[Reproducibility of range of lumbar motion using a modified-modified Shober's technique in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain]

Background and Objective: Lower back pain is one of the common discomforts of the occupational-musculoskeletal system, and the scope of motion measurement is important for assessing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. This study was carried out to evaluate the reproducibility of the modified-modified Shober's technique [MMST] in measuring the range of motion of lumbar in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain

Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, the range of motion of lumbar [flexion and extension] of 15 patients with non-specific chronic low back pain was measured in three times with modified -modified Shober's technique by two physiotherapists. To achieve this, the correlation coefficient [ICC] was used. Two measurements with an interval of one hour and one week were run to evaluate the reproducibility within-days and between-day, respectively

Results: Flexion and extension were measured by the first assessor in within-day that showed a high reproducibility for flexion [ICC=0.88] and extension [ICC=0.71], findings also revealed an acceptable ICC for flexion [ICC=0.85] and extension [ICC=0.68] in between-days

The second assessor measurements of flexion and extension in whiten-day also presented high reproducibility for flexion [ICC=0.85] and extension [ICC=0.76]; moreover, in between-days evaluation, correlation was found for flexion [ICC=0.81] and for extension [ICC=0.71]

Conclusion: This study showed that the modified-modified Shober's technique is applicable for measuring the reproducibility of range of lumbar motion in patients with non-specific chronic lumbar pain

Onset latency of vastus medialis obliques and vastus lateralis in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: open or closed chain terminal knee extension exercise

This study was performed to compare the effects of open and closed chain terminal knee extension exercises on onset latency of vastus medialis obliques [VMO] and vastus lateralis [VL], pain and function in subjects diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome [PFPS]. In a pretest and posttest 5-week intervention study, 26 subjects diagnosed with PFPS and 13 healthy subjects were studied. Subjects diagnosed with PFPS were divided into two groups. One group [n=13] participated in a 5-week rehabilitation program consisted of open chain terminal knee extension exercise and the other group's program [n=13] consisted closed chain terminal knee extension exercise. Electromyographic onsets of VMO and VL collected during step up and step down tasks performed during the pretest and posttest. A Visual analog scale [VAS] and Lysholm questionnaire were administered at pretest and posttest. Analysis of variance was used to compare the three groups. T-test and paired t-test were also used for statistical analysis. VMO and VL onsets timing in PFPS groups were significantly more than those in the control group at the base line [P<0.05]. VMO and VL onset timing differences [VL electromyographic onset minus VMO electromyographic onset] significantly decreased and VAS and Lysholm scores significantly improved for subjects diagnosed with PFPS after intervention [P<0.05]. There was no significant difference between the outcomes of two intervention programs in patients with PFPS. Subjects diagnosed with PFPS responded favorably and quickly to therapeutic exercises program that incorporated open and closed chain exercises

[Implicit motor learning after unilateral stroke using serial reaction time task]

Motor skills and learning after stroke are of a great importance. This study aimed at studying implicit learning in unilateral stroke patients using affected hand and comparison with normal subjects. A serial reaction time task by using a software was applied for studying implicit motor learning in 15 stroke patients and 15 matched normal subjects. In this task 4 squares with different colors appeared on the monitor and subjects were asked to press its defined key immediately after observing it. In the first day subjects practiced 8 motor blocks [4 patterned blocks, then 2 random blocks and finally 2 patterned blocks]. The next day subjects practiced a retention test consisted of 2 patterned blocks. Subjects were not provided with any explanation about the sequence of squares. All subjects were right handed and impaired hand in patients was right side and they practiced with their impaired hand. Task performance of patients was slower than normal subjects. Age, sex and educational level had no significant effects on task performance. Block time differences of second block with fourth, eight and tenth blocks [next day] were significant in both groups. Similar motor learning [defined as stable decrease of block times] in stroke patients and normal subjects shows the capability of stroke patients in implicit motor learning during using the affected hand and this is not affected by age, sex and educational level