Spasticity and contracture are complications that often result from neurological injury. They occur when electrical messages
from the brain don't coordinate muscles correctly. Muscles move joints; for each muscle, there is a “gas pedal” and a “brake”
on each side to extend or contract. Sometimes with brain injury, the messages are disrupted and cause one side of the muscle
to be over stimulated. This “frayed wire” interrupts the “electrical conduction” and affects the control of muscle movement.
If the correct neurological message isn't given to them, muscles can overreact.
Spasticity is an increase in the normal reactivity of muscles, leading to unequal forces on the joints. It can create
contracture–fixed muscle shortening. When this happens, arms and legs stiffen and “freeze” in one position.
IMET successfully treats a wide range of upper-and lower-limb conditions, including:
- Adducted/internally rotated shoulder
- Clenched-fist and thumb-in-palm deformity
- Bent-elbow deformity
- Stiff-knee gait
- Scissoring gait
- Walking problems due to abnormal postures of the foot
Another orthopaedic (joint and muscle) complication that can be caused by brain injury is
heterotopic ossification. This involves excessive bone growth in the soft tissues around joints, preventing joint motion as if nature had created
an internal plaster cast. Our IMET team specializes in diagnosing and treating this disorder.
