NPWTi allows safe delayed free flap repair of Gustilo IIIb injuries: A prospective case series

Aim: This case series looks at outcomes in 39 patients implanted using the Bioness Stimrouter system on various isolated mononeuropathies. Patients & methods: A case series of 39 patients with a total of 42 implants were enrolled starting August 2017 at various pain management centers. Results: Of 39 patients studied, 78% of the participants noticed an improvement in their pain. There was a 71% reduction in pain scores with the average preprocedure score of 8 improving to 2 post-implant. Participants noted on average a 72% improvement in activity with the greatest observed in the brachial plexus (80%) and suprascapular nerve (80%) and smallest in the intercostal nerve (40%). Approximately 89% of those implanted with a peripheral nerve stimulator experienced a greater than 50% reduction in opioid consumption. Conclusion: Peripheral nerve stimulators are a new, minimally invasive neuromodulation modality that shows promising early results in our 39-patient case series.

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A gaming system with haptic feedback to improve upper extremity function: A prospective case series

Technology and Disability ◽

10.3233/tad-200319 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Hamilton Hernandez ◽

Isabelle Poitras ◽

Linda Fay ◽

Ajmal Khan ◽

Jean-Sébastien Roy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Upper Extremity ◽

Haptic Feedback ◽

Low Cost ◽

Case Series ◽

Performance Measure ◽

Occupational Performance ◽

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure ◽

Prospective Case Series ◽

Paediatric Rehabilitation ◽

Therapeutic Settings

BACKGROUND: Video games can be used to motivate repetitive movements in paediatric rehabilitation. Most upper limb videogaming therapies do not however include haptic feedback which can limit their impact. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of interactive computer play with haptic feedback for improving arm function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Eleven children with hemiplegic CP attended 12 therapist-guided sessions in which they used a gaming station composed of the Novint Falcon, custom-built handles, physical supports for the child’s arm, games, and an application to manage and calibrate therapeutic settings. Outcome measures included Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST) and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). The study protocol is registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04298411). RESULTS: Participants completed a mean of 3858 wrist extensions and 6665 elbow/shoulder movements during the therapist-guided sessions. Clinically important improvements were observed on the dissociated and grasp dimensions on the QUEST and the performance and satisfaction scales of the COPM (all p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that computer play with haptic feedback could be a useful and playful option to help improve the hand/arm capacities of children with CP and warrants further study. The opportunities and challenges of using low-cost, mainstream gaming software and hardware for therapeutic applications are discussed.

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