[Grading of the functional sport shoe parameter "cushioning" and "forefoot flexibility" on running shoes]. / Gradierung der funktionellen Sportschuhparameter "Dämpfung" und "Vorfussflexibilität" am Laufschuh.

On nearly every running event a heterogeneous structure of participants regarding body height and body weight can be observed. This study should figure out whether the running shoe manufacturers will consider this anthropometric variability. Moreover it should be investigated the runners needs based on different anthropometrics regarding preferred cushioning and forefoot flexibility properties. In order to check whether the running shoe manufacturers will apply a grading pattern, a dynamic material study with conventional running shoes in different sizes was conducted. In a second step a field study in Middle Europe and North America with 244 female and 227 male runners was organized. Every subject had to run and evaluate 7 different shoe modifications. Based on the material study it is to state, that the running shoe manufacturers currently do not consider a systematic grading of cushioning and forefoot flexibility properties. In contrast to this, the field study reveals the necessity to grade these properties. A shoe size dependent and a geographic grading concept are suggested. It is supposed, that the application of these grading concepts do not only provide a comfort improvement, but they also contribute to a reduction of joint loads of the lower extremities and consequently to a prevention of overuse injuries.

[Comparison of kinematic and kinetic parameters between the locomotion patterns in nordic walking, walking and running]. / Vergleich von kinematischen und kinetischen Parametern zwischen den Bewegungsformen Nordic Walking, Walking und Laufen.

Based on a higher cardio-pulmonary and cardio-vascular benefit and a promised reduction of mechanical load of the musculoskeletal system Nordic Walking (NW) shows an increased market potential. The present study should investigate whether there are biomechanical differences between the locomotion patterns NW, walking and running. Moreover possible resultant load differences should be determined. Eleven subjects, who were already experienced with the NW-technique, participated in this experiment. The kinematic data were collected using two high-speed camera systems from posterior and from lateral at the same time. Simultaneously the ground reaction forces were recorded. The kinematic and the kinetic data reveal differences between the three analyzed locomotion patterns. For NW as well as walking the mechanical load of the lower extremity is lower compared to running. None of the kinematic parameters suggest a "physiological benefit" of NW compared to walking. Moreover NW shows higher vertical and horizontal forces during landing. Exclusively the lower vertical force peak during push off indicates a lower mechanical load for NW in comparison to walking. Consequently it is questionable is NW -- based on its promised "biomechanical benefits" compared to walking -- should be still recommended for overweight people and for people with existing musculoskeletal problems of the lower limb.

Influence of inertia on intersegment moments of the lower extremity joints.

The calculation of three-dimensional intersegment moments of the lower extremity modelled as a system of rigid bodies-during human locomotion with the help of an inverse dynamics approach is one of the main strategies to describe the local kinetics of a human motion. From the numerical point of view, the resultant intersegment moment consists of different contributions; the moment of ground reaction force, the moment dependent on the weights of the segments and two inertia dependent parts, the moment of inertia force and the rate of change of angular momentum (with respect to the segments centre of gravity). For running with a horizontal velocity of 5 m s(-1), the calculation of the moment of inertia force can be neglected for the ankle but is important for the hip. Looking at the knee, this contribution is needed if the touch down phase is of special interest. The rate of change of angular momentum-with respect to the segments centre of gravity-can be neglected for all joints of the lower extremity.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy: clinical and morphological follow-up study reveals mitochondrial alterations and unique nuclear inclusions in a severe autosomal recessive type.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is usually a late onset, autosomal dominant dystrophy that affects extraocular eye muscles, pharyngeal muscles, and the trunk and limb musculature. In the present presumably recessively inherited case, with a clinical history of oculopharyngeal myopathy and distal weakness, paracrystalline mitochondrial inclusions and unique nuclear inclusions were found. In a biopsy obtained from the erector spinae muscle, marked muscle fibre atrophy and hypertrophy, occasional muscle fibre necrosis, and considerable fibrosis of the endomysium were noted. Similar signs of a chronic myopathy could already be detected in a biopsy from the anterior tibial muscle that had been obtained 10 years before. In both muscles, nuclear inclusions were seen in numerous severely affected, atrophic muscle fibres. These inclusions consisted of straight or helically wound 2-4 nm filaments. The outer diameter of the double helix was 12-15 nm and the periodicity of its repeats was about 15 nm. The filaments were often accumulated in clusters with a paracrystalline arrangement. No nuclear inclusions consisting of 8.5 nm tubular filaments, typically found in cases of OPMD, were detected. In addition, paracrystalline inclusions were present in a large number of mitochondria in several muscle fibres of the erector spinae muscle indicating that mitochondria could be primarily involved in the disease.

[Stress on the upper ankle joint in tennis-specific forms of movement]. / Die Belastung des oberen Sprunggelenkes bei tennisspezifischen Bewegungsformen.

The permanently increasing number of injuries in tennis, which are mainly located at the lower extremity, indicates that the internal load e.g. applicated to the ankle during certain movements might be a critical factor. In the present study the relationship between calculated ankle load and muscle forces appearing during tennis techniques performed in a laboratorial setup and some varying parameters such as playing surface, footwear and individual differences in movement structure were investigated. It could be shown that on a felt tennis floor due to its frictional characteristics the midfootstriking subject produced the highest ankle load, while the heelstriking technique reduces the load as well as the change of the playing surface to a floor with loose granulate. In addition it should be considered that external forces (e.g. gained from a force plate) must not be used as predictors for internal load. The presented data show that the model-aided load calculation (MALC) from two trials with similar ground reaction forces leads to completely different values of e.g. the ankle-joint force.