Analysis of Human Tissue Temperature After Application of Therapeutic Modalities.
Condition: Humans; Young Adult; Health
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Attempting an effective treatment is essential to the physiotherapist to understand how his
      conducts affect body tissues and the whole system, besides understand properly how and when
      therapeutic modalities could be use in the rehabilitation process. There are several research
      articles pointing the use of heat as an efficient agent to accelerate tissue healing.
      Clarifying the remaining doubts related to therapeutic modalities use can be beneficial for
      functional rehabilitation.

      In physiotherapy, shortwave diathermy is one of the standards treatments for heat inducement.
      The capacitance shortwave technique consists in the use of two pad electrodes that can be
      positioned in three different arrangements: coplanar (placed side by side on the same aspect
      of the part to be treated), contraplanar (placed over opposite aspects of the body part to be
      treated) and longitudinal (one electrode is placed at each end of the limb in opposite
      aspects of the body par to be treated). There is no evidence of which arrangement is the most
      efficient.

      Besides shortwave diathermy being a very established therapeutic modality, the use of this
      recourse in the most effective way rely on the properly answer of the remaining questions
      related to its application. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze which one of
      the capacitance shortwave technique is the most efficient in inducing and maintaining heat.

      Given the high-frequency waves field orientation could be suggested that the coplanar
      arrangement will lead to bigger heat inducement, and will maintain it for longer time.
    

Detailed description: 
      The data for the sample size calculation was taken from a pilot study of 8 subjects. The
      software used to calculate the sample was GPower 3.1.9.2. A 18 subjects sample were obtained
      to reach a power of 90%, needed to detect a difference on the average of the groups in
      repeated measures with an alpha of 5%. The sample size was raised to 20 subjects for
      eventually lost. The subjects will be chosen through social media and informal invitations.

      The subjects will attend to the laboratory four times, the first day for orientation and
      measurements (body mass and skinfold), the data collection will start on the second day.

      The room temperature will be set between 23 °C and 25 °C, and the humidity around 70%. The
      subject will be placed in supine position on the stretcher, instructed to relax and not touch
      the right thigh region for 20 minutes before the intervention (for body temperature
      stabilization).

      The thigh size will be measured form the base of the patella to the anterior superior iliac
      spine and the center marked to determine the place where the temperature will be collected.
      The minimum space between electrodes position will be at least of the size of one electrode.
      The temperature of the right thigh will be measured by infrared thermography before the
      intervention, right after the removal and every minute until the total time of the
      intervention.

      To summarize the data, it will be used descriptive statistics, the values of average,
      standard deviation and the collected measurements will be identified. Through Shapiro-Wilk
      test the distribution of data regarding normality will be verified. To compare the initial
      and the final test values the ANOVA and the post-hoc of Bonferroni will be used. In the case
      of data being out of the normal standards, a transformation will be used to reach the
      normality. If the data still don't reach the normality after the transformation, the
      non-parametric tests will be used (Mann-Whitney e Kruskal Walis). The confidence level
      adopted for all tests will be 95% (p <0.05).
    

Intervention name(s): Coplanar; Contraplanar; Longitudinal
Intervention type(s): Other; Other; Other
Intervention description(s): The coplanar arrangement will be applicated in each one of the subjects. The intervention will last 20 minutes. A towel will be placed between the pad electrode and the skin to improve contact, besides, the tight and the electrode will be wrapped with an elastic band for the same purpose. The subject will receive orientation related to the heat intensity, it must be a comfortable perception of heat (the intensity will be regulated on the equipment to guarantee that).; The contraplanar arrangement will be applicated in each one of the subjects. The intervention will last 20 minutes. A towel will be placed between the pad electrode and the skin to improve contact, besides, the tight and the electrode will be wrapped with an elastic band for the same purpose. The subject will receive orientation related to the heat intensity, it must be a comfortable perception of heat (the intensity will be regulated on the equipment to guarantee that).; The longitudinal arrangement will be applicated in each one of the subjects. The intervention will last 20 minutes. A towel will be placed between the pad electrode and the skin to improve contact, besides, the tight and the electrode will be wrapped with an elastic band for the same purpose. The subject will receive orientation related to the heat intensity, it must be a comfortable perception of heat (the intensity will be regulated on the equipment to guarantee that).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: A randomized single blind, crossover experimental study.
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Diathermy; Short-Wave Therapy; Body temperature; Skin Temperature