Strength, balance and gait before and after kidney transplantation

Predictors of static and dynamic balance control in kidney transplant recipients

BACKGROUND

We aimed to evaluate balance control and lower extremity muscle strength in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) including a comparison to a healthy control group and determine the predictors of static and dynamic balance control after kidney transplantation.

METHODS

In this study 40 KTRs and 40 healthy controls were included. Balance control was assessed using the Biodex balance system. The static postural stability test (SPST) and clinical test of sensory integration and balance (CTSIB) were used to assess static balance control whereas the dynamic postural stability test (DPST) and limits of stability test (LOST) were used for dynamic balance control. Lower extremity muscle strength was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. Renal functions and laboratory findings of KTRs were recorded.

RESULTS

All the stability index scores of SPST and sway index in CTSIB were significantly higher in KTRs compared to healthy controls. The right anteroposterior stability index score in DPST and the reaction time in LOST were significantly higher whereas overall score in LOST and lower extremity muscle strength were significantly lower in KTRs. The linear regression analysis revealed that hemoglobin was the predictor of static balance control accounting for 11% of the variance and body weight was the predictor of dynamic balance control accounting for 34% of the variance.

CONCLUSION

Balance control, both static and dynamic, are impaired in KTRs as well as lower extremity muscle strength. Hemoglobin level is a predictor of static balance control whereas body weight is a predictor of dynamic balance control after kidney transplantation.

Four weeks of electromyostimulation improves muscle function and strength in sarcopenic patients: a three-arm parallel randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia, defined as loss of muscle mass, quality, and function, is associated with reduced quality of life and adverse health outcomes including disability and mortality. Electromyostimulation (EMS) has been suggested to attenuate the loss of muscle mass and function in elderly, sedentary individuals. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EMS on muscle strength and function during 4 weeks of inpatient medical rehabilitation.

METHODS

Patients receiving 4 weeks of inpatient medical rehabilitation diagnosed with sarcopenia using bioimpedance analysis were eligible to participate. One hundred and thirty-four patients (55.7 ± 7.9 years, 25.4% female) were randomly assigned to three groups: whole-body (WB) EMS (n = 48): stimulation of major muscle groups (pectoral muscles, latissimus, trapezius, abdominals, upper arm and leg, lower back muscles, gluteal muscles, and thighs); part-body (PB) EMS (n = 42): stimulation of leg muscles including gluteal muscles and thighs; and control group (CG, n = 44). All participants performed six 20 min training sessions including dynamic movements (squats, lunges, biceps curl, chest press, butterfly reverse, reverse lunges, standing diagonal crunches, etc.) with superimposed (WB-, PB-) EMS or without EMS (CG) in addition to the standard rehabilitation programme. Primary outcome variables included muscle function assessed by chair rise test and 6 min walking test as well as muscle strength (isometric grip strength, leg, arm, and back extension).

RESULTS

Primary outcome variables chair rise test and leg extension improved significantly (P = 0.001, η²  = 0.06 and P = 0.008, η²  = 0.06; EMS vs. CG) in that chair rise test results increased in WB-EMS from 5 (4; 7) to 7 (5; 9), in PB-EMS from 5 (5; 7) to 7 (6; 8), and in CG from 6 (4; 7) to 7 (5; 8) repetitions. Knee extension increased in WB-EMS from 692.3 ± 248.6 to 831.7 ± 298.7 N, in PB-EMS from 682.8 ± 257.8 to 790.2 ± 270.2 N, and in CG from 638.5 ± 236.9 to 703.2 ± 218.6 N. No adverse events or side effects occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that EMS might be an additional training option to improve muscle function and strength in sarcopenic patients during a 4 week rehabilitation programme. EMS provides greater functional and strength improvements compared with standard treatment with additional potential health benefits for sarcopenic cardiac and orthopaedic patients.

Gait characteristics of CKD patients: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

People with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) often present with prevalent gait impairment and high fall rates, particularly in advanced CKD stages. Gait impairment and its consequences is associated with increased hospital admission, institutionalization, and greater need for health care. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the quality of studies investigating CKD patients' gait characteristics at different CKD stages, to highlight areas of agreement and contradiction between studies reporting aspects of gait in CKD, and to discuss and emphasize gait parameters associated with fall risk.

METHODS

We performed a literature search of trials in CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline (EBSCO), PEDro, PubMed, and Scopus databases from their inception to June 30th 2018 using a two-stage process for the identification of studies. We retrieved English-, German-, Italian-, Spanish-, Portuguese and Dutch-language articles for review. Methodological quality of randomized and non-randomized studies was assessed with an adapted version of the Downs and Black checklist.

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies (22 cross-sectional with 3901 participants) and 9 longitudinal intervention studies (1 randomized control trial, 5 controlled clinical trials and 3 one-group pre-post-test; with 659 participants) were considered. The studies revealed a primary emphasis on gait speed measures within clinical tests, and a neglect of spatiotemporal gait variables. Most of the studies showed that CKD progression is associated with slowing of walking speed. No studies analysed the relation between gait parameters and fall risk.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a paucity of studies investigating aspects of gait quality in patients with CKD. In the majority of studies, only gait speed is analysed as a performance indicator. The relation between gait parameters and fall risk in CKD is not investigated. We formulate several recommendations to fill the current research gap, encourage the use of standardized gait analysis protocols that include assessment of spatiotemporal parameters in clinical care of patients with CKD, aimed at prevention of mobility decline and falls risk.

Relationship between pre-transplant physical function and outcomes after kidney transplant

BACKGROUND

Performance-based measures of physical function predict morbidity following non-transplant surgery. Study objectives were to determine whether physical function predicts outcomes after kidney transplant and assess how physical function changes post-transplant.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective study involving living donor kidney transplants recipients at our center from May 2012 to February 2014. Physical function was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB [balance, chair stands, gait speed]) and grip strength testing. Initial length of stay (LOS), 30- day rehospitalizations, allograft function, and quality of life (QOL) were assessed.

RESULTS

The majority of the 140 patients in our cohort had excellent pre-transplant physical function. In general, balance scores were more predictive of post-transplant outcomes than the SPPB. Decreased pre-transplant balance was independently associated with longer LOS and increased rehospitalizations but not with post-transplant QOL; 35% of patients experienced a clinically meaningful (≥ 1.0 m/s) improvement in gait speed 4 months post-transplant.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased physical function may be associated with longer LOS and rehospitalizations following kidney transplant. Further studies are needed to confirm this association. The lack of relationship between pre-transplant gait speed and outcomes in our cohort may represent a ceiling effect. More comprehensive measures, including balance testing, may be required for risk stratification.

Arthrodesis as an early alternative to nonoperative management of charcot arthropathy of the diabetic foot

BACKGROUND

This study was performed to evaluate the use of arthrodesis of the tarsal-metatarsal area for the treatment of Eichenholtz stage-I Charcot arthropathy in patients with diabetes. Currently, the standard treatment of stage-I Charcot arthropathy is the application of a non-weight-bearing total-contact cast. Although this treatment can be effective for allowing a patient to walk without undergoing an operation, a nonunion or malunion may still result. The subsequent deformities may lead to complications, including ulceration of the foot and the need for operative intervention. Recently, a group of patients who had had early operative intervention for a variety of reasons provided us with the opportunity to objectively evaluate the effects of such treatment. This analysis provided valuable information about whether this treatment is a reasonable alternative to current nonoperative approaches.

METHODS

Between January 1991 and December 1996, fourteen patients had an operation because of Eichenholtz stage-I diabetic neuropathy. The classification of the disease as Eichenholtz stage I (the developmental stage) was based on radiographic evidence of varying degrees of articular-surface and subchondral-bone resorption and fragmentation as well as joint subluxation or dislocation without evidence of coalescence or callus formation. The operative procedure consisted of extensive debridement, open reduction, and internal fixation of the tarsal-metatarsal region with autologous bone graft. Postoperative treatment consisted of immobilization of the limb in a non-weight-bearing cast for a minimum of six weeks. All of the patients returned for a final follow-up visit at a mean of forty-one months (range, 25.3 to 77.3 months) postoperatively, at which time clinical and radiographic evaluations as well as gait analysis (with measurement of plantar pressures) were performed. The gait-analysis data was compared with similar data from a group of fourteen patients with diabetic neuropathy who had had a below-the-knee amputation and with that from a group of fourteen patients with diabetic neuropathy who had no history of plantar ulceration.

RESULTS

All of the arthrodesis procedures were successful. Clinically, none of the patients had immediate or long-term complications postoperatively. No patient reported ulceration after the operation. The mean time to assisted weight-bearing was 10 +/- 3.3 weeks (range, six to fifteen weeks), the mean time to unassisted weight-bearing was 15 +/- 8.8 weeks (range, eight to thirty-four weeks), and the mean time to return to the use of regular shoes was 27 +/- 14.4 weeks (range, twelve to sixty weeks). All of the patients regained the level of walking ability that they had had prior to the arthropathy. The calculated confidence intervals revealed no differences between the arthrodesis group and either of the two comparison groups with regard to the time-distance gait parameters of velocity, cadence, and stride length or with regard to the minimum, maximum, and total range of motion of each of the joints. In contrast to able-bodied subjects, all three groups showed a reduction in sagittal-plane ankle motion that was primarily related to loss of plantar flexion. The first metatarsal, great toe, and heel showed the highest peak plantar pressures, with little difference among the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate the potential for early operative treatment to restore anatomical alignment and improve function of diabetic patients with stage-I Charcot arthropathy.

Improved physical performance after orthotopic liver transplantation

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has become a frequently used treatment for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure, and liver function is markedly improved after transplantation. However, no studies have investigated the development in physical capacity after OLT. On this basis, the aim of the present study is to study the influence of OLT on physical fitness during the first postoperative year. Twenty-three men with a mean age of 45.1 years (range, 24 to 62 years) and 15 women with a mean age of 44.6 years (range, 21 to 62 years) were included in the study. Preoperative maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) during graded ergometer bicycling, isokinetic knee extension/flexion moments, and functional performance (i.e., 6-minute walking distance and standardized transfers and squats) was measured. Preoperative fitness and strength was 40% to 50% less than expected in the age-matched general population. Post-OLT, all patients underwent a supervised exercise program for 8 to 24 weeks. Follow-up data showed a significant increase in all tested physical performance parameters after OLT. Six months post-OLT, VO2max had increased 43%; knee strength, 60% to 100%; and functional performance, 22% to 27%. One year postsurgery, general health was improved and perceived as excellent or good in all patients. All patients were independent in activities of daily living, and the level of physical activity increased after OLT. No further improvement in either physical performance parameters or self-assessed parameters was seen beyond 6 months after OLT. In conclusion, these findings indicate that OLT combined with a supervised post-OLT exercise program improves physical fitness, muscle strength, and functional performance in individuals with chronic liver disease.