title: Exercise testing using upper extremity ergometry in pediatric spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe an upper extremity ergometer test for children with spinal cord injury (SCI) and examine differences based on injury level for peak heart rate (HR peak), oxygen uptake (VO 2 peak/kg), and peak power output per kilogram (W peak/kg).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine children with motor complete SCI participated. Nine had low cervical (C7, C8), 9 had upper thoracic (T1-T4), and 11 had mid/low thoracic (T5-T11) SCI. HR peak, VO2 peak/kg, and W peak/kg were compared based on these 3 injury level groupings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HR peak (p = 0.013), VO 2 peak/kg (p = 0.041), and W peak/kg (p = 0.001) differed between groups. The mid/low thoracic group had the highest values for each variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differences in HR peak, VO 2 peak/kg, and W peak/kg were consistent with exercise effects reported for adults with SCI. Further research is needed to develop an appropriate standardized ergometric test for children with SCI.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. tjohnston@shrinenet.org
authors.forename: Therese E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Randal R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Lauer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*