Cervical spine movements in hemiparetic patients.

Cervical spine movements in 38 severe hemiparetic patients were measured, at least 6 months after the breakout of the first and unique cerebral vascular accident. The purpose was to investigate if there was any difference in maximal head rotation and lateral bending movements between the plegic and the sound side. The measurements were taken by a spherical compass attached to a cubic protractor with a small mobile ball inside, both fixed to the patient's head. All the tests were done several months after the end of the rehabilitation process and compared to those obtained in 29 orthopaedic patients without hemiparesis (control group). The results obtained demonstrate that the cervical spine movements in hemiparetic patients are minimally limited and manifested only in lateral bending towards the sound side (p = 0.042). The difference was more significant after 1 year or more of hemiparesis (p = 0.013). In the control group the differences in the external rotation angle and lateral bending angle between the right and left sides were not significant.