International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift für Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de réadaptation
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A significant percentage of patients suffering from a stroke involving motor-relevant central nervous system regions will develop a spastic movement disorder. Hyperactivity of different muscle combinations forces the limbs affected into abnormal postures or movement patterns. As muscular hyperactivity can effectively and safely be treated with botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A), we present a classification of spastic arm movement patterns to support BoNT-A therapy of arm spasticity. ⋯ The most frequent pattern of arm spasticity was ASP III (41.8%) with internal rotation and adduction of the shoulder and flexion at the elbow coupled with a neutral positioning of the forearm and wrist, not the typical Wernicke-Mann position. These five different arm position patterns (ASP I-V) form the foundation of a common terminology and facilitate quick and understandable exchange of information with other physicians. Furthermore, utilization of these patterns may improve the dosing, goal setting, and outcome of the BoNT-A treatment of arm spasticity.