Fraser A. MacRae, BSc
Research Assistant
Western University
london, Ontario, Canada
Mahdis Hashemi, MD
Research Coordinator
Vancouver Island Health Authority
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Paul J. Winston, MD,FRCPC
Associate Professor
Vancouver Island Health Authority
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Hip adductor spasticity is a common affliction amongst patients with disorders of the central nervous system and can present a serious burden to patients’ quality of life, resulting in impaired gait, leading to lowered walking velocity, lack of stability and more frequent falls. Cryoneurolysis is a novel intervention for spasticity involving the application of extreme cold to a nerve to induce the breakdown of the axon, relieving spasticity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of cryoneurolysis on clinical measures in adult patients with hip abductor spasticity.
Design:
This study was designed as an observational, single center, prospective cohort study. The main outcomes of interest were spasticity severity based on Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS) and maximum passive and active range of motion of hip adductor muscles.
Results:
The measures of right and left hip adductors spasticity revealed a significant decrease in MAS up to 10 months (left hip adductor MAS 4.191, 95% CI (1.891, 9.288)) and ( right hip adductor MAS 5.578, 95% CI (1.819, 17.105)). Maximum hip abduction passive ROM increase was not statistically significant ,however, a positive trend in the left side was observed.
Conclusions:
Cryoneurolysis resulted in clinical improvements indicative of decreased spasticity severity lasting for 10 months post treatment. It is possible that some of the results may have been significant if the number of available observations was higher.Cryoneurolysis merits further investigation as a potential long-lasting, minimally invasive, drug free intervention for the hip adductor spasticity.
