ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Single-limb stance is a demanding postural task featuring a high number of daily living and sporting activities. Thus, it is widely used for training and rehabilitation, as well as for balance assessment. Muscle activations around single joints have been previously described, however, it is not known which are the muscle synergies used to control posture and how they change between conditions of normal and lack of visual information. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy young participants were asked to perform a 30 s single-limb stance task in open-eyes and closed-eyes condition while standing on a force platform with the dominant limb. Muscle synergies were extracted from the electromyographical recordings of 13 muscles of the lower limb, hip, and back. The optimal number of synergies, together with the average recruitment level and balance control strategies were analyzed and compared between the open- and the closed-eyes condition. RESULTS: Four major muscle synergies, two ankle-dominant synergies, one knee-dominant synergy, and one hip/back-dominant synergy were found. No differences between open- and closed-eyes conditions were found for the recruitment level, except for the hip/back synergy, which significantly decreased (p = 0.02) in the closed-eyes compared to the open-eyes condition. A significant increase (p = 0.03) of the ankle balance strategy was found in the closed-eyes compared to the open-eyes condition. CONCLUSION: In healthy young individuals, single-limb stance is featured by four major synergies, both in open- and closed-eyes condition. Future studies should investigate muscle synergies in participants with other age groups, as well as pathological conditions.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The functional outcome of total knee replacement (TKR) is usually satisfying. However, patients may show functional limitations for years after surgery, which have been ascribed to impairments in balance and proprioception, mainly during standing tasks. A number of instrumentations and parameters have been used, rising confusion for clinical decisions on the assessment of patients. RESEARCH QUESTION: Which are the most widespread and consistent procedures to assess balance and proprioception following TKR? METHODS: A literature review was conducted in Pubmed, PEDro, and Cochrane database. From a total sample of 112 articles, 23 original studies published between 2008 and 2019 met inclusion criteria. The primary outcomes selected were variables related to balance and proprioception assessment in static and dynamic tasks performed with instrumented platforms. Data from papers using the same instrumentation, on patients with unilateral TKA and at least 12 months postoperatively were synthesized quantitatively in a random effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen articles were appropriate for the review. A large variability was found both in the instrumentation and the parameters used. The Neurocom Balance Master System™ was the most used instrument (four articles). On a total population of 186 patients with unilateral TKR 12 months postoperatively, a low degree of heterogeneity was found adopting the random effect in the four tasks explored (Firm and Foam Surface both with Eyes Open and Eyes Closed). SIGNIFICANCE: This review found a large variability in the instrumentation used to assess balance and proprioception in patients operated on TKR. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the Neurocom Balance Master System™ for static assessment of balance showed an acceptable consistency and can be considered as a reference for further studies. However, balance and proprioception impairments following TKR have not been widely quantified by means of instrumented platforms. Further research is needed to address this issue, and improve clinical practice.
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/rehabilitation , Feedback, Sensory/physiology , Postural Balance/physiology , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Los miembros superiores representan una unidad estético-funcional muy importante en la definición del contorno corporal. Con la popularización de las cirugía de remodelación del contorno corporal tras grandes pérdidas ponderales también se ha producido un incremento en la práctica de braquioplastias. El propósito de nuestra trabajo es el mostrar nuestra experiencia en braquioplastia enfocada hacia la simplificación del abordaje quirúrgico para lograr corregir la flacidez de la zona póstero-inferior de los brazos. Presentamos un estudio retrospectivo sobre 22 pacientes sometidas a braquioplastia mediante la técnica de abordaje quirúrgico propuesta, encaminada a reducir el excedente dermo-grasomediante maniobras bidigitales y colocando la cicatriz resultante en el surco braquial interno. El resultado obtenido fue satisfactorio y las complicaciones mínimas y locales, del tipo de dehiscencia, cicatriz hipertrófica, hematoma y linfocele. Ninguna complicación comprometió el resultado final. La simplicidad del procedimiento y los resultado satisfactorios, con baja morbilidad y buena posición de las cicatrices, hacen que el abordaje que practicamos sea una buena opción quirúrgica para el tratamiento de las deformidades de los miembros superiores (AU)
The uppers limbs represent a very important a esthetic functionary unit in the body contouring definition. Because of the popularization of the body contour surgery after massive weight loss, there has been noted a raise in the number of brachioplasties in the last years. Our proposal is to show the author experience in brachioplasty, focusing anew approach for correction of flaccidity associated or not to lipodystrophy of the arms. This article represents are (..) (AU)
