title: Evaluation of clinical outcomes of patients with post-stroke wrist and finger spasticity after ultrasonography-guided BTX-A injection and rehabilitation training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using ultrasonography (US) to guide botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection in patients with post-stroke wrist and finger flexor muscle spasticity and assessing clinical outcomes after the injection and rehabilitation intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with wrist and finger spasticity after stroke were recruited in this study from May 2012 to May 2013. Under US guidance, the proper dose (250 U) of BTX-A was injected into each spastic muscle at two injection sites. Then, conventional rehabilitation training started next day after BTX-A injection. The degree of spasticity was assessed by modified Ashworth scale (MAS) and wrist and finger motor function by active rang of movement (AROM), and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) at the baseline, 1, 2, 4 and 12 weeks after BTX-A injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant decreases (p < 0.02) in the MAS scores of both the finger flexor muscle tone and wrist flexor muscle tone measured at 1, 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the BTX-A injection were found in comparison with the baseline scores. Compared with the baseline, the AROM values of the wrist and finger extensions and the FMA scores of the wrist and hand significantly increased (p < 0.02) at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after the BTX-A injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US-guided BTX-A injection combined with rehabilitation exercise decrease spasticity of the wrist and finger flexor muscles and improve their motor function in stroke patients up to 12 weeks following BTX-A injection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zu-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Information, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiao-Yuan
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, USA ; Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Bei
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: botulinum toxin type A; intramuscular injection; muscle spasticity; post-stroke rehabilitation; ultrasonography guidance