My Fulbright Experiences at Rosario University and in Colombia

Experiencia cultural y académica 2017-I del Becario Fulbright U.S. Scholar Dr. Songning Zhang, PhD, Director del Laboratorio de Biomecánica y Profesor del Programa de Kinesiología, Recreación y Deporte de la Escuela de Educación, Salud y Ciencias Humanas de la Universidad de Tennessee, Estados Unidos. El profesor participó en actividades de docencia en el área de Biomecánica Clínica en el Programa de Fisioterapia y en el Laboratorio de Clínica de Movimiento de la Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad del Rosario, participó en el XXV Congreso Nacional de Fisioterapia y en el Panel de Ciencias de la Rehabilitación junto con delegadas de la Universidad de Stockton; asesoró y supervisó el proyecto de Investigación "Efecto de un programa de entrenamiento funcional y ultrasonido en pacientes con osteoartritis de cadera" el cual se encuentra adscrito al Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias de la Rehabilitación. En esta presentación se presenta un resumen de éstas actividades académicas y también de las actividades culturales realizadas en nuestro país

THEORETICAL ANALYSES ON "SPLASH" FORMATION OF COMPETITIVE DIVING

Based upon our work in theoretical analysis and computer simulation of the impact process between diver and water, the purpose of this study was to analyze mechanisms of "splash" formation. The entry technique with palms facing each other was simplified as water entry of a "wedged" object. The entry technique with internal rotation of the arms to form a flat impact surface with the palms was simplified as water entry of a "rectangle". Finally, the water entry with rotation was treated as water entry of a "rotating rectangle", Further mechanical analyses were performed to synthesize "splash" formation mechanisms of these different objects under various impact conditions, and formulate a splash control theory that combines an active impact and a "massaging" motion of water by both hands

A comparison of gait biomechanics of flip-flops, sandals, barefoot and shoes

Background Flip-flops and sandals are popular choices of footwear due to their convenience. However, the effects of these types of footwear on lower extremity biomechanics are still poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate differences in ground reaction force (GRF), center of pressure (COP) and lower extremity joint kinematic and kinetic variables during level-walking in flip-flops, sandals and barefoot compared to running shoes. Methods Ten healthy males performed five walking trials in the four footwear conditions at 1.3?m/s. Three-dimensional GRF and kinematic data were simultaneously collected. Results A smaller loading rate of the 1st peak vertical GRF and peak propulsive GRF and greater peak dorsiflexion moment in early stance were found in shoes compared to barefoot, flip-flops and sandals. Barefoot walking yielded greater mediolateral COP displacement, flatter foot contact angle, increased ankle plantarflexion contact angle, and smaller knee flexion contact angle and range of motion compared to all other footwear. Conclusions The results from this study indicate that barefoot, flip-flops and sandals produced different peak GRF variables and ankle moment compared to shoes while all footwear yield different COP and ankle and knee kinematics compared to barefoot. The findings may be helpful to researchers and clinicians in understanding lower extremity mechanics of open-toe footwear. doi:10.1186/1757-1146-6-4

PRINCIPLES OF THE SPLASH CONTROL TECHNIQUE IN DIVING

INTRODUCTION: "Splash control" is a key element of water entry technique in competitive diving. This process starts from the initial contact of a diver's body with the water surface until complete entry of the rest of the body into the water. The purpose of this study was to establish the most effective hand pattern and body posture that can achieve the best “splash control” to minimize water splash

Knee Joint Loads and Surrounding Muscle Forces during Stair Ascent in Patients with Total Knee Replacement

Total knee replacement (TKR) is commonly used to correct end-stage knee osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, difficulty with stair climbing often persists and prolongs the challenges of TKR patents. Complete understanding of loading at the knee is of great interest in order to aid patient populations, implant manufacturers, rehabilitation, and future healthcare research. Musculoskeletal modeling and simulation approximates joint loading and corresponding muscle forces during a movement. The purpose of this study was to determine if knee joint loadings following TKR are recovered to the level of healthy individuals, and determine the differences in muscle forces causing those loadings. Data from five healthy and five TKR patients were selected for musculoskeletal simulation. Variables of interest included knee joint reaction forces (JRF) and the corresponding muscle forces. A paired samples t-test was used to detect differences between groups for each variable of interest (p\u3c0.05). No differences were observed for peak joint compressive forces between groups. Some muscle force compensatory strategies appear to be present in both the loading and push-off phases. Evidence from knee extension moment and muscle forces during the loading response phase indicates the presence of deficits in TKR in quadriceps muscle force production during stair ascent. This result combined with greater flexor muscle forces resulted in similar compressive JRF during loading response between groups

Efficacy of an ankle orthosis with a subtalar locking system in restricting ankle kinetics and kinematics in lateral cutting

Introduction The ankle joint is the most injured joint during sports participation [1]. Ankle orthoses have been shown to be effective in reducing ankle inversion injuries and are often prescribed for rehabilitation and prevention of lateral ankle sprains. Efficacy of ankle orthoses is often assessed by comparing reduction of passive inversion ROM as well as ankle kinematics between braced and unbraced movements [2,3]. However, joint kinetic responses in lateral cutting were rarely examined. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a new semi-rigid ankle orthosis with a subtalar joint locking mechanism in restricting ankle kinetics and kinematics during a lateral cutting movement

Effects of Knee Alignments and Toe Clip on Frontal Plane Knee Biomechanics in Cycling

Effects of knee alignment on the internal knee abduction moment (KAM) in walking have been widely studied. The KAM is closely associated with the development of medial knee osteoarthritis. Despite the importance of knee alignment, no studies have explored its effects on knee frontal plane biomechanics during stationary cycling. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of knee alignment and use of a toe clip on the knee frontal plane biomechanics during stationary cycling. A total of 32 participants (11 varus, 11 neutral, and 10 valgus alignment) performed five trials in each of six cycling conditions: pedaling at 80 rpm and 0.5 kg (40 Watts), 1.0 kg (78 Watts), and 1.5 kg (117 Watts) with and without a toe clip. A motion analysis system and a customized instrumented pedal were used to collect 3D kinematic and kinetic data. A 3 × 2 × 3 (group × toe clip × workload) mixed design ANOVA was used for statistical analysis (p \u3c 0.05). There were two different knee frontal plane loading patterns, internal abduction and adduction moment, which were affected by knee alignment type. The knee adduction angle was 12.2° greater in the varus group compared to the valgus group (p = 0.001), yet no difference was found for KAM among groups. Wearing a toe clip increased the knee adduction angle by 0.95º (p = 0.005). The findings of this study indicate that stationary cycling may be a safe exercise prescription for people with knee malalignments. In addition, using a toe clip may not have any negative effects on knee joints during stationary cycling

Effects of Knee Alignments and Toe Clip on Frontal Plane Knee Biomechanics in Cycling

Effects of knee alignment on the internal knee abduction moment (KAM) in walking have been widely studied. The KAM is closely associated with the development of medial knee osteoarthritis. Despite the importance of knee alignment, no studies have ex- plored its effects on knee frontal plane biomechanics during sta- tionary cycling. The purpose of this study was to examine the ef- fects of knee alignment and use of a toe clip on the knee frontal plane biomechanics during stationary cycling. A total of 32 par- ticipants (11 varus, 11 neutral, and 10 valgus alignment) per- formed five trials in each of six cycling conditions: pedaling at 80 rpm and 0.5 kg (40 Watts), 1.0 kg (78 Watts), and 1.5 kg (117 Watts) with and without a toe clip. A motion analysis system and a customized instrumented pedal were used to collect 3D kine- matic and kinetic data. A 3 × 2 × 3 (group × toe clip × workload) mixed design ANOVA was used for statistical analysis (p \u3c 0.05). There were two different knee frontal plane loading patterns, in- ternal abduction and adduction moment, which were affected by knee alignment type. The knee adduction angle was 12.2° greater in the varus group compared to the valgus group (p = 0.001), yet no difference was found for KAM among groups. Wearing a toe clip increased the knee adduction angle by 0.95o (p = 0.005). The findings of this study indicate that stationary cycling may be a safe exercise prescription for people with knee malalignments. In addition, using a toe clip may not have any negative effects on knee joints during stationary cycling