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.
The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. l.harvey@usyd.edu.au
L A
LA
Harvey
R D
RD
Herbert
J
J
Glinsky
A M
AM
Moseley
J
J
Bowden
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