The effects of finger extension on shoulder muscle activity

Influence of aging, disease, exercise, and injury on human hand movements: A systematic review

The human hand is a versatile organ that performs a variety of activities in daily life. The coordination of digits allows them to deal with objects of various sizes and shapes with an appropriate range of motions (ROM). A systematic literature review was performed to identify the clinical and non-clinical factors which affected the normal ROM, grip strength (GS), and dexterity of hand. The overall outcomes of the systematic review showed that: the performance of the individual declined as the age progressed; the performance of the dominant hand (DH) of an individual was better compared to his/her non-dominant hand (NDH); the tasks performed by a healthy hand was more efficient compared to a diseased one; appropriate rehabilitation programs/exercise techniques after a disease or injury improved the ROM, GS, and dexterity of hand post-surgery on par to a healthy hand.

Effectiveness of supervised early exercise program in patients with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: Study protocol clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Based on the available evidence, it is difficult to make a clinical decision about the best exercise program and to establish the most favorable time to start postoperative treatment after rotator cuff (RC) repair. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effects of adding a supervised early exercise program to standard treatment for functional improvement and pain relief compared with standard treatment alone in patients with arthroscopic RC repair.

METHOD/DESIGN

A total of 118 patients between the ages of 18 and 50 years with arthroscopic RC repair will be randomized to 2 treatment arms. The control group will receive a standard exercise program based on a consensus statement on shoulder rehabilitation developed by the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists. The intervention group will receive a supervised early exercise program in combination with standard treatment. This supervised exercise program will be based on electromyographic evidence. Three evaluations will be performed: before surgery, at 6 weeks, and at 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be the shoulder function by the Constant-Murley questionnaire, and the secondary outcome measures will be the upper limb function by the disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire; pain by the visual analog scale; and the shoulder range of motion by a goniometer.

DISCUSSION

We hypothesize that patients who receive a supervised early exercise program in combination with standard treatment will benefit more in respect to shoulder function, pain reduction, and range of motion than those who receive a standard exercise program. If this is confirmed, our study can be used clinically to enhance the recovery of patients with arthroscopic RC repair.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Brazilian registry of clinical trials UTN number U1111-1224-4143. Registered December 18, 2018.