Investigating the effects of lycra sleeves on shoulder girdle: A study to inform management of glenohumeral subluxation in post-stroke hemiplegia

Introduction Glenohumeral subluxation (GHS) is reported in up to 81% of patients with stroke. Our previous feasibility study on people with chronic stroke (n=5) reported reduction in GHS following wearing of the Lycra sleeve. However, the mechanism of the Lycra sleeve in reducing GHS is unclear. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effect of the Lycra sleeve on the acromion-greater tuberosity (AGT) distance, muscle activity around the shoulder region and scapular position in healthy people prior to testing this on people with stroke.Methodology: A non-randomized quasi-experimental design was used. Healthy participants aged over 18 years were recruited from the university. Timeframes for the measurements were as follows: pre-application of sleeve and immediately after application of the sleeve. Measurements for the three variables; AGT distance, muscle activity and scapula position were taken with portable diagnostic ultrasound, a tape measure, and electromyography respectively using the standardised protocols. Results: Thirty participants with mean age 25±5 years were recruited. There was statistically significant reduction in AGT distance (p=0.000) post-sleeve which is similar to our previous study on chronic patients with stroke. There was also evidence of biceps (p=0.001), triceps (p=0.000), supraspinatus (p=0.005) and deltoid (p=0.002) activation and change in scapula position (p=0.029) following application of the Lycra sleeve. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggests possible mechanisms behind the usefulness of Lycra sleeves and provide platform for research on people with stroke. Future research should investigate the underlying mechanism of the Lycra sleeve on people with GHS in the different phases of rehabilitation