Search results for "rehabilitation."

Leg and joint stiffness in human hopping

2010

The present study investigated the regulation of leg and joint stiffness in hopping at different intensity levels. Eight male subjects performed bilateral hopping at various intensity levels that were determined by peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF). In addition to the GRF, the measurements included hopping kinematics and electromyography (EMG) of selected leg muscles. While the leg and ankle joint stiffness remained invariant, the knee joint stiffness increased significantly (P<0.01) with the hopping intensity. EMG analysis revealed a significant increase in averaged EMG for all the measured muscles before and during the early phase of ground contact (P<0.05-0.001) with increasing h…

2020

(1) Background: Assessments of intervertebral disc (IVD) changes, and IVD tissue adaptations due to physical activity, for example, remains challenging. Newer magnetic resonance imaging techniques can quantify detailed features of the IVD, where T2-mapping and T2-weighted (T2w) and Dixon imaging are potential candidates. Yet, their relative utility has not been examined. The performances of these techniques were investigated to characterize IVD differences in asymptomatic individuals with distinct physical activity histories. (2) Methods: In total, 101 participants (54 women) aged 25–35 years with distinct physical activity histories but without histories of spinal disease were included. T1…

Effects of muscle activation on shear between human soleus and gastrocnemius muscles

2015

Lateral connections between muscles provide pathways for myofascial force transmission. To elucidate whether these pathways have functional roles in vivo, we examined whether activation could alter the shear between the soleus (SOL) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. We hypothesized that selective activation of LG would decrease the stretch-induced shear between LG and SOL. Eleven volunteers underwent a series of knee joint manipulations where plantar flexion force, LG, and SOL muscle fascicle lengths and relative displacement of aponeuroses between the muscles were obtained. Data during a passive full range of motion were recorded, followed by 20° knee extension stretches in both pass…

Physiotherapists’ experiences of direct access for clients with musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction: a qualitative study

2019

Aims: The aim of this study was to qualitatively analyse physiotherapists’ experiences and perspectives for delivering services directly, without prescription or referral, for clients with musculoskeletal pain or dysfunction. Methods: This was a qualitative study where data were collected from questionnaires given to 34 physiotherapists, 18 of them being in direct access for 6 years and 16 for 6 months. There were 15 structured questions and 3 open-ended ones. The answers were analysed with quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: The data analysis of the open-ended questions showed that physiotherapists had positive experiences of direct access. This practice brought meaningfulness, …

MRI findings and physical performance as predictors of flight-induced musculoskeletal pain incidence among fighter pilots

2017

Summary Study aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association of pre-career magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) find­ings and physical performance level with possible musculoskeletal disorders during jet flight training. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 73 fighter pilots who had undergone pre-career cervical and lumbar spine MRI. Physical performance of a subgroup of the pilots (n = 67) was measured initially at the same time and followed up to the fast jet training phase (ranging from 3.8 to 7.0 years). Musculoskeletal pain history during pilot training was taken from the medical charts. MRI findings and physical performance were associated with perceived…

Posterior stability in posterior-stabilized vs medially congruent total knee replacement: A radiological comparison of two polyethylene designs in a …

2020

Objective:The purpose of this radiological study was to assess the posterior laxity of a single model of a total knee arthroplasty design (TKA) having a medially constrained (MC) or a Posterior-Stabilized (PS) polyethylene insert using a well-documented stress x-ray. To the authors knowledge, this is the first report evaluating MC TKA outcomes according to the “kneeling view.”Materials and Methods:Sixty patients with non-traumatic primary knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA were first matched by age, sex, BMI and diagnosis and then divided in two groups: group A (37 knees) received a MC TKA and group B (23 knees) a PS implant made by the same manufacturer. In all cases the posterior cruciate…

2019

Ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) imaging has been previously used to describe the characteristics of patellar and Achilles tendons. UTC imaging compares and correlates successive ultrasonographic transverse tendon images to calculate the distribution of four color-coded echo-types that represent different tendon tissue types. However, UTC has not been used to describe the characteristics of patellar tendons after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the intra and inter-rater reliability of the UTC in unharvested and harvested patellar tendons of patients undergoing ACLR. Intra and inter-rater reliability of both UTC da…

Breaststroke swimmer's knee

1980

The cause of the breaststroke swimmer's knee with medial pain of the knee joint has not been clearly identified. Breaststroke swimmers with knee pain were, therefore, examined arthros copically. None showed any other disorders of their knees than medial synovitis in seven of nine swimmers. Since structural abnormalities could be ruled out, biomechanical analyses utiliz ing cinematographic techniques were used to study patients swimming in a special flume with the speed set at 90% of their best competitive performance. The results indicate that the extension and flexion and also in some cases the hip abduction and adduction movements of the whip kick were performed with high peak angular ve…

A reanalysis of spinal motion during vibration

1987

Calibrated film of the motion of the lumbar spine during vibration was reanalysed, making use of a number of computer based techniques to improve accuracy and reduce measurement noise. The results demonstrated resonant behaviour at about 4 Hz and indicated that at vibration levels of the order of 1 m/s2 there exists bending of the order of 1° (peak to peak) between adjacent vertebrae in the lumbar spine. The bending is complex and involves phase differences along the spine and possibly a rocking motion of the pelvis.

On the control of a muscular force model including muscular fatigue

2015

Electromyostimulation has been used for several decades by athletes or physiotherapists in order to create a muscular reinforcement. However, the efficiency of electromyostimulation is limited by muscular fatigue and by induced pain. Currently, the systems of electromyostimulation do not adapt the stimulation parameters automatically by taking into account physiological parameters such as muscular fatigue. To adapt the stimulation parameters to muscular responses and in order to optimize the rehabilitation sessions, a control of force using an indicator of muscular fatigue could be used. In this paper, we propose two ways to control the force by using a physiological model which includes th…