Clinical study at Prince Charles Hospital
25.08.2011
A clinical study with the MyotonPRO device is due to start at Prince Charles Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Wales. The hospital at Merthyr Tydfil has over 430 beds as well as7 operating theaters that provide acute emergency, elective medical and surgical services to the local community.
The aim of the study is to compare the effects of gastrocnemius surgical release both pre- and post-operatively to treatment through stretching exercises. As part of the study, 50 patients from the Cwm Taf Health Board Trauma & Orthopedic Center will participate in a controlled investigation of the effectiveness of both treatments. The following hypotheses will be evaluated:
- There are differences in the temporal parameters of the heel contact, mid-stance and forefoot loading during gait in patients who have undergone surgery to release the gastrocnemius muscle;
- There is an initial decrease in tone and elasticity in patients post-operatively who have received a gastrocnemius muscle release;
- There is an increase in elasticity but decrease in tone in the post-stretching patient group.
Clinicians will take measurements of muscle tone and elasticity from participants before, and at intervals of 2, 6 and 12 weeks after orthopedic surgery using MyotonPRO and compare this to measurements of temporal parameters taken using a pressure plate system and the Manchester-Oxford Foot Score, both in current use. It is expected that MyotonPRO will give objective and accurate clinical measurements of tone, as well as other biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of skeletal muscles and thus prove the usefulness of reliable pre- and post-operative data on musculoskeletal conditions being treated. Use of Myoton data has been shown in previous studies to significantly improve the effectiveness of customizing rehabilitation programs to give better patient outcomes.
Principal Investigator at Prince Charles Hospital is Mrs. Lisa Williams MB BCh FRCS (Tr & Orth), Consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon.
Research Team: Mr Gafin Morgan, Clinical Lead Musculosketetal Podiatrist and Mr Anil Singhal, Registrar Trauma & Orthpaedic Surgeon.
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