All issues > Volume 18(10); 1975

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1975;18(10):727-732. Published online October 31, 1975.

Muscle Tonus in the Neonate

Sang Hyeup Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics Seoul National University Collegs of Medicine

Abstract

Muscle tonus has various meanings for different people and the definitions of tone which they use reflect their basic interests. Andre Thomas divided muscle tonus into three categories-muscle consistency, extensibility and passivite, Passivite is the essence of muscle tonus and the resistance which is felt during the passive extension of a muscle. This resistance can be estimated clinically and graded in a way similar to the method used for muscle consistency with marked resistance at one extreme, and the complete absence of resistance at the other. 1 compared resistance of passive movement of upper extremities-shoulder joint, elbow and wrist, spineneck and trunk, lower extremities-hip, knee and ankle joints in 32 neonates in prone and in 33 neonates in supine. 1. There wasn’t any difference of passivite of muscle between supine position and prone position. 2. Muscle passivite’ of wrist and knee joint were weak i.e. resistance to passive extension were remarkable in prone position. 3.Muscle passivite’ of hip, knee joint and ankle i.e. resistance to passive extension were becoming remarkable day by day in supine position. And muscle passivite’ of neck, trunk i.e. resistance to passive extension were becoming remarkable in prone position.

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