Efficacy of Shoulder Slings in Shoulder Subluxation of Stroke Patients(cid:31)
Piyapat Dajpratham MD*, Penkhae Sura MD*, Nittaya Lektrakul MD**, Gulanuch Chanchairujira MD**
Affiliation : (cid:31) This manuscript was presented on Feb 14, 2006 as a poster presentation at the 4th World Congress of Neurorehabilitation Conference organized by the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation in Hong Kong * Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University ** Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital Mahidol University
Objective : To assess the efficacy of the two types of shoulder slings in reducing shoulder subluxation in acute
stroke patients.
Materials and Methods : Twenty-one acute stroke patients with shoulder subluxation were assessed for the
subluxation distance before and after wearing the slings by physical examination and radiological measure-
ment. The comparison by radiological measurement was performed by two radiologists who were blinded to
each other as well as to the types of sling used.
Results : The mean difference of subluxation distance on the affected side after wearing the slings number 1 and
2 were 0.48 mm and 1.14 mm respectively on physical examination and 2.09 mm and 1.14 mm respectively on
radiological assessment. There was no statistically significant difference of subluxation distance on either
physical examination or radiological assessment (p > 0.05).
Conclusion : There was no difference in efficacy of shoulder slings in reducing shoulder subluxation in acute
stroke patients.
Keywords : Efficacy, Shoulder sling, Shoulder subluxation, Stroke
