title: Impact of a rehabilitation program on muscular strength and endurance in peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients.
abstract: Rehabilitation care and physical exercise are known to constitute an effective treatment for chronic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) at the intermittent claudication (IC) stage. Improvements in functional capacities and quality of life have been reported in the literature. We decided to assess the effects of hospital-based exercise training on muscle strength and endurance for the ankle plantar and dorsal flexors in this pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 31 subjects with chronic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) and IC who followed a 4-week rehabilitation program featuring walking sessions, selective muscle strengthening, general physical exercise and therapeutic patient education. An isokinetic assessment of ankle plantar and dorsal flexors strength was conducted on the first and last days of the program. We also studied the concentric contractions at the angular velocity of 30°/s and 120°/s for muscle strength and at 180°/s for muscle fatigue. We also measured the walking distance for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Walking distance improved by 246%. At baseline, the isokinetic assessment revealed severe muscle weakness (mainly of the plantar flexors). The only isokinetic parameter that improved during the rehabilitation program was the peak torque for plantar flexors at 120°/s.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All patients presented with severe weakness and fatigability of the ankle plantar and dorsal flexors. Our program dramatically improved walking distance but not muscle strength and endurance.
authors: EA 4488, Université Nord de France, 59000 Lille, France.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Cousin
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Popielarz
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Wieczorek
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Tiffreau
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Mounier-Vehier
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Thevenon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003376:Counseling; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010807:Physical Endurance; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D016138:Walking