Validity and reliability of Veloflex to measure active cervical range of motion in asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects
Background Neck pain has a high annual incidence and decreases the cervical active range of motion (ROM). Clinicians use various methods to evaluate cervical range of motion (CROM) that some of them have also been proposed to give instant feedback. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of Veloflex (VF) to measure the CROM by comparison with the cervical range of motion (CROM) device, and to examine their test-retest reliability. Methods Thirty-eight healthy and 20 symptomatic participants were evaluated. Cervical flexion-extension, side bending, and rotations were tested in two sessions, first by the CROM and VF and in the second only with the VF. To evaluat…
Validity of an inertial system for measuring velocity, force, and power during hamstring exercises performed on a flywheel resistance training device
Background Inertial hamstring exercises promote functional changes leading to lower rates of hamstring injuries. However, variable training measurement systems have not been specifically validated for hamstring exercises. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the validity of the Inertial Measurement System (IMS) to measure the velocity, force, and power during the performance of different hamstring exercises on a flywheel resistance training device. Methods Fifteen males (average age: 22.4 ± 2.5 years; body mass: 77.3 ± 9.8 kg; height: 179.5 ± 7.4 cm; weekly physical activity: 434.0 ± 169.2 min; years of strength training: 4.3 ± 2.2 years) performed the bilateral stiff-leg deadlift (SD…
Sex Differences in the Velocity of Muscle Contraction of the Hamstring and Quadriceps Among Recreationally Active Young Adults
Martin-San Agustin, R, Medina-Mirapeix, F, Alakhdar, Y, and Benitez-Martinez, JC. Sex differences in the velocity of muscle contraction of the hamstring and quadriceps among recreationally active young adults. J Strength Cond Res 33(5): 1252-1257, 2019-This study determines sex differences in the velocity of contraction (VC) of 5 isolated muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus lateralis) and in the relationships between them. Thirty-six female and 34 male recreationally active young adults participated in the study. The VC was measured by tensiomyography using normalized response velocity (Vrn) to perform comparisons. Sex comparisons were adjust…
Responsiveness and Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test in Patients with Stroke
This study aimed to analyze the responsiveness of the 5STS test among stroke patients and to estimate the MCIDs (minimal clinically important differences) for different severity levels of community ambulation and stages of recovery. The 5STS and comparator instruments (gait speed and Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC)) were evaluated at baseline. These measures were repeated at 4 (Stage 1) and 8 weeks (Stage 2), together with the Global Rating of Change (GROC). The MCIDs were calculated with two anchor-based methods using the GROC as the external criterion. Responsiveness to change for the 5STS was estimated analyzing the correlation with changes in the two comparator instruments and thei…
Prognostic value of balance performance for improvements of community ambulation among stroke patients: a cohort study
Background Despite the positive impact of improving the level of community ambulation among stroke patients, little prognostic research has focused on this indicator. Aim To investigate the prognostic value of the side-by-side, semi-tandem, and tandem standing balance positions and the five-sit-stand (5STS) test for discriminating patients undergoing physical rehabilitation who improve level of functional ambulation and predicting transition time. Design A cohort study with assessments repeated monthly until discharge for classifying patients in a community ambulation class. Setting A neurological rehabilitation unit of a hospital in Spain. Population A consecutive sample of 109 stroke pati…
Validity and reliability of the DiCI for the measurement of shoulder flexion and abduction strength in asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects
Background A higher risk of shoulder injury in the athletic and non-athletic population is frequently associated with strength deficits. Therefore, shoulder strength assessment can be clinically useful to identify and to quantify the magnitude of strength deficit. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a DiCI (a new hand-held dynamometer) for the measurement of shoulder flexion and abduction strength in asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects. Methods Forty-three recreational athletes (29 males and 14 females; age: 22.1 ± 0.47 years; body mass: 68.7 ± 13.1 kg; height = 173.3 ± 9.7 cm) and 40 symptomatic subjects (28 males and 12 females; age: 49.9 ± 8.1 y…
Analysis of Compliance with Time under Tension and Force during Strengthening Exercises with Elastic Bands
Quantifying training variables of a physical exercise modality is essential for an appropriate dosage. In training with elastic bands, time under tension (TUT) and force represent the duration and intensity of this force-training modality. The aims of this study were to evaluate the degree of compliance to TUT prescription for three different scenarios of two exercises and the comparison of the force values obtained versus the estimate values. A total of 29 healthy volunteers were evaluated in a clinical environment under controlled conditions in 3 different scenarios (different velocities or ROMs) of both shoulder abduction and knee extension in 2 sets of 10 repetitions per scenario within…
Influence of rigid taping on the acromiohumeral distance in healthy recreational weightlifters
BackgroundSubacromial pain syndrome is one of the most frequent injuries in overhead athletes, and it takes place when the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) is narrowed. Conservative treatment is the first approach to this syndrome, being shoulder taping one of the most used techniques. Although there are quite a few studies that analyse the effect of taping on the AHD, most of them do not include sham tapings. This study aimed to examine if the Relocation of the humeral head (RHH) taping produced an increase in the AHD in healthy recreationally weightlifter males, quantifying the change that may be due to a placebo effect.MethodsThe design of this study was a two-group pretest-posttest, in whi…
Stability and Predictors of Poor 6-min Walking Test Performance over 2 Years in Patients with COPD
Poor performance in the 6-min walk test (6MWT <
Tensiomyographical responsiveness to peripheral fatigue in quadriceps femoris
Background Fatigue influences athletic performance and can also increase the risk of injury in sports, and most of the methods to evaluate it require an additional voluntary effort. Tensiomyography (TMG), which uses electrical stimulation and a displacement sensor to evaluate muscle contraction properties of one or more muscle bellies, has emerged as a technique that can assess the presence of peripheral and central fatigue without requiring additional voluntary efforts. However, the evaluation of the TMG’s ability to detect fatigue is limited, both at the level of muscle bellies and statistical methods. Thus, the aim of the present study was twofold: (i) to examine and compare the tensiom…
Comparison of Electromyographic Activity During Hip Extension Exercises Under Gravitational or Inertial Loading Conditions.
Background: Hamstring injury prevention programs include strengthening, especially eccentric exercises using both gravitational and inertial loading. Inertial exercises are characterized by eccentric contractions of high intensity and velocity. This study aimed to analyze the muscular activation of the biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), gluteus maximus (GM), and gracilis (GC) muscles during hip extension (HE) exercises performed under both gravitational and inertial loading conditions. Hypothesis: Inertial training would generate a greater activation of HE muscles than gravitational training. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: Fifteen resistance…
Patterns and Predictors of Recovery from Poor Health Status Measured with the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Assessment Test in Patients with Stable COPD: A Longitudinal Study
Recent recommendations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggest that evaluation and management should focus on patient health status. Despite the frequency of poor health status and its negative impact on patients with COPD, little is known about how poor or non-poor health status persists and/or remits over time or what factors might predict recovery from a poor health status. The aim was to determine the likelihood of transitioning between poor and non-poor health status in patients with stable COPD followed for 2 years and to investigate factors that might predict recovery from poor health status. We prospectively included 137 patients with stable COPD (mean age, 66.9 yea…
Sex Differences and Patterns of Muscle Stiffness in the Knee Flexor and Extensor Musculature Through Analysis of Isolated Bellies
ABSTRACT Martin-San Agustin, R, Benitez-Martinez, JC, Medina-Mirapeix, F, and Casana-Granell, J. Sex differences and patterns of muscle stiffness in the knee flexor and extensor musculature through analysis of isolated bellies. J Strength Cond Res 35(4): 1044-1049, 2021-Muscle stiffness (MS) is one of the key factors in joint control. The purpose of this study was to determine sex differences in the MS of 5 isolated muscle bellies (biceps femoris [BF], semitendinosus [ST], rectus femoris [RF], vastus medialis [VM], and vastus lateralis [VL]) and in the pattern of differences among their respective MS. Twenty female and 20 male recreational athletes participated. Muscle stiffness was measure…
Reliability of Y-Balance Test y Wight Bearing Lunge Test for the clinical-functional evolution of plantar fasciitis
[Resumen] Objetivos: Los objetivos de nuestro estudio han sido determinar en pacientes con FP unilateral la fiabilidad intraobservador del instrumento Y- Balance Test (YBT) y la prueba Wight Bearing Lunge Test (WBLT) medida con el inclinómetro de un telefono movil inteligente. Métodos: Estudio transversal y observacional, realizado con 16 pacientes (9 mujeres y 7 hombres). Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos revelan una excelente fiabilidad relativa intraobservador. El YBT mostró un CCI de 0’946; mientras que las medidas con inclinómetro obtuvieron un CCI de 0’992. En el YBT se apreció una asociación de variables estadísticamente significativa en la dirección posteromedial (p=0’004) y en e…
Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of Strength Measurements Using a Pull Hand-Held Dynamometer Fixed to the Examiner's Body and Comparison with Push Dynamometry.
Hand held dynamometers (HHDs) are the most used method to measure strength in clinical sitting. There are two methods to realize the assessment: pull and push. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of a new measurement modality for pull HHD and to compare the inter-rater reliability and agreement of the measurements. Forty healthy subjects were evaluated by two assessors with different body composition and manual strength. Fifteen isometric tests were performed in two sessions with a one-week interval between them. Reliability was examined using the intra-class correlation (ICC) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). Agreement between …
An Optoelectronic System for Measuring the Range of Motion in Healthy Volunteers: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Background and Objectives: Within the clinical evaluation of multiple pathologies of the lower limb, the measurement of range of motion (ROM) of its joints is fundamental. To this end, there are various tools, from the goniometer as a reference to more recent devices such as inclinometry-based applications, photo capture applications, or motion capture systems. This study aimed to assess the validity, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliability of the VeloFlex system (VS), which is a new camera-based tool designed for tracking joint trajectories and measuring joint ROM. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five healthy volunteers (16 females
Relación entre el sexo, edad e índice de masa corporal y el Foot Function Index en pacientes con fascitis plantar
La fascitis plantar es una de las patologias de miembro inferior que mas impacto causan en la persona produciendo dolor, discapacidad y limitacion funcional. Una serie de factores incrementan el riesgo de sufrir fascitis plantar tales como predominio del sexo femenino, edad avanzada y un indice de masa corporal (IMC) elevado. El impacto que produce la fascitis plantar en la persona ser cuantificado por escalas para darnos informacion en la clinica acerca del estado de nuestros pacientes. Metodos y objetivos: Se realizo un estudio observacional transversal con 28 participantes que sufrian fascitis plantar y se les administra la encuesta FFI-sp con el proposito de determinar la relacion entre…
Effect of different ergonomic supports on muscle activity of dentists during posterior composite restoration
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different ergonomic supports on the muscle activity of two trunk muscles while a group of dentists performed a common dental procedure on a phantom head, divided into three tasks.MethodsA one-way repeated measures study (ANOVA) was conducted on a group of 36 dentists. The middle trapezius and lumbar erector spinae muscles were measured with and without the use of different ergonomic supports (ergonomic stool, magnification lenses and both) using a portable surface electromyography (sEMG) device. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the absolute standard error of measurement (SEM) were used to establish the reliability o…
Validity, Reliability, and Sensitivity to Change of DiCI for the Strength Measurement of Knee and Hip Muscles
Many professionals use the handheld dynamometers (HHDs) to assess isometric strength. This study aimed to evaluate the validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change of a DiCI (a new HHD) for the...
Epidemiology of Injuries in First Division Spanish Women’s Soccer Players
The epidemiology of injuries in female soccer has been studied extensively in several national leagues. Even so, data on the first division Spanish league are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of the first division of the Spanish Women’s Soccer League and to analyze data in relation to game position, circumstance, or the moment of injury. Fifteen teams and 123 players participated in the study. Players’ characteristics and their injuries (location, type, diagnosis, circumstance, and moment) were collected. Injuries were described by their frequencies (number and percentage) and incidence rates (IR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Lower limb injuries …
Validity and Reliability of a New Optoelectronic System for Measuring Active Range of Motion of Upper Limb Joints in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Subjects
The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Veloflex infrared dynamic angle-meter (Veloflex-IDA) and the intra- and inter-rater reliability when measuring the ranges of motion (ROMs) of the upper limb joints. Thirty-five healthy and 20 symptomatic participants were evaluated. Twelve upper limb movements were measured in two sessions with the Veloflex-IDA, which is a device composed of a camera that tracks the trajectory of retro-reflective markers. In addition, a goniometer was used in the first session to evaluate concurrent validity. Validity and agreement were evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Bland&ndash