2Ankara Meslek Hastalıkları Hastanesi Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon ANKARA Introduction: This study aims to evaluate the upper extremity vessels of hemiplegic patients by Doppler Ultrasonography (DU) and to determine pulsatility-resistive index (PI-RI) values and factors related to these values.
Materials and Method: The study evaluated 50 hemiplegic patients and 36 healthy controls with no complaints in their upper extremities. In both groups, a radiologist measured the brachial artery PI and RI values with DU and checked the veins for thrombosis in the upper extremities.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 61.98±12.46 years, and the mean age of the controls was 60.88±8.57 years. The intra and inter group comparisons of both upper extremities of the groups showed no statistically significant differences and no thromboses were detected in the venous structures. In the patient group, the PI and RI values of the affected side were not statistically correlated with Brunnstrom or Ashworth scores, subluxation or limited motion in the shoulder, or the presence of clinical complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in the hand. In both the patient and control groups, PI and RI values and age were correlated.
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that in hemiplegic patients, arterial PI and RI values in the upper extremities were affected by age.
Keywords : Stroke; Hemiplegia; Ultrasonography, Doppler