Investigation of inspiratory intercostal muscle activity in patients with spinal cord injury: a pilot study using electromyography, ultrasonography, and respiratory inductance plethysmography.

Only three patients were studied, so the findings cannot show how common these patterns are. The measurements were taken at one location for EMG and ultrasound, so activity or thickness changes elsewhere may have been missed. No treatment or follow-up was tested, so the paper does not show that these measures track change after respiratory training. All three patients had AIS D injuries, so the findings may not apply to people with more severe cervical injuries. The rib cage volume and inspiratory capacity values were reported as individual case values, not as a tested predictor.

The authors received no specific funding and declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that the chest band rib cage measure is a validated clinical way to assess inspiratory intercostal muscle function. This was a pilot study, and the authors state that a larger cohort is needed.