The purpose of the present study was to compare total knee arthroplasty (TKA) rehabilitation with and without whole-body vibration (WBV) to 1) understand if WBV is a useful treatment during TKA rehabilitation to increase quadriceps strength and function, and 2) to investigate the effect of WBV on quadriceps voluntary muscle activation. Subject and Methods. Individuals post TKA (WBV n=8, control n=8) received physical therapy with and without WBV for four weeks. Quadriceps strength and muscle activation, function, perceived pain, and knee range of motion were measured. Results. No adverse side effects were reported in either group. There was a significant increase in strength and function for both groups (P<0.01). There was no difference pre to posttest between groups for strength, muscle activation, or pain (Hotelling’s T2=0.42, P=.80) or for function (F=0.54, P=0.66). Discussion and Conclusion. In individuals with TKA, WBV showed equal strength and function improvement to physical therapy directed progressive resistive exercise. Influence of WBV on muscle activation remains unclear, as initial muscle activation was near established normal quadriceps levels and remained so post treatment.

No description available.

Purpose: The upper trapezius to serratus anterior muscle activation ratio is essential for optimal shoulder function. An alteration of this ratio, specifically a decrease in upper trapezius and increase in serratus anterior activation, is a main area of focus in shoulder rehabilitation (Kibler, 1998; Paine & Voight, 1993). Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback has been shown to be an effective rehabilitation technique to address many musculoskeletal disorders but there is limited research on the retention of improvements seen with EMG biofeedback (Ma et al., 2011; Lim et al., 2014; Weon, et al., 2011). The purpose of this study was to determine if EMG biofeedback can be used to improve scapular control by decreasing the upper trapezius to serratus anterior activation ratio. A secondary purpose was to determine if these predicted improvements in the ratio can be retained beyond the timeframe in which the treatment is provided. Methods: Twenty college aged (age=21.75±1.77) subjects (10 males, 10 females) volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were randomized to the exercise only group or EMG biofeedback group. The exercise only group performed three exercises twice a week for four weeks with supervision. The EMG biofeedback group performed the same exercises twice a week for four weeks with the addition of watching EMG biofeedback on a computer monitor with the instructions to decrease the upper trapezius activation and increase the serratus anterior activation by adjusting the corresponding lines on the monitor. The percent maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for each muscle during each exercise was measured on visit one, visit nine (after the four weeks of practice) and visit ten (after a two-week retention period). The ratio and the individual muscle changes were analyzed using multi-factor ANOVAs against group, exercise, and group by exercise interaction. Results: There was no significant effect of any of the variables on the ratios visit one to visit nine, nor when comparing visit nine to visit ten. The was a significant effect of group on the upper trapezius when comparing visit one to visit nine (p=0.007) with no effect seen comparing visit nine to visit ten. There was also a significant effect of group on the serratus anterior activation for both visit one to visit nine (p=0.000) and visit nine to visit ten (p=0.001). Conclusion: EMG biofeedback did not decrease the upper trapezius to serratus anterior activation ratio, but the individual muscle activation changes indicate that EMG biofeedback is effective at altering muscle activation rates in individual muscles and that those changes can be retained beyond the timeframe of the intervention. Additional research is needed with more subjects and in populations with shoulder pathologies to further investigate the effectiveness of this concept.

As lesões de tornozelo, mais precisamente na articulação subtalar, chamadas de entorses, estão bastante presentes no âmbito esportivo. No futsal, esporte amplamente praticado em nosso país, a entorse por inversão do tornozelo está entre as lesões que mais acometem os atletas em todos os níveis de sua prática devido às exigências que o esporte impõe. Avaliações isocinéticas têm sido utilizadas na medição de performances musculares com o intuído de se obterem dados mais precisos em relação às forças produzidas por diferentes grupos musculares. A razão de torque e ativação são duas variáveis que podem ser medidas nestes testes servindo como parâmetro para detectar possíveis desequilíbrios musculares entre músculos agonistas/antagonistas. Este trabalho buscou avaliar as razões de torque e ativação, bem como a potência e o trabalho musculares realizados pela musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo em atletas de uma equipe de futsal. Foram avaliados 13 atletas, dos quais 7 atletas com lesão unilateral de tornozelo serviram de amostra para uma comparação entre o membro lesado e não lesado. As razões de torque e ativação da musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo foram avaliadas durante contrações isométricas voluntárias máximas nos ângulos de -20º de inversão, 0º e 20º de eversão, e isocinéticas concêntricas e excêntricas nas velocidades de 60º, 120º e 180º/s. As variáveis de trabalho e potência também foram obtidas nestes testes. As razões de torque foram obtidas com a divisão dos valores do pico de torque eversor pelo pico de torque inversor, e as razões de ativação da mesma forma, porém dividindo o valor RMS do sinal EMG dos músculos eversores Fibular Curto e Fibular Longo pelo músculo inversor Tibial Anterior. Os valores encontrados nas razões de torque convencionais e funcionais não demonstraram diferenças significativas entre o grupo de tornozelos com e sem lesão, com exceção da razão funcional inversora EVexc/INVcon, na qual foram encontrados valores maiores no grupo lesado, o que indica possível desequilíbrio na relação Ev/Inv. As razões de ativação não mostraram diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos. Já as variáveis trabalho e potência foram equivalentes nos dois grupos, o que demonstra que após a lesão e a recuperação destes atletas, e com a volta as atividades esportivas houve um reestabelecimento na produção das forças musculares que atuam na musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo. / The ankle injuries, more precisely in "subtalar" joint, called sprains, are very present at the sportive universe. In the indoor soccer, commonly practiced in our country, the sprains by the ankle inversion is between the injuries that happens more for the athletes at all levels of the practice because of the requirements imposed by the sport. Isokinetic evaluations have been used in the medication of muscular performance with the intention of getting more precise data about the strength produced by different muscular groups. The torque and activation ratios are two variables that can be measured in these tests, serving as parameter to detect possible muscular unbalance between agonist/antagonist muscles. This paper sought to evaluate the torque and activation ratios, and the power and muscular work done by the evertor and invertor ankle musculature, in indoor soccer players as well. Thirteen athletes were evaluated, seven of them that have unilateral ankle injury, were used to compare the injured and the healthy member. The torque and activation ratios at the evertor and invertor ankle musculature were evaluated during maximum voluntary isometrics contractions at the angles of -20º inversion, 0o and 20º eversion, and concentric and eccentric isokinetics at the velocities of 60º 120º and 180º/s. The work and power variables were also obtained in this tests. The torque ratio were obtained by dividing the evertor torque peak by the invertor torque peak, and the activation ratio by the same way, but dividing the RMS value by the EMG signal from the Short and Long Fibular Muscles Evertor by the Previous Tibial Muscle Invertor. The values found at the conventional and functional torque ratios, not showed significant differences between injured and health ankles, except for the invertor functional ratio EVexc/INVcon, which we found bigger values at the injured group, and this points for an unbalance at the Ev/Inv relation. The activation ratio not showed significant difference between the groups. But the power and work variables were equivalents in both groups, which demonstrate that after these athletes injures and the recuperations, and with the returning to the sportive activities, there were an reestablishing at the production of the muscular strength that actuate in the evertor and invetor ankle musculature.

As lesões de tornozelo, mais precisamente na articulação subtalar, chamadas de entorses, estão bastante presentes no âmbito esportivo. No futsal, esporte amplamente praticado em nosso país, a entorse por inversão do tornozelo está entre as lesões que mais acometem os atletas em todos os níveis de sua prática devido às exigências que o esporte impõe. Avaliações isocinéticas têm sido utilizadas na medição de performances musculares com o intuído de se obterem dados mais precisos em relação às forças produzidas por diferentes grupos musculares. A razão de torque e ativação são duas variáveis que podem ser medidas nestes testes servindo como parâmetro para detectar possíveis desequilíbrios musculares entre músculos agonistas/antagonistas. Este trabalho buscou avaliar as razões de torque e ativação, bem como a potência e o trabalho musculares realizados pela musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo em atletas de uma equipe de futsal. Foram avaliados 13 atletas, dos quais 7 atletas com lesão unilateral de tornozelo serviram de amostra para uma comparação entre o membro lesado e não lesado. As razões de torque e ativação da musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo foram avaliadas durante contrações isométricas voluntárias máximas nos ângulos de -20º de inversão, 0º e 20º de eversão, e isocinéticas concêntricas e excêntricas nas velocidades de 60º, 120º e 180º/s. As variáveis de trabalho e potência também foram obtidas nestes testes. As razões de torque foram obtidas com a divisão dos valores do pico de torque eversor pelo pico de torque inversor, e as razões de ativação da mesma forma, porém dividindo o valor RMS do sinal EMG dos músculos eversores Fibular Curto e Fibular Longo pelo músculo inversor Tibial Anterior. Os valores encontrados nas razões de torque convencionais e funcionais não demonstraram diferenças significativas entre o grupo de tornozelos com e sem lesão, com exceção da razão funcional inversora EVexc/INVcon, na qual foram encontrados valores maiores no grupo lesado, o que indica possível desequilíbrio na relação Ev/Inv. As razões de ativação não mostraram diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos. Já as variáveis trabalho e potência foram equivalentes nos dois grupos, o que demonstra que após a lesão e a recuperação destes atletas, e com a volta as atividades esportivas houve um reestabelecimento na produção das forças musculares que atuam na musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo. / The ankle injuries, more precisely in "subtalar" joint, called sprains, are very present at the sportive universe. In the indoor soccer, commonly practiced in our country, the sprains by the ankle inversion is between the injuries that happens more for the athletes at all levels of the practice because of the requirements imposed by the sport. Isokinetic evaluations have been used in the medication of muscular performance with the intention of getting more precise data about the strength produced by different muscular groups. The torque and activation ratios are two variables that can be measured in these tests, serving as parameter to detect possible muscular unbalance between agonist/antagonist muscles. This paper sought to evaluate the torque and activation ratios, and the power and muscular work done by the evertor and invertor ankle musculature, in indoor soccer players as well. Thirteen athletes were evaluated, seven of them that have unilateral ankle injury, were used to compare the injured and the healthy member. The torque and activation ratios at the evertor and invertor ankle musculature were evaluated during maximum voluntary isometrics contractions at the angles of -20º inversion, 0o and 20º eversion, and concentric and eccentric isokinetics at the velocities of 60º 120º and 180º/s. The work and power variables were also obtained in this tests. The torque ratio were obtained by dividing the evertor torque peak by the invertor torque peak, and the activation ratio by the same way, but dividing the RMS value by the EMG signal from the Short and Long Fibular Muscles Evertor by the Previous Tibial Muscle Invertor. The values found at the conventional and functional torque ratios, not showed significant differences between injured and health ankles, except for the invertor functional ratio EVexc/INVcon, which we found bigger values at the injured group, and this points for an unbalance at the Ev/Inv relation. The activation ratio not showed significant difference between the groups. But the power and work variables were equivalents in both groups, which demonstrate that after these athletes injures and the recuperations, and with the returning to the sportive activities, there were an reestablishing at the production of the muscular strength that actuate in the evertor and invetor ankle musculature.

As lesões de tornozelo, mais precisamente na articulação subtalar, chamadas de entorses, estão bastante presentes no âmbito esportivo. No futsal, esporte amplamente praticado em nosso país, a entorse por inversão do tornozelo está entre as lesões que mais acometem os atletas em todos os níveis de sua prática devido às exigências que o esporte impõe. Avaliações isocinéticas têm sido utilizadas na medição de performances musculares com o intuído de se obterem dados mais precisos em relação às forças produzidas por diferentes grupos musculares. A razão de torque e ativação são duas variáveis que podem ser medidas nestes testes servindo como parâmetro para detectar possíveis desequilíbrios musculares entre músculos agonistas/antagonistas. Este trabalho buscou avaliar as razões de torque e ativação, bem como a potência e o trabalho musculares realizados pela musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo em atletas de uma equipe de futsal. Foram avaliados 13 atletas, dos quais 7 atletas com lesão unilateral de tornozelo serviram de amostra para uma comparação entre o membro lesado e não lesado. As razões de torque e ativação da musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo foram avaliadas durante contrações isométricas voluntárias máximas nos ângulos de -20º de inversão, 0º e 20º de eversão, e isocinéticas concêntricas e excêntricas nas velocidades de 60º, 120º e 180º/s. As variáveis de trabalho e potência também foram obtidas nestes testes. As razões de torque foram obtidas com a divisão dos valores do pico de torque eversor pelo pico de torque inversor, e as razões de ativação da mesma forma, porém dividindo o valor RMS do sinal EMG dos músculos eversores Fibular Curto e Fibular Longo pelo músculo inversor Tibial Anterior. Os valores encontrados nas razões de torque convencionais e funcionais não demonstraram diferenças significativas entre o grupo de tornozelos com e sem lesão, com exceção da razão funcional inversora EVexc/INVcon, na qual foram encontrados valores maiores no grupo lesado, o que indica possível desequilíbrio na relação Ev/Inv. As razões de ativação não mostraram diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos. Já as variáveis trabalho e potência foram equivalentes nos dois grupos, o que demonstra que após a lesão e a recuperação destes atletas, e com a volta as atividades esportivas houve um reestabelecimento na produção das forças musculares que atuam na musculatura eversora e inversora do tornozelo. / The ankle injuries, more precisely in "subtalar" joint, called sprains, are very present at the sportive universe. In the indoor soccer, commonly practiced in our country, the sprains by the ankle inversion is between the injuries that happens more for the athletes at all levels of the practice because of the requirements imposed by the sport. Isokinetic evaluations have been used in the medication of muscular performance with the intention of getting more precise data about the strength produced by different muscular groups. The torque and activation ratios are two variables that can be measured in these tests, serving as parameter to detect possible muscular unbalance between agonist/antagonist muscles. This paper sought to evaluate the torque and activation ratios, and the power and muscular work done by the evertor and invertor ankle musculature, in indoor soccer players as well. Thirteen athletes were evaluated, seven of them that have unilateral ankle injury, were used to compare the injured and the healthy member. The torque and activation ratios at the evertor and invertor ankle musculature were evaluated during maximum voluntary isometrics contractions at the angles of -20º inversion, 0o and 20º eversion, and concentric and eccentric isokinetics at the velocities of 60º 120º and 180º/s. The work and power variables were also obtained in this tests. The torque ratio were obtained by dividing the evertor torque peak by the invertor torque peak, and the activation ratio by the same way, but dividing the RMS value by the EMG signal from the Short and Long Fibular Muscles Evertor by the Previous Tibial Muscle Invertor. The values found at the conventional and functional torque ratios, not showed significant differences between injured and health ankles, except for the invertor functional ratio EVexc/INVcon, which we found bigger values at the injured group, and this points for an unbalance at the Ev/Inv relation. The activation ratio not showed significant difference between the groups. But the power and work variables were equivalents in both groups, which demonstrate that after these athletes injures and the recuperations, and with the returning to the sportive activities, there were an reestablishing at the production of the muscular strength that actuate in the evertor and invetor ankle musculature.

Context: Knee pain is a common symptom in knee pathology and is associated with alterations in quadriceps activation and movement patterns. Reducing pain through intervention may help reestablish neuromuscular function. The independent effects of knee pain are difficult to examine and unclear. Objective: To investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on quadriceps activation and vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) during walking. Design: Crossover. Setting: Laboratory. Subjects: 15 in the TENS group (10M and 5F, 23.5 ± 2.8 yrs, 70.5 ± 12.5 kg, 178.1 ± 7.4 cm), and 15 in the sham group (10M and 5F, 22.5 ± 2.0 yrs, 72.1 ± 13.7 kg, 177.5 ± 9.3 cm). Interventions: Subjects underwent three experimental conditions (pain, sham, and control). Measurements were recorded across four time points (preinfusion, infusion, treatment, and posttreatment). Hypertonic or isotonic saline, respectively, was infused into the infrapatellar fat pad for 48 minutes (total 7.7 mL). The TENS group received a 20-minute treatment. A sham treatment was administered to the sham group. Main Outcome Measures: Perceived knee pain on a 10-cm visual analog scale, knee extension maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) normalized to body mass, knee extension central activation ratio (CAR), and VGRF. Results: Knee pain peaked at 4 cm during infusion and remained consistent across time in the sham group (F2,28 = 49.90, P < 0.0001), while knee pain gradually decreased to 1.5 cm following TENS treatment (F2,28 = 23.11, P < 0.0001). A group x condition x time interaction was detected for both the MVIC (F6,168 = 2.92, P < 0.01) and CAR (F6,168 = 3.03, P < 0.008) measurements. Post hoc analysis revealed that the infusion of hypertonic saline reduced knee extension MVIC by 29% in the TENS group, and by 26% in the sham group (P < 0.05). However, while the MVIC remained depressed by 26% following sham treatment, the MVIC was found to improve by 12% following TENS treatment (P < 0.05). Similarly, a 10% decrease in CAR was detected in both sham and TENS groups prior to treatment. This 10% deficit held, with a 9% deficit following sham treatment, while the deficit of CAR was improved by 4% following TENS treatment (P < 0.05). For the TENS group, infusion of hypertonic saline changed VGRF at initial loading, midstance, and push-off phase. VGRF was only different at initial loading and push-off phase following TENS treatment. For the sham group however, sham treatment did not restore VGRF, showing alterations in initial loading, midstance, and push-off phase (α = 0.05). Conclusions: Infusion of hypertonic saline increased perceived knee pain, reduced knee extension MVIC, reduced CAR, and altered VGRF over some of stance phase. TENS lessened the deficits in MVIC, CAR, and VGRF, suggesting decreased muscle inhibition and improved movement function.

No description available.

No description available.