The Influence of Pelvic Asymmetry on Trunk Symmetry Among Children.

Background: Pelvic asymmetry and accompanying postural defects tend to become more common with age. The school period, which is associated with spending more time in a sitting position and daily activities performed with the dominant limb, may contribute to this.

Material And Methods: We examined 22 children (12 girls, 10 boys) aged 7 years.

Scientific Idea of Professor Marian Weiss.

This year marks the 100th birth anniversary of Professor Marian Alan Weiss. The following article serves as a reminder of this magnificent man, doctor and scientist and his indisputable multifaceted accomplishments. Prof.

Possibilities for Quality Assessment of Health Services in Therapeutic Rehabilitation.

The main goal of therapeutic rehabilitation is to provide services that develop, maintain or restore mobility and functionality to the fullest extent possible throughout the patient's life. This process should involve setting real goals both for the person who has mobility and functionality impairment as well as in the records of relevant therapeutic programme objectives. In evaluating this process, quality indicators can be used as 'tools' and they may also be used as parameters for quantitative characterization of healthcare processes and outcomes.

Evaluation of Local Cryotherapy after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Critical Review of the Literature.

Background: At a time of innovative medical technologies development, it is paramount that medical services be evaluated with regard to their effectiveness. Research in physical medicine and rehabilitation, as well as the specialty itself, is relatively young; however, the number of publications in the field has recently been increasing. The main aim of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of cryotherapy, including local cryostimulation, after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

[Peripheral nerves phenolisation in spasticity management - forgotten art or interesting perspective?].

Introduction: Spasticity is one of the most common obstacles in the process of rehabilitation after permanent central nervous system injury. Statistics show that the problem affects more than 12 billion people all over the world. Treatment of spasticity is necessary for proper rehabilitation, prevention of secondary disability, pain management and also strongly influences quality of life.

Influence of wheelchair footrest height on ischial tuberosity pressure in individuals with paraplegia.

Objective: To describe the effect of wheelchair footrest height on sitting pressures in persons with paraplegia.

Methods: Seventeen manual wheelchair users with paraplegia underwent a seat pressure examination while footrests were elevated from the initial position with the thighs parallel to the seat (p0), by 10% (position p10) and by 20% of the fibula length (position p20). We analyzed average pressure (AP), the contact surface of the body with the seat (CS), pressures on the ischial tuberosities-left (LIP) and right (RIP)--and average pressure on both ischial tuberosities (AIP).

[Factors effecting frequency of occurrence of back pain syndromes].

Low back pain syndromes are in the group of the commonest diseases observed in recent years and bear serious medical, social and economical burden. According to European data more than 70% of population suffered from back pain at least for a week in the lifetime, and 15-40% of population experiences low back pain every year. There is alarming decrease in the age of first onset described by many authors.

Factors determining health awareness in persons after spinal injury with neurological complications. Pilot study.

Background: Dedicated health education is a core intervention in comprehensive rehabilitation programmes. Health awareness of those disabled as a result of a spinal injury with neurological complications (SINC) has rarely been the subject of scientific analyses despite its importance for designing dedicated educational programs.

Purpose: To evaluate factors determining the health awareness of persons after SINC.

The role of rehabilitation and methodological problems in spinal cord repair therapies.

Despite the rapid development of studies of spinal cord repair therapies (SCRT), there is still a dearth of reliable reports on their clinical usefulness. Basing on a review of current literature, this article emphasises the role and special character of comprehensive rehabilitation based on the modulation of central nervous system plasticity in the treatment of spinal cord injuries with the use of SCRT. Basing on guidelines by the International Campaign for Cures of Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis (ICCP), this article also discusses ethical and methodological issues of SCRT studies.

Repair therapies in spinal cord injuries.

Spinal cord repair therapies (SCRT) are experimental treatments which are attracting a growing interest among both spinal cord injury sufferers and their families as well as physicians and physiotherapists. Basing on current professional literature, this article presents the most important SCRT strategies. The majority of currently developed SCRTs are at the stage of experimental in vitro or animal studies.

Strategies for neuroprotection following spinal cord injury.

Progress in neuropathology has made possible the description of local responses of neural tissue in early stages after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The recent identification of multiple factors responsible for secondary spinal cord damage and for potential regenerative abilities has not resulted in the development of a standard for neuroprotective therapy in SCI patients. The paper reviews current knowledge concerning the sequence of biochemical events in the injured spinal cord and gives an overview of therapeutic possibilities for preventing the spread of secondary injury.

Surgery and subsequent rehabilitation for cervical spine tumours compressing neural structures.

Bone malignancies account for merely about 1.5% of all cancers, with a small percentage of these tumours developing in the cervical spine. However, the cervical spine is also the site of benign tumours and neoplasms involving not only bony tissue.

[Treatment of post-traumatic instability of the cervical spine--30 years experience].

Background: Assessment of the stability of the cervical spine following an injury is an important part of the diagnostic work-up. It is not always easy as the mechanism of injury does not always determine the degree of spinal stability. An actual instability is often confused with increased compensatory instability that is still within physiological limits, i.

Medical rehabilitation for patients recovering from traumatic injuries to the cervical spine with spinal cord damage.

This article discusses the operating premises of the rehabilitation process for persons with traumatic injuries to the cervical spine. The various stages in the rehabilitation process are described, along with the difficulties encountered by the rehabilitation team in the course of treatment. The problems associated with the future development of medical rehabilitation for SCI patients are also discussed.

The possibilities of restoring or improving hand functions in tetraplegic patients.

In the immediate aftermath of severe cervical SCI, most patients present with complete loss of functional capacity of the hand. For some of these patients, it is possible during treatment to restore a certain measure of functional capacity in the hand for daily life activities. In the clinical material we analyzed, however, which included 260 patients recovering from such injuries, 45% of those examined presented with no functional abilities in the hand.

Complex management of osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Background. Compression fractures of the thoraco-lumbar spine are the most common form of damage to the skeletal system caused by osteoporosis. These fractures are stable and do not produce neurological deficits.

Radiculopathy index: a proposition of uniformed clinical examination in cervical radiculopathy.

Background. Radiculopathy is a common cause of upper limb dysfunction. Diagnosis of the disorder is based upon clinical examination.

Principles of management in injuries to the cervical spine.

Thorough and prompt diagnostics and selection of the proper course of treatment are often crucial for desirable outcome in patients with cervical spine trauma complicated by SCI. This is indicated by the fact that even among patients with initial presentation of a complete of a complete cord lesion, a certain percentage (ca. 15 percent) of appropriately managed patients can achieve significant improvement in their neurological status.

Cervico-cephalic syndrome in the course of degenerative disease of the cervical spine.

This article contains a synthesis of views concerning cervico-cephalic syndrome, which results from degenerative changes in the cervical spine. The pathophysiology of the syndrome is discussed, along with contemporary methods of diagnosis and therapy, with indications for conservative and surgical treatment.

The importance of verifying diagnosis in patients with spinal cord injury hospitalized in a rehabilitation department.

Background. According to Annex 7 to Resolution no. 226/2003, the National Health Fund does not cover the costs of diagnostic procedures performed in rehabilitation departments.

Problems of adaptation to wheelchair in early stage rehabilitation after spinal cord trauma.

Unlabelled: Spinal cord trauma (SCT) results local and generalized complications involving cardio-respiratory system, musculo-skeletal system, digestive and urogenital tracts. Early beginning of vertical position training improves functioning and reduces risk of these complications. Wheelchair position is an important achievement in early rehabilitation of (SCT) patients.

[Active range of cervical motion in healthy subjects and in spinal disorders. DBC equipment validity in complex cervical motion evaluation].

Unlabelled: Active Range of motion (AROM) is one of the crucial parameters assessed in the cervical spine evaluation. Repeated standardized AROM evaluation enables objectified monitoring of disease progress or therapy related improvement. Active spine therapy according to DBC (Documentation Based Care) requirement is a contemporary therapeutic system with proven efficacy in spinal disorders.

Three methods for investigating, assessing and supporting the normal and pathological gait and manipulation activity.

Three methods to describe biped locomotion as well as manipulation activity are presented. Methods using so-called couple oscillators as rhythm generators are described. Based on a mathematical model, results of computer simulation of biped locomotion are presented.

[Pulmonary embolism as one cause of death after spinal injury--the role of clexane].

The paper deals with fatal pulmonary embolism in patients treated at STOCER after spinal injuries, frequently with neurological impairment. A group of 417 patients treated between 1988 and 1989 has been compared with another one of 350 patients treated between 1995 and 1996. Antyembolic prophylactics has been employed in both groups: an Aspirin in the first group and Clexane in the second one.

[Late results of the Harrington treatment method for posttraumatic injuries of the thoracic and lumbar spine].

At Stołeczne Centrum Rehabilitacji Harrington method along with Weiss spring alloplasty has been introduced for fractured spine stabilization in the early seventies. A modified Bacal-Wierusz (BW) distractor has been mainly used to stabilize the spine after trauma related fracture. The paper presents neurological and radiological results of Harrington method used within thoracic and lumbar spine in 86 patients between 1973 and 1993.