Abstract
Using a measuring caliper, 30 persons with residual hemiplegia and 30 healthy aged persons underwent measurement of antero-posterior excursion of the right and left hemithoraces during volitional deep breathing. There was no difference in the antero-posterior excursion of the sound hemithorax of the persons with hemiplegia, but the affected hemithorax showed significantly smaller excursions with crosswise differences in a range of 0 to 2.5 cm. In one third of the healthy aged persons the crosswise differences of antero-posterior excursion of the hemithoraces ranged from 0 to 1.0 cm. These findings suggest that the movement of the hemiplegic hemithorax becomes restricted following a cerebrovascular accident, and physiotherapists should be aware of the possibility of compromised respiratory function and postural disturbance when treating such persons.
