Efficacy of shoulder slings in shoulder subluxation of stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of the two types of shoulder slings in reducing shoulder subluxation in acute stroke patients.


METHODS
Twenty-one acute stroke patients with shoulder subluxation were assessed for the subluxation distance before and after wearing the slings by physical examination and radiological measurement. The comparison by radiological measurement was performed by two radiologists who were blinded to each other as well as to the types of sling used.


RESULTS
The mean difference of subluxation distance on the affected side after wearing the slings number 1 and 2 were 0.48 mm and 1.14 mm respectively on physical examination and 2.09 mm and 1.14 mm respectively on radiological assessment. There was no statistically significant difference of subluxation distance on either physical examination or radiological assessment (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no difference in efficacy of shoulder slings in reducing shoulder subluxation in acute stroke patients.
Dajpratham
Piyapat
P
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkoknoi, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. siptb@mahidol.ac.th
Sura
Penkhae
P
Lektrakul
Nittaya
N
Chanchairujira
Gulanuch
G
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012783:Shoulder Dislocation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome