Abstract
Background: The stress exerted on periarticular tissues through repeated active motion may contribute to preserving the acquired range of motion in the elbow joint after joint mobilization.
Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of joint mobilization with and without repeated active motion on the restricted range of motion in the elbow joint after prescribed immobilization for treating an elbow fracture.
Methods: Twenty-eight participants with a restricted range of motion in the elbow joint after prescribed immobilization for their elbow fracture were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group received Maitland’s mobilization techniques every other day. It repeated active motion exercises daily for four weeks, in addition to routine physical therapy, while the control group received only Maitland’s mobilization techniques. The active ranges of elbow flexion/extension and forearm supination/pronation were measured using smartphone protractor software before, weekly during, and after the intervention. Additionally, the disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire was scored before and after the four-week intervention.
Results: The range of all cardinal motions in the elbow joint significantly (P < 0.001) increased during and after the intervention compared to before the intervention in both groups. Additionally, the intervention group exhibited a significant difference in the range of elbow flexion (P < 0.001) and forearm pronation (P = 0.036) compared to the control group. The disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire scores significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: The present study revealed, for the first time, that daily repeated active motion within a restricted range of motion in the elbow joint after prescribed immobilization for treating an elbow fracture significantly maintains the acquired range of elbow flexion and forearm pronation through joint mobilization.
Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of joint mobilization with and without repeated active motion on the restricted range of motion in the elbow joint after prescribed immobilization for treating an elbow fracture.
Methods: Twenty-eight participants with a restricted range of motion in the elbow joint after prescribed immobilization for their elbow fracture were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group received Maitland’s mobilization techniques every other day. It repeated active motion exercises daily for four weeks, in addition to routine physical therapy, while the control group received only Maitland’s mobilization techniques. The active ranges of elbow flexion/extension and forearm supination/pronation were measured using smartphone protractor software before, weekly during, and after the intervention. Additionally, the disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire was scored before and after the four-week intervention.
Results: The range of all cardinal motions in the elbow joint significantly (P < 0.001) increased during and after the intervention compared to before the intervention in both groups. Additionally, the intervention group exhibited a significant difference in the range of elbow flexion (P < 0.001) and forearm pronation (P = 0.036) compared to the control group. The disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire scores significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: The present study revealed, for the first time, that daily repeated active motion within a restricted range of motion in the elbow joint after prescribed immobilization for treating an elbow fracture significantly maintains the acquired range of elbow flexion and forearm pronation through joint mobilization.
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Copyright
© 2024, Author(s). This open-access article is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which allows for unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.