Abstract
Abstract Introduction: A fracture is a traumatic bone injury that can occur from a variety of causes. Although the repercussions of fractures on the musculoskeletal system are documented, studies with more comprehensive outcomes and later stages of injury are still scarce. Objective: To evaluate the structural and physical-functional adaptations in individuals who suffered unilateral lower limb fractures treated surgically. Methods: Thirty-two patients of both genders, aged between 18 and 59 years, with a diagnosis of unilateral fracture of the lower limb and hospital discharge of at least one year, participated in the study. The affected lower limb was compared to the healthy lower limb of all participants using the outcome measures: vastus lateral muscle thickness (ultrasonography), knee extension and flexion strength (isokinetic dynamometer), ankle dorsiflexion range of motion of the distance from the foot to the wall) and functional fitness of the lower limb (single and triple horizontal jump test). Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the limbs affected and not affected in the measurements of muscle thickness (p = 0.0001), knee extension force (p = 0.0094), dorsiflexion amplitude (p = 0.0004) and functional performance (p = 0.0094, single jump and = 0.0114, triple jump). In all significant outcomes, the values of the affected limb were smaller than that of the non-affected limb. The peak torque of the knee flexor muscles did not show a statistically significant difference between limbs (p = 0.0624). Conclusion: Individuals who have undergone a surgically treated unilateral fracture of the lower limb present important structural and physical-functional late changes in relation to the non-affected limb.
Highlights
A fracture is a traumatic bone injury that can occur from a variety of causes
The affected lower limb was compared to the healthy lower limb of all participants using the outcome measures: vastus lateral muscle thickness, knee extension and flexion strength, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion of the distance from the foot to the wall) and functional fitness of the lower limb
Statistically significant differences were found between the limbs affected and not affected in the measurements of muscle thickness (p = 0.0001), knee extension force (p = 0.0094), dorsiflexion amplitude (p = 0.0004) and functional performance (p = 0.0094, single jump and = 0.0114, triple jump)
Summary
Fracture is a bone injury caused by a high magnitude of tensile, shear, compression or twist loads, resulting in loss of bone capacity in transmitting load during movement [1]. In the study by Son et al [22] performed with patients who suffered unilateral fractures of the lower limb (age between 18 and 100 years), patients were shown to be physically and psychologically incapacitated after six months of injury (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment [WHOQOL]) bone. Faergemann et al [26] in their study with 158 patients aged 18-64 years, demonstrated that in distal fractures of lower limbs great losses of range of motion and muscular strength occur. Considering the need to describe the late deficits due to bone trauma, the objective of this study was to evaluate the structural and physical-functional alterations of the lower limbs after hospital discharge in individuals who suffered surgically treated unilaterally fracture of the lower limb.
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