Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Mar 2017
Multicenter StudyUltrasonographic Measures of the Acromiohumeral Distance and Supraspinatus Tendon Thickness in Manual Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury.
(1) To evaluate the reliability of ultrasonographic measures of the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) in shoulder positions linked to wheelchair propulsion in manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury (SCI) and able-bodied individuals; (2) to compare ultrasonographic measures of AHD, supraspinatus tendon thickness, and occupation ratio between MWUs with SCI with and without shoulder pain (rotator cuff [RC] tendinopathy); and (3) to compare these ultrasonographic measures between MWUs with SCI and able-bodied individuals. ⋯ Ultrasonography is a reliable technology to evaluate AHD in MWUs in shoulder positions linked to wheelchair propulsion. Supraspinatus tendon thickness and occupation ratio of AHD adequately discriminate between MWUs with SCI and able-bodied individuals. This shows that these ultrasonographic measures can be used in future studies of populations with SCI to better understand the changes at the shoulder joint in MWUs.