What is the effect of passive movements on joint stiffness in intensive care unit patients?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Critical illness; Reduced range of joint movement; Musculoskeletal - Other muscular and skeletal disorders; Neurological - Other neurological disorders; Respiratory - Other respiratory disorders / diseases; Injuries and Accidents - Other injuries and accidents

• Registration Number: ACTRN12620001202954
• Lead Sponsor: Kathy Stiller

Brief Summary

We investigated whether passive movements could prevent or reduce joint stiffness in longer term ICU patients. Participants received passive movements to the ankle and elbow, twice a day, for up to 4 weeks on one side of their body. The other side did not receive passive movements so acted as the 'control'. We measured joint range of motion. We did not find any clinically meaningful differences in range of motion between the treatment and control sides of the body. This suggests that, for this sample of patients, passive movements did not prevent or reduce joint stiffness.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2020-11-12
• Study Completion: 2023-02-22
• Last Update Posted: 29 January 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 25

Inclusion Criteria

•Admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital ICU.
•Intubated and expected to remain invasively mechanically ventilated > 48 hours (total).
•Anticipated ICU length of stay greater than or equal to 5 days.
•Aged greater than or equal to 18 years.
•Unable to move their limbs through full range of motion voluntarily (either unconscious/sedated patients and/or those who are not able to move their limbs due to their underlying medical condition). This is likely to include patients with medical illnesses (e.g. severe respiratory failure, sepsis) who are receiving sedative medications as part of their care and/or patients after spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury.

Exclusion Criteria

•Refused consent (by patient or the person legally responsible or medical decision maker for that patient [if the patient is unable to consider participation due to their medical status]).
•Admitted with a burn injury.
•COVID-19 positive.
•Pre-existing condition/injury that has adversely affected joint range of motion (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, neurological condition resulting in spasticity and contracture).
•Documented pre-existing inability to understand written or spoken English to the extent that it would prevent comprehension of the aims and methodology of the proposed study.
•Medical or surgical condition where the management includes no passive movements in a limb (e.g. limb fractures).
•Death is deemed inevitable as a result of the current illness.
•If the ICU admission is not the first ICU admission in the current hospitalisation.
•Currently enrolled in another ICU interventional rehabilitation study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified