The modified Thomas test was developed to assess the presence of hip flexion contracture and to measure hip extensibility. Despite its widespread use, to the authors' knowledge, its criterion reference validity has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the criterion reference validity of the modified Thomas test for measuring peak hip extension angle and hip extensi...

BACKGROUND Splinting after contracture release for Dupuytren's disease of the hand is widely advocated. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the quantity and quality of evidence regarding the effectiveness of splinting in the post-surgical management of Dupuytren's contractures. METHODS Studies were identified by searching the electronic databases Medline, AMED, CINAHL and EM...

BACKGROUND The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of and the association between shoulder contracture and osseous deformity in a cohort of children with an obstetrical brachial plexus injury and to identify the risk factors for these complications. METHODS In a retrospective cohort study, all children with an obstetrical brachial plexus injury who had been born between Ja...

It has become increasingly recognized that the major functional deficits following brain damage are largely due to "negative' features such as weakness and loss of dexterity rather than spasticity. A variety of studies suggest that spasticity is a distinct problem and separate from the loss of dexterity, but that it may be implicated in the formation of muscle contracture and even in the recove...

BACKGROUND Polyurethane coating of breast implants has been shown to reduce capsular contracture in short-term follow-up studies. This 30-year study is the longest examination of the use of polyurethane-coated implants and their correlation with capsular contracture. METHODS This study evaluates the senior surgeon's (F.D.P.) experience with the use of polyurethane-coated implants in aesthetic...

A fifteen-year-old female patient presented with a severe bilateral groin contracture for the last 8 years. She had sustained burns at the age of seven years. Three attempts to release the contracture with split thickness skin grafts had been done without success. A pedicled anterior lateral thigh flap was raised and advanced into the defect after the contracture had been released. Postoperativ...