El-Bahrawy MN1, Al-Mekawi SG2, Ragab WM3, Nabil MM4
1Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders & Its Surgery, Cairo, Egypt, 2Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Department of Neurosurgery, Cairo, Egypt, 3Faculty of Physical Therapy - Cairo University, Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders & Its Surgery, Cairo, Egypt, 4Beni-Sweif University Hospital, Department of Physical Therapy, Beni-Sweif, Egypt
Background: Whiplash is a traumatic injury to the structures of the cervical spine. This has profound effects on both peripheral and central pain-processing mechanisms. Patients with grade I report neck pain with no physical signs, while grade II has physical signs of decreasing range of neck movement and palpable tenderness compared to grade I. Grade III in whiplash injury is determined via the presence of clinical neurological signs. Postural instability can be present in both insidious-onset and whiplash-induced neck pain. However patients with whiplash generally show greater disturbances.
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the postural instability in Egyptian patients with whiplash injury and study the relationship between Grades of Whiplash Injury and Postural Instability in Egyptian patients.
Methods: Forty-one Egyptian subjects from both genders were selected for this study; eleven normal subjects and thirty patients were diagnosed as whiplash injury (grade two and three according to Québec Task Force classification). All the selected subjects were assigned into three groups; groups A, B and C. The eleven normal subjects were included in the first group (Group A), while the thirty patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups; groups B and C. All the patients in group B had grade two of whiplash injury, while the patients in group C had grade three of whiplash injury. All the included subjects were assessed for the presence of postural instability by Biodex Balance System.
Results: There are high significant difference of increasing in the overall stability index (OASI) in patients who had grade two and three whiplash injury (Groups B and C) comparing to the normal subjects (Group A), and high significant difference of increasing in OASI in patients who had grade three whiplash injury (Group C) comparing to patients with grade two whiplash injury (Group B).
Conclusion(s): Egyptian patients with whiplash injury suffer from postural instability and there is high significant difference of increasing in postural instability in patients who had grade three whiplash injury comparing to patients with grade two whiplash injury.
Implications: Advice to reduce the incidence of whiplash injury and starting early physical therapy.
Keywords: Whiplash Injury, Postural Instability, Biodex Balance System
Funding acknowledgements: we acknowledge all patients participate in our study.
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the postural instability in Egyptian patients with whiplash injury and study the relationship between Grades of Whiplash Injury and Postural Instability in Egyptian patients.
Methods: Forty-one Egyptian subjects from both genders were selected for this study; eleven normal subjects and thirty patients were diagnosed as whiplash injury (grade two and three according to Québec Task Force classification). All the selected subjects were assigned into three groups; groups A, B and C. The eleven normal subjects were included in the first group (Group A), while the thirty patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups; groups B and C. All the patients in group B had grade two of whiplash injury, while the patients in group C had grade three of whiplash injury. All the included subjects were assessed for the presence of postural instability by Biodex Balance System.
Results: There are high significant difference of increasing in the overall stability index (OASI) in patients who had grade two and three whiplash injury (Groups B and C) comparing to the normal subjects (Group A), and high significant difference of increasing in OASI in patients who had grade three whiplash injury (Group C) comparing to patients with grade two whiplash injury (Group B).
Conclusion(s): Egyptian patients with whiplash injury suffer from postural instability and there is high significant difference of increasing in postural instability in patients who had grade three whiplash injury comparing to patients with grade two whiplash injury.
Implications: Advice to reduce the incidence of whiplash injury and starting early physical therapy.
Keywords: Whiplash Injury, Postural Instability, Biodex Balance System
Funding acknowledgements: we acknowledge all patients participate in our study.
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University
Ethics committee: Committee of Cairo University
Ethics number: 42024
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
