Effects of 6 months of regular passive movements on ankle joint mobility in people with spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial.
METHODS
Assessor-blinded within-subject randomized controlled trial.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of 6 months of regular passive movements on ankle joint mobility in people with spinal cord injury.


METHODS
Community, Australia.


METHODS
A total of 20 people with tetraplegia living in the community had one ankle randomized to a control group and the other to an experimental group. Carers administered passive movements to participants' experimental ankles for 10 min, 10 times a week for 6 months. The control ankles were left untreated. The primary outcome was passive ankle dorsiflexion range of motion.


RESULTS
Adherence was high (mean adherence rate of 96%). Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion decreased by a mean (s.d.) of 2 degrees (4) in control ankles and increased by 2 degrees (4) in experimental ankles. The mean (95% confidence interval, CI) effect on ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was 4 degrees (95% CI, 2-6 degrees ).


CONCLUSIONS
Regular passive movements have small effects on ankle joint mobility. It is unclear if these effects are clinically worthwhile.
Harvey
L A
LA
The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. l.harvey@usyd.edu.au
Herbert
R D
RD
Glinsky
J
J
Moseley
A M
AM
Bowden
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015915:Motion Therapy, Continuous Passive / Q000379:methods*; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome