Effect of muscle energy technique on children with post-traumatic elbow stiffness: a randomized controlled trial

Background: The most frequent complications following an elbow fracture is limited joint movement. Purpose: A randomized controlled clinical study was conducted to examine how Muscle energy technique (MET) affects children with elbow stiffness from trauma. Materials and Methods: 40 children, aged from 6 to 12 years were randomly split into two equal groups (group A and B). Group (A): three sessions/week for four weeks of a home program and traditional treatment (hot pack, range-of-motion exercises, stretching, and strengthening exercises). MET was administered to group (B) four weeks at three different times per week in the form of a post-facilitation stretch. Additionally, traditional therapy and a home program was conducted. The facial pain scale-revised (FPS-R) was accustomed to assess pain severity, the geniometer pro app was employed to assess elbow range of motion, and The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scale (PedsQL) was utilized to assess quality of life. The patients' development was assessed both before and after treatment. Results: In comparison to group (A), group B showed a statistically important drop in FPS-R (p = 0.001) with percentage 82.19%, a statistically important rise in elbow flexion (p = 0.001) with percentage 59.05%, significant rise in elbow extension (p = 0.001) with percentage 89.83%, a statistically important rise in PedsQL (p = 0.001) with percentage 166.76% following therapy. Conclusion: For children with elbow stiffness, MET is thought to be a helpful treatment for increasing ROM and should be a part of the rehabilitation program of those patients.