Heat Distribution at Joints of Subjects with Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Dysfunctions

Abstract

Body temperature is being speculated to be accurate for diagnosis and also monitor chronicity of diseases. Most studies on skin temperature are obsolete and were mostly done in Europe, and racial differences have been noted to have profound effect on human health. The primary objective of this study was to compare the temperatures on the affected and unaffected sides of selected patients with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Sixty-nine patients with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders participated in the study. Temperatures were taken at both the pathologic and non-pathologic joints. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics of paired t-test at 0.05 alpha levels. The results showed no significant difference between axillary, elbow, wrist, knee and ankle joints temperature of the pathologic and non-pathologic upper extremities of subjects with neurological conditions A mean skin temperature difference of 0.29 °C was observed between neuromuscular and musculoskeletal dysfunctions. However, within subjects with musculoskeletal dysfunctions; the skin temperature at the pathologic knee joint was significantly higher than that of the non-pathologic knee joint (t = 2.43, p = 0.02). We concluded that, for patients with neuromuscular dysfunctions; there was a minor but an insignificant decrease in skin temperature of pathologic joints compared to that of non-pathologic joints. The mean skin temperature at the pathologic knee joint of patients with musculoskeletal dysfunctions was significantly higher than that of the non-pathologic knee joint.