Biomedical subjects

K R Flowers

Publications and source records attributed to K R Flowers.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Treatment of limited shoulder motion using an elevation splint.

This article describes the management of a patient with limited shoulder range of motion (ROM) by use of an elevation splint. The limited ROM was believed to be due to structural changes in the tissues surrounding the glenohumeral joint following a Magnuson-Stack repair for anterior glenohumeral instability. The patient's ROM plateaued approximately 6 months postoperatively and did not improve with a variety of physical therapy techniques. Use of an inexpensive, easily fabricated elevation splint was begun 8 months postoperatively, and subsequent improvements in ROM were observed. The rationale and suggestions for clinical use of the splint are discussed.

Female↗

PubMed1992

Treatment of limited shoulder motion: a case study based on biomechanical considerations.

This article describes the management of a 57-year-old female patient following a fracture and dislocation of the right humeral head. The treatment of the patient involved the use of thermal agents, manual therapy, continuous passive motion, and splinting of the arm in an elevated position. We describe an approach to treatment of limited shoulder motion that is focused on identifying and applying tension to restricting structures rather than restoration of translatory gliding movements of the humeral head. Our treatment approach is based on recent data from biomechanical studies that challenge the concave-convex theory of arthrokinematic motion first described by MacConaill. We believe that tension in capsular tissues, rather than joint surface geometry, may control the translatory movements of the humeral head. The rationale for treatment involving low-load prolonged stress to tissues in the form of continuous passive motion and splinting is discussed as well as potential limitations of more brief forms of stress such as joint mobilization and manual stretching.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed1988

String wrapping versus massage for reducing digital volume.

The purposes of this study were 1) to compare the relative effectiveness of two common methods of treating hand edema, retrograde massage and string wrapping, and 2) to compare these two methods with two techniques of combining them. Fifty-six digits of the hands of 14 subjects were studied. Because all of the subjects demonstrated generalized hand edema, comparisons of different digits of the same subject could be made on each visit. Effectiveness rankings of the treatment methods were made after each visit. A clear pattern of effectiveness emerged that suggested that superimposing massage on an already-wrapped digit was more effective than either massage or string wrapping alone. Average circumferential reductions of digits further supported the hypothesis that a combination of string wrapping and massage would be more effective than the individual string-wrapping or massage techniques. No significant difference in effectiveness was found between massage and string wrapping when used singularly.

Adult↗