Peripheral Muscle Strength, Functional Exercise Capacity and Physical Activity Before and After Lung Transplantation

Little is known about the early recovery of functional outcomes in the lung transplant population. This thesis investigated skeletal muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, health-related quality of life and daily physical activity pre- and early post-lung transplantation in a cohort of fifty participants.
Significant functional limitations were observed pre-transplant, however levels of physical activity were higher on rehabilitation days as compared to non-rehabilitation days. Post-transplant, improvements in functional exercise capacity and physical activity lagged behind the early improvements in pulmonary function and health-related quality of life. Muscle strength was reduced at hospital discharge compared to pre-transplant levels, but improved to pre-transplant levels by three months post-transplant.
In summary, significant functional limitation exists pre-transplant, and lung transplantation leads to significant improvement of functional outcomes; however functional recovery occurs at different time periods and to varying degrees, and does not reach levels of a healthy reference population by three months post-lung transplant.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/33586
Date27 November 2012
CreatorsWickerson, Lisa Michelle
ContributorsBrooks, Dina
Source SetsUniversity of Toronto
Languageen_ca
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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