Instrumental Evaluation of the Effects of Vertebral Consolidation Surgery on Trunk Muscle Activations and Co-Activations in Patients with Multiple Myeloma: Preliminary Results
Barbara Montante,
Benedetta Zampa,
Luca Balestreri,
Rosanna Ciancia,
Giorgia Chini,
Alberto Ranavolo,
Maurizio Rupolo,
Zimi Sawacha,
Martina Urbani,
Tiwana Varrecchia,
Mariagrazia Michieli
Affiliations
Barbara Montante
Unit of Onco-Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Benedetta Zampa
Unit of Onco-Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Luca Balestreri
Radiology Department, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Rosanna Ciancia
Unit of Onco-Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Giorgia Chini
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
Alberto Ranavolo
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
Maurizio Rupolo
Unit of Onco-Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Zimi Sawacha
Department of Information Engineering, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
Martina Urbani
Radiology Department, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Tiwana Varrecchia
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Istituto Nazionale per l’Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
Mariagrazia Michieli
Unit of Onco-Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy
Multiple myeloma (MM) patients complain of pain and stiffness limiting motility. To determine if patients can benefit from vertebroplasty, we assessed muscle activation and co-activation before and after surgery. Five patients with MM and five healthy controls performed sitting-to-standing and lifting tasks. Patients performed the task before and one month after surgery. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was recorded bilaterally over the erector spinae longissimus and rectus abdominis superior muscles to evaluate the trunk muscle activation and co-activation and their mean, maximum, and full width at half maximum were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed to compare MM patients before and after the surgery, MM and healthy controls and to investigate any correlations between the muscle’s parameters and the severity of pain in patients. The results reveal increased activations and co-activations after vertebroplasty as well as in comparison with healthy controls suggesting how MM patients try to control the trunk before and after vertebroplasty surgery. The findings confirm the beneficial effects of vertebral consolidation on the pain experienced by the patient, despite an overall increase in trunk muscle activation and co-activation. Therefore, it is important to provide patients with rehabilitation treatment early after surgery to facilitate the CNS to correctly stabilize the spine without overloading it with excessive co-activations.
