Effects of botulinum toxin-A on the muscle architecture of stroke patients: the first ultrasonographic study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-0876Keywords:
botulinum toxin-A, muscle architecture, stroke, ultrasonography.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore in vivo the effects of botulinum toxin-A treatment on the muscle architecture of patients with stroke, using musculoskeletal ultrasonography. METHODS: This prospective clinical trial included 26 adult stroke sufferers with a mean age of 55 years (standard deviation 14). Pennation angles between the fascicle path and the deep aponeurosis of the muscle, fascicle length, muscle thickness and muscle compressibility were scanned at the bulkiest part of the medial gastrocnemius on both limbs. Sonographic evaluations were performed initially before botulinum toxin-A injection and repeated on day 10 and after 2 months. RESULTS: On the hemiplegic sides, anterior pennation angle and muscle thickness decreased (p = 0.014, p = 0.010, respectively), fascicle length increased (p = 0.025) and muscle compressibility did not change after 2 months of treatment compared with the baseline values. CONCLUSION: The results confirm that muscle structure changes due to botulinum toxin-A. Long-term effects of botulinum toxin-A, timing for disappearance of the toxin effects, or evaluations for repeat injections, remain to be studied. The use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography appears to be promising in this regard. :Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All digitalized JRM contents is available freely online. The Foundation for Rehabilitation Medicine owns the copyright for all material published until volume 40 (2008), as from volume 41 (2009) authors retain copyright to their work and as from volume 49 (2017) the journal has been published Open Access, under CC-BY-NC licences (unless otherwise specified). The CC-BY-NC licenses allow third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes, provided proper attribution to the original work.
From 2024, articles are published under the CC-BY licence. This license permits sharing, adapting, and using the material for any purpose, including commercial use, with the condition of providing full attribution to the original publication.