Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Jan 1998
Functional outcome following spinal cord injury: significance of motor-evoked potentials and ASIA scores.
Prediction of outcome of ambulatory capacity and hand function in tetraplegic patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using neurologic examination, according to the protocol of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and motor-evoked potentials (MEP). ⋯ Both ASIA scores and MEP recordings are similarly related to the outcome of ambulatory capacity and hand function in patients with SCI. MEP recordings are of additional value to the clinical examination in uncooperative or incomprehensive patients. The combination of clinical examination and MEP recordings allows differentiation between the recovery of motor function (hand function, ambulatory capacity) and that of impulse transmission of descending motor tracts.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Jan 1998
Status of physiatry and physical medicine and rehabilitation departments in adult level I trauma centers.
To determine the involvement of physiatrists and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) departments in the acute care of patients admitted to level I trauma centers. ⋯ Physiatrists and other allied health personnel are integral members of the trauma care team in most level I trauma centers participating in this study. Further expansion should be encouraged to facilitate early and comprehensive rehabilitative care in all level I centers.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Dec 1997
Impact of a function-based payment model on the financial performance of acute inpatient medical rehabilitation providers: a simulation analysis.
To operationalize research findings about a medical rehabilitation classification and payment model by building a prototype of a prospective payment system, and to determine whether this prototype model promotes payment equity. This latter objective is accomplished by identifying whether any facility or payment model characteristics are systematically associated with financial performance. ⋯ The most notable impact of an FRG-based payment model would be to create a stronger link between resource intensity and level of reimbursement, resulting in greater equity in the reimbursement of inpatient medical rehabilitation hospitals.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Nov 1997
Head and shoulder posture variations in 160 asymptomatic women and men.
To quantitatively describe the postural alignment of the head and shoulders and the surface curvature of the thoracic spine in comfortable erect standing and to examine the effect of age and gender on head and shoulder alignment. ⋯ Head and shoulder posture was similar between genders. Only one postural description that has been described anecdotally was identified, i.e., that age was related to the position of the head with respect to the trunk in the sagittal plane, although the strength of the association was of questionable clinical significance. In contrast, other longstanding assumptions were not supported, and accordingly, a forward head was not associated with increased thoracic curvature or upper cervical spine extension.
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Nov 1997
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialFacet tropism in lumbar motion segments and its significance in disc herniation.
To define facet tropism (FT) for each motion segment of the lower lumbar spine for subjects without disc herniation, and to evaluate the significance of facet tropism in disc herniation. ⋯ This study did not show that facet joint tropism plays a significant role in disc herniation in the lower lumbar spine.