Use of MMG signals for the control of powered orthotic devices: Development of a rectus femoris measurement protocol

Copyright © 2009 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society (RESNA). This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Assistive Technology, 21(1), 1 - 12, 2009, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10400430902945678.A test protocol is defined for the purpose of measuring rectus femoris mechanomyographic (MMG) signals. The protocol is specified in terms of the following: measurement equipment, signal processing requirements, human postural requirements, test rig, sensor placement, sensor dermal fixation, and test procedure. Preliminary tests of the statistical nature of rectus femoris MMG signals were performed, and Gaussianity was evaluated by means of a two-sided Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. For all 100 MMG data sets obtained from the testing of two volunteers, the null hypothesis of Gaussianity was rejected at the 1%, 5%, and 10% significance levels. Most skewness values were found to be greater than 0.0, while all kurtosis values were found to be greater than 3.0. A statistical convergence analysis also performed on the same 100 MMG data sets suggested that 25 MMG acquisitions should prove sufficient to statistically characterize rectus femoris MMG. This conclusion is supported by the qualitative characteristics of the mean rectus femoris MMG power spectral densities obtained using 25 averages

カベオリン異常症における特徴的な骨格筋MRI画像所見に関する検討

博士(医学) 甲第702号(主論文の要旨、要約、審査結果の要旨、本文)，著者名:Kumiko IHIGURO・Takahiro NAKAYAMA・Masaru YOSHIOKA・Terumi MURAKAMI・Sachiko KAJINO・Minobu SHICHIJI・Takatoshi SATO・Naomi HINO-FUKUYO・Satoshi KURU・Makiko OSAWA・Satoru NAGATA・Mariko OKUBO・Nobuyuki MURAKAMI・Yukiko K HAYASHI・Ichizo NISHINO・Keiko ISHIGAKI，タイトル:Characteristic findings of skeletal muscle MRI in caveolinopathies，掲載誌:Neuromuscular disorders(0960-8966)，巻・頁・年:28巻10号 p.857-862(2018)，著作権関連情報:© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.，DOI:10.1016/j.nmd.2018.07.010博士(医学)東京女子医科大

THE EFFECT OF TIGHT HIPS ON SQUAT TECHNIQUE

The purpose of this study was to examine if tight hips would effect a dynamic activity such as the squat. Twenty subjects with squat experience were evaluated for hip contracture, 8 subjects were found to have iliopsoas contracture and 12 were found to have rectus femoris contracture. Two mixed model repeated measures ANOVAs were completed on hip flexion angles during a squat between a group with and without hip contracture for the iliopsoas and rectus femoris. A significant difference was found for the Iliopsoas (p=.014) and rectus femoris (p=.002) for the main effect of repetition. However, the interaction was not significant for iliopsoas (p=.20) or rectus femoris (p=.10). No significant differences were found between the hip contracture groups for the iliopsoas (p=.10) or the rectus femoris (p=.68), indicating tight hips do not have an impact on squat technique

Muscle activity of the stance knee in elite race walkers

The purpose of this study was to compare knee muscle activity in race walkers with different knee extension patterns. Three international athletes walked over two force plates recording at 1000 Hz. Video data were simultaneously recorded at 100 Hz; the digitised data were combined with the force data to calculate net muscle moments and joint powers. EMG testing was carried out on three muscles which cross the knee. The two walkers with legal techniques had similar moment and power patterns, whereas the non-legal walker experienced a longer period of eccentric flexor moment at the beginning of stance, which may have affected his ability to extend his knee correctly. After this, all three athletes experienced a period of isometric contraction at the knee. Achieving correct technique requires both strength endurance exercises and mobility development

Self-myofascial release -menetelmällä lisää lihaselastisuutta ja nivelliikkuvuutta

Self-myofascial release (SMR) tarkoittaa lihaskalvojen omatoimista käsittelyä. SMR-harjoittelua voidaan tehdä erilaisten välineiden avulla, kuten pilatesrullalla, tennispallolla tai hieromatikulla. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on selvittää fascia-kudoksen merkitystä kehon toiminnassa ja tuottaa uutta tietoa SMR-harjoittelusta ja sen vaikutuksesta rectus femoris- ja hamstring -lihasten sekä IT-jänteen kireyteen sekä kivunkokemuksen muutoksiin SMR-harjoittelua tehtäessä kahdeksan viikon mittaisen harjoittelujak-son aikana. Tavoitteenamme on tehdä tapaustutkimus pilatesrullalla toteutetun kahdeksan viikon mittaisen SMR-harjoittelujakson vaikutuksista rectus femoris- ja hamstring -lihasten sekä IT-jänteen elastisuuteen seitsemällä salibandypelaajalla sekä kivuntuntemuksen muutoksiin SMR-harjoittelua tehtäessä kahdeksan viikon mittaisen intervention aikana. Toteutimme opinnäytetyömme määrällisenä tutkimuksena, johon osallistui seitsemän salibandypelaajaa. Tutkimuksen inkluusiokriteereinä olivat kohdehenkilöiden kokemattomuus SMR-harjoittelusta, motivoituneisuus omaehtoiseen harjoitteluun sekä koettu rectus femoris-, ja hamstring-lihasten sekä IT-jänteen kireys. Interventio kesti 12 viikkoa ja siihen sisältyi kahdeksan viikon harjoittelujakso. Harjoittelujakson aikana kohdehenkilöt tekivät SMR-harjoittelua pilatesrullan avulla neljä kertaa viikossa. Intervention aikana mitattiin harjoittelun vaikutuksia rectus femoris-, ja hamstring-lihasten sekä IT-jänteen kireyksiin. Rectus femoris –lihaksien ja IT-jänteiden kireyksien mittaamiseen käytimme modifioitua Thomasin testiä. Hamstring-lihasten kireyksien mittaamiseen käytimme Back-saver-sit-and-reach (BSSR) –testiä. Saatujen tulosten mukaan SMR-harjoittelu vähensi rectus femoris- ja hamstring-lihasten sekä IT-jänteen kireyttä kahdeksan viikon harjoittelujakson jälkeen yli puolella kohdehenkilöistämme.Self-myofascial release (SMR) means self- treatment of muscle tissues. SMR- training can be done by various implements such as Pilates roller, tennis ball or massage stick. The purpose of this study is to determine the importance of fascial tissues in the body’s action, and to provide new information about SMR-training and its impact on the tightness of rectus femoris, hamstrings and the IT-band. Another purpose is also to determine the changes of the pain experience while performing SMR-training during an eight-week training period. Our goal was to make a case study to seven floor ball players about the effects of an eight -week SMR-training period to the elasticity of rectus femoris, hamstrings and IT-band and the changes of the pain experience while performing SMR-training during the eight-week training period. We carried out our study as a quantitative study. The study was attended by seven floor ball players. The inclusion criteria of the study was inexperience of SMR-training, motivation for self-training and perceived tightness in rectus femoris, hamstrings and IT-band. The intervention lasted 12 weeks and included the eight-week training period. The subjects did SMR-training with a foam roller four times a week during the training period. The effects of the training on tightness of rectus femoris, hamstrings and IT-band were measured during the intervention. We used the modified Thomas test to measure the tightness of rectus femoris muscle and the IT-band. To measure the tightness of hamstrings, we used the Back-saver sit-and-reach (BSSR) test. The results show that on over half of our subjects the eight-week SMR-training period reduced the tightness of rectus femoris, hamstrings and IT-band

RECTUS FEMORIS MECHANICS IN RUGBY KICKING

This study aimed to quantify rectus femoris muscle-tendon unit length and excitation during different types of rugby kick. Seven male rugby players completed a series of kicks during which kinematic and muscle excitation data were collected. Between 0.2 and 0.1 s prior to ball contact in all kick types, the rectus femoris lengthened rapidly whilst muscle excitation also rapidly increased, identifying eccentric action as a possible mechanism for muscle strain injury. Peak rectus femoris muscle excitations occurred later in the kicks with a primary height demand, and differences in the timing of peak muscle excitation existed between different regions of the rectus femoris muscle. This study provides information which can be used to inform the specificity of physical preparation and rehabilitation protocols for rugby kickers

Sex Differences in Mechanisms of Recovery after Isometric and Dynamic Fatiguing Tasks

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether supraspinal mechanisms contribute to the sex difference in fatigability during and recovery from a dynamic and isometric fatiguing task with the knee extensors. Methods: Transcranial magnetic stimulation and electrical stimulation were used to determine voluntary activation and contractile properties of the knee extensors in 14 men and 17 women (20.8 ± 1.9 yr) after a 1) 60-s sustained, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), and 2) dynamic fatiguing task involving 120 maximal voluntary concentric contractions with a 20% MVIC load. Results: There were no differences between men and women in the reduction of maximal torque during the sustained MVIC (54.4% ± 18.9% vs 55.9% ± 11.2%, P = 0.49) or in the decrease in power during the dynamic fatiguing task (14.7% ± 20.1% vs 14.2% ± 18.5%, P = 0.92). However, MVIC torque recovered more quickly for women than men after the sustained MVIC and the dynamic task (P \u3c 0.05). The transcranial magnetic stimulation–elicited superimposed twitch was larger for men than for women during the sustained MVIC and in recovery (immediately post, R0.1: 4.7% ± 3.3% vs 2.4% ± 1.9% MVIC; P = 0.02), with no sex difference after the dynamic task (P = 0.35). The reduction in resting twitch amplitude was larger for men than for women immediately after the dynamic task (37% ± 22% vs 23% ± 18%; P = 0.016) with no sex difference after the sustained MVIC (64% ± 16% vs 67% ± 11%; P = 0.46). Conclusions: Supraspinal fatigue contributed to fatigability of the knee extensors more for men than for women after a maximal isometric task, whereas contractile mechanisms explained the sex difference in torque recovery after the fast-velocity dynamic task. The mechanisms for the sex difference in fatigability are task dependent

Effect of a rigid ankle-foot orthosis on hamstring length in children with hemiplagia

Eighteen children with hemiplegia, mean age 8 years 5 months, underwent gait analysis and musculoskeletal modelling using specially designed software. The maximum lengths of the hamstrings were determined for each child walking in and out of an ankle–foot orthosis (AFO). The muscles were deemed to be short if shorter than the normal average – 1SD. In bare feet 8 participants had short medial hamstrings with a higher proportion of these in the less involved individuals. All participants showed an increase in maximum hamstring length when wearing an AFO. In all but one child this was sufficient to restore hamstring length to within normal limits. These finding suggest that hamstring pathology in hemiplegic gait is usually secondary to more distal lower limb pathology

Strength Measurements and Results of Surgical Treatment of Complete Rectus Femoris Mid-substance Rupture: A Case Report

Rectus femoris injuries are common in sports requiring sprinting and kicking, especially in football. In addition to sports injuries, rectus femoris injuries can occur during physically active daily living and physical work. Most muscle injuries heal well by conservative treatment, but more severe ruptures often require surgical treatment, especially in athletes. Some ruptures can cause so severe functional loss of the muscle that it causes problems also in everyday life. Complete rectus femoris mid-substance rupture is a rare injury type, which tends to recover poorly and cause significant functional deficit. Descriptions of this injury type are mainly lacking in the literature and there is no consensus on the management of these injuries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this kind in the literature including strength measurements pre- and post-operatively. In this case report we report a case of a 48-year-old Caucasian man who suffered a complete rectus femoris mid-substance rupture at physically active work. The injury mechanism was slipping on an asphalt ramp, leading to rapid eccentric contraction of rectus femoris involving knee flexion and hip extension. The rupture was treated surgically and the muscle strength of quadriceps femoris was measured pre- and postoperatively. This case report showed that muscle strength in knee extension recovers well after an operative treatment of complete rectus femoris mid-substance rupture. Therefore, it can be concluded that operative treatment is beneficial for this specific injury type. This case report brings important and objective evidence on the relevance of surgical treatment in these injuries that are mainly lacking the consensus about the best treatment methods. To the best of our knowledge, this case report is also the first one which indirectly shows the value of isolated rectus femoris muscle in the whole quadriceps muscle group

Uncommon presentation of a ganglionic cyst: a case study of intra muscular ganglion cyst of rectus femoris

Ganglionic cyst most commonly occurs in hand and wrist. When it presents in uncommon location like in lower limb, it causes a diagnostic dilemma. One such case is ours, an uncommon presentation of intra muscular cystic ganglion of rectus femoris. Due to its unlikely presentation in rectus femoris, diagnosis and management was delayed. A 12 years old boy presented with complaints of pain and swelling over left lower limb in suprapatellar region. On radiographic and ultrasound examination, swelling was found to be cystic lesion in rectus femoris. Histopathological examination of biopsied specimen was found to be intra muscular ganglion cyst of rectus femoris. The patient’s general condition improved with betterment in laboratory parameters, resolution of the lesion, without any sequelae, no residual deformity and excellent clinical outcome. To consider cystic ganglion as differential diagnosis, along with intra muscular myxoma, lipoma and synovial cyst in patients with lower limb intra muscular swelling