Impact of specific symptoms of spasticity on voluntary lower limb muscle function, gait and daily activities during subacute and chronic spinal cord injury.
BACKGROUND
Although the spasticity syndrome is an important sensorimotor disorder, the impact of grade of lower limb muscle hypertonia, spasm and clonus activity on voluntary muscle function, gait and daily activities has not been systematically analysed during subacute and chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of spasticity signs and symptoms during SCI, and to assess their impact on motor function and activities.


METHODS
A descriptive transverse study of sixty-six subjects with SCI was performed by assessing injury characteristics, spasticity (modified Ashworth scale, Penn scale, SCATS scale) and motor function (lower limb manual muscle scores, WISCI II, spinal cord injury spasticity evaluation tool).


RESULTS
Most subjects with the spasticity syndrome presented lower limb hypertonia and spasms during both subacute and chronic SCI, interfering with daily life activities. Subjects with incomplete SCI and hypertonia revealed a loss of voluntary flexor muscle activity, while extensors spasms contributed strongly to loss of gait function. The Penn spasms scale no correlated with muscle function or gait.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific diagnosis of spasm activity during subacute SCI, and its impact on lower limb voluntary muscle activity, gait function and daily activities, is required to develop a more effective neurorehabilitation treatment strategy.
['Bravo-Esteban|E|E|', 'Taylor|J|J|', 'Abián-Vicén|J|J|', 'Albu|S|S|', 'Simón-Martínez|C|C|', 'Torricelli|D|D|', 'Gómez-Soriano|J|J|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D002908:Chronic Disease D004185:Disability Evaluation D005260:Female D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic D006801:Humans D035002:Lower Extremity D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009128:Muscle Spasticity D012720:Severity of Illness Index D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric D055815:Young Adult
subacute and chronic spinal cord injury Spinal cord injury spasticity syndrome hypertonia spasms modified ashworth scale penn scale SCATS manual muscle score WISCI II AIS SCI-SET flexor and extensor muscle spasticity severity