Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Oncology Section Task Force On Breast Cancer Outcomes: Scapular Assessment, Mary Insana Fisher, Pamela K. Levangie

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Functional deficits and changes in scapular mechanics following breast cancer (BC) treatments have been documented. Scapular assessment is important when examining the shoulder in survivors of breast cancer to document the need for or effectiveness of physical therapy intervention. The Oncology Section Task Force on Breast Cancer Outcomes sought to identify scapular examination tools that can be recommended for routine use in individuals treated for BC.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature on scapular measures was conducted. Relevant studies were examined for psychometric properties and clinical usefulness. Each method was given a recommendation score based on the Breast …

Oncology Section Task Force On Breast Cancer Outcomes: An Introduction To The Edge Task Force And Clinical Measures Of Upper Extremity Function, Pamela K. Levangie, Mary Insana Fisher

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

With the proliferation of outcome measures in the literature, many of which lack documentation of sufficient psychometric properties to justify use, it is difficult to document patient change or demonstrate effectiveness of interventions. The goal of the Section on Research’s EDGE (Evaluation Database to Guide Effectiveness) Task Force is to facilitate identification of valid and reliable tests and measures that reflect clinically important outcomes and are responsive to change for standard use across selected patient groups. This paper lays the groundwork for understanding the work of the Oncology Section’s Breast Cancer EDGE Task Force on clinical measures of shoulder function …

The Role Of Rehabilitation Following Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: A Retrospective Chart Review, Jenny L. Toonstra, Jennifer Sebert Howard, Timothy L. Uhl, Robert A. English, Carl G. Mattacola

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Clinical outcomes following autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) are influenced by multiple factors, including patient demographics, lesion characteristics, quality of the surgical repair, and post-operative rehabilitation. However, it is currently unknown what specific characteristics of rehabilitation have the greatest influence on clinical outcomes following ACI. The purpose of this study was to conduct a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing ACI with the intent to describe this patient population's demographics, clinical outcomes, and rehabilitation practices. This study aimed to assess the consistency of the documentation process relative to post-operative rehabilitation in order to provide information and guide initiatives for improving …

The Impact Of Body-Scaled Information On Grasping Action In Toddlers With And Without Down Syndrome, Yuping Chen, Allison Mitch, Kristen Chafin, Rachel Sargent

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background and purpose: Studies of adults and typically developing (TD) children find the number of hands and fingers used to grasp an object is influenced by the relationship between object size and hand size. Children with Down syndrome (DS) between 3 and 11 years have shown no differences in number of hands (1 or 2 hands) used to grasp different sized objects compared to TD children when the object size was body-scaled. The purpose of this study was to examine whether body-scaled information affected the number of hands and fingers used to grasp different sized objects in toddlers with and …

Reliability Of The Myotonometer For Assessment Of Posterior Shoulder Tightness, Caitlyn M. Kerins, Stephanie D. Moore, Timothy A. Butterfield, Patrick O. Mckeon, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The Myotonometer® is an electronic tissue compliance meter that has been used to quantify the compliance of soft tissues. The Myotonometer® may be a valuable tool to measure the effectiveness of interventions commonly used to increase tissue compliance in individuals with posterior shoulder tightness (PST). Limited data exist on reliability and responsiveness of the Myotonometer® for assessment of soft tissues about the shoulder; therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the intra- and inter-session reliability and responsiveness of the Myotonometer® in measuring tissue compliance of the posterior shoulder musculature in asymptomatic subjects with PST.

METHODS: Fifteen asymptomatic …

A Home-Based Exercise Program For The Foot And Ankle To Improve Balance, Muscle Performance And Flexibility In Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Pilot Study, Laurel Long, Kurt Jackson, Lloyd L. Laubach

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background and purpose: Strength and range of motion of the foot and ankle have been shown to be related to measures of balance and fall risk in older adults. The primary purpose of this pilot investigation was to evaluate the feasibility of a 6-week home-based exercise program focusing on the foot and ankle and any associated changes in balance, muscle performance and range of motion in older adults. Methods: This single-group repeated measures study involved a convenience sample of 21 healthy communitydwelling older adults age 60-90. Nineteen participants completed all phases of the testing and training. The intervention was a …

A Comparison Of Upper Extremity Function Between Female Breast Cancer Survivors And Healthy Controls: Typical Self-Report Of Function, Motion, Strength, And Muscular Endurance, Mary Insana Fisher

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Many women who have experienced breast cancer (BC) report continued impairments in upper extremity (UE) function beyond the time required for normal healing after surgical treatment. Most research supporting this has not made comparisons between survivors of breast cancer (BCS) to a sample of healthy women. This lack of comparison to a healthy cohort prevents an understanding of whether continued deficits in UE function are due to normal aging or the BC treatment.

The purpose of this research was to compare quality of life (QOL) and UE function among long term breast cancer survivors and similar aged women without cancer. …

Whole-Body Vibration Improves Functional Mobility, Flexibility, And Relative Risk For Falling In The Assisted Living Elderly: A Case Series, Christina Garrity, Harold L. Merriman, C. Jayne Brahler

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Study design: A randomized double blind repeated measures, case series study of whole body vibration (WBV) in the assisted living elderly.

Background: A single exposure to WBV has been shown to have benefit with respect to muscle activity, strength, balance, and power in some studies while other studies have found no benefit. Its overall effectiveness is unknown due to the conflicting findings reported in the literature.

Case description: Six subjects (5 female, 1 male; mean age = 85.4) in an assisted living community volunteered to participate. Subjects were exposed to a single bout of WBV at 0, 2, 20, and …