, in the patients with proprioceptive loss there was both a strong correlation between gait speed and hamstring torque and a significant correlation with quadriceps torque. In the pyramidal group there was poor or no correlation. CONCLUSION: In patients with undifferentiated MS there is some correlation between gait speed and muscle strength. In the case of sensory loss, a higher contribution of both flexor and extensors of the lower limbs was observed, suggesting that muscular compensation occurred in this situation to maintain gait speed. These results are relevant to assess rehabilitation modalities in MS.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Knee orthosis. First part : evaluation of physiological properties based on a review of the literature].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this work was to proceed to a literature review to determine the physiological justifications underlying knee orthosis use in medical practice. METHOD: An analysis of the international literature relating to the years 1980-2000 was carried out with the Medline data bank. We added extra articles focusing on the validity of the protocols used in the different evaluations. RESULTS: Five hundred and twelve articles were selected and 46 articles of experimental validation were retained. The experimental protocols are divided into in vitro studies and clinical studies carried out in both healthy subject and patients. Only the in vitro experimental data allowed to reach strain values simulating traumatisms of the articular structures. They allowed to define the interest and limits of the orthosis according to articular physiology. Measurements carried out in vivo were effective to characterize the parameters of stability and proprioception and to discriminate between the orthosis. These studies correspond to experimental situations with related constraints that remain far below lesional constraints, focusing on their clinical validity. CONCLUSION: This work point out many studies focusing on the physiological characterization of the knee orthosis. This evaluation of the orthosis through a single methodology remains difficult and justifies confrontation with clinical trials data.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗