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Standing Neurophysiological Assessment of Lower Extremity Muscles Post-Stroke
Published on: July 26, 2021
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Changes in Lower Extremity Muscle Quantity and Quality in Patients with Subacute Stroke
Da Hye Kim1, Eun Sol Cho1, Young Sook Park1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
|December 1, 2023
Summary
Muscle quality, not mass, significantly changes in the paretic leg of subacute stroke patients. This muscle property improvement in the vastus lateralis (VL) and gastrocnemius (GCM) correlates with lower limb function, suggesting a focus on quality for rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Stroke survivors often experience muscle atrophy and functional decline in lower limbs.
- Understanding longitudinal changes in muscle mass and quality is crucial for effective rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze temporal changes in muscle mass and quality in paretic and non-paretic legs of subacute stroke patients.
- To identify correlations between muscle property variations and lower limb functional recovery.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal assessment of muscle mass (muscle thickness) and quality (elastic shear modulus via shear wave elastography) in key lower limb muscles.
- Functional evaluation using Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST).
- Bilateral lower limb measurements in 30 hemiplegic stroke patients.
Main Results:
- Muscle thickness showed no significant change over time.
- Paretic vastus lateralis (VL) and gastrocnemius (GCM) muscles exhibited increased elastic shear modulus, indicating improved muscle quality.
- Elastic shear modulus of VL correlated negatively with BBS and positively with FTSST, with significant correlations between FTSST variation and VL elastic shear modulus variation.
Conclusions:
- Muscle quality, specifically in the paretic VL and GCM, improves in subacute stroke.
- Muscle property changes are linked to lower limb functional outcomes.
- Rehabilitation for subacute stroke patients should prioritize improving muscle quality over muscle quantity.
