title: The effect of lower body burns on physical function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To attenuate burn-induced catabolism, patients are often enrolled in a resistance exercise program as part of their physical rehabilitation. This study assessed how lower body burn locations affected strength and cardiopulmonary function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children enrolled in an exercise study between 2003 and 2013, were 7-18 years of age, and burned ≥30% of their total body surface area were included. Analysis of variance was used to model the relationship of lower body strength (PTW) and cardiopulmonary function (VO2peak) due to burns which traverse the subject's lower body joints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant relationship between PTW and burns at the hip and toe joints, showing a 26 N m/kg (p=0.010) and 33 N m/kg (p=0.013) decrease in peak torque, respectively. Burns at the hip joint corresponded to a significant decrease in VO2peak by 4.9 ml kg(-1) min(-1) (p=0.010) in peak cardiopulmonary function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical function and performance are detrimentally affected by burns that traverse specific lower body joints. The most significant relationship on exercise performance was that of hip joint burns as it affected both strength and cardiopulmonary measurements. Ultimately, burns at hip and toe joints need to be considered when interpreting exercise test results involving the lower body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston, TX 77550, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston, TX 77550, USA.
authors.forename: Clark R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston, TX 77550, USA.
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston, TX 77550, USA. Electronic address: oesuman@utmb.edu.
authors.forename: Oscar E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Suman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000378:metabolism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006615:Hip; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D014034:Toes; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Burn; Exercise; Joint; Lower body