P-3-04-02
Conservative treatment using orthosis for thoracic outlet syndrome
Makio Yamaga, Katsumasa Takagi, Junji Ide and Toshio Kitamura
(Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Kumamoto, Japan)
Purpose: Pathogenesis of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) has been classified into brachial plexus compression, stretching and combined type by clinical findings and neurography of the brachial plexus. Surgical treatment is contraindication for the stretching type, so that we designed Kumamoto university scapular band (KS band) to relax the brachial plexus for the stretching type of TOS.
Method: 54 stretching type patients were treated with KS band and evaluated by clinical symptoms and signs.
Results: Subjective symptoms were vanished in 46.3 %, recovered in 48.2 %. Tenderness and Tinel's like sign at the bracial plexus were improved in 72.2 %.
Conclusion: Conservative treatment using KS band is useful for brachial plexus stretching type of TOS. The appropriate management adapted to the different conditions, compression and stretching, leads to good results.
P-3-04-03
THE USEFULNESS OF A NEWLY DESIGNED COMPUTER CONTROLLED LONG LEG BRACE (INTELLIGENT BRACE)
Toshimitsu Suga, Osamu Kameyama, Ryokei Ogawa (Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan)
Masashi Matsuura (Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Hyogo, Japan)
The newly designed long leg brace (Intelligent brace: I.B.) with a computed joint brake was developed to support the disabled leg. During locomotion, the knee joint torque is regulated by a joint consisting of a brake composed of a servomotor, rotary encoder and microcomputer. The angle changes in the knee and ankle joints and information from the heel switch were fed to the microcomputer. The usefulness of the I.B. was investigated by foot switch, dynamic electromyography and ground reaction force. These results indicated that walking with the I.B. could provide conditions similar to normal walking with regard to kinesiology and biomechanics.
