By: Karl Nordfalk
The TRV Chair was designed by Thomas Richard-Vitton for diagnosis and treatment of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). BPPV can in many cases be treated with traditional maneuvers on bench such as the Epley, Semont, BBQ, Gufoni and Appiani.
With the TRV chair the sensitivity of the diagnostics and effectiveness of the maneuvers can be enhanced by following the exact plane of the canal and by adding kinetic energy to the maneuvers. With the TRV chair it is also possible to treat patients with neck and back problems.
West et al. described 150 subjects who were treated with the TRV chair or another bi-axial rotational device, the Epley Omiax, at Rikshospitalet in Copenhagen. 91.7–100 % of the subjects experienced reduction of symptoms after 1-3 treatments. Horizontal cupulolithiasis and multi-canal affection constituted the most difficult cases to treat and cure.
Tan et al. performed a non-randomized prospective study of 165 subjects with posterior canal BPPV and found that 85.2% of the subjects were cured after one week the TRV-chair group compared to 72.6% in the group who received standard treatment. The difference was statistically significant.
West N, Hansen S, Møller MN, Bloch SL, Klokker M. Repositioning chairs in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: implications and clinical outcome.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016 Mar;273(3):573-80
Pubmed link
Tan J, Yu D, Feng Y, Song Q, You J, Shi H, Yin S.
Comparative study of the efficacy of the canalith repositioning procedure versus the vertigo treatment and rehabilitation chair.
Acta Otolaryngol. 2014 Jul;134(7):704-8
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Richard-Vitton T, Viirre E.
Unsteadiness and drunkenness sensations as a new sub-type of BPPV.
Rev Laryngol Otol Rhinol (Bord). 2011;132(2):75-80.
Pubmed link