Effects of whole body vibration in postmenopausal osteopenic women on bone mineral density, muscle strength, postural control and quality of life: the T-bone randomized trial.

PURPOSE: Osteopenia is common in postmenopausal women and effective interventions increasing or stabilizing bone mineral density (BMD) to prevent fractures are urgently needed. METHODS: Sixty-five postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteopenia (T-score between -1.0 and -2.5) were randomly assigned to either a vibration training group (VT), a resistance training group (RT), or a control group (CG). BMD T-score values (primary endpoint) were assessed at baseline (T0) and after 12 months (T12), secondary endpoints (muscle strength, postural control, and health-related quality of life) at baseline (T0), after 6 months (T6), after 12 months (T12), and as follow-up after 15 months (T15). RESULTS: After the intervention period, neither the VT nor the RT showed any significant changes in BMD T-score values compared to the CG. Isokinetic strength improved significantly within all training groups, with the exception of the flexors of VT at an angular velocity of 240°/s. Health-related quality of life as well as postural control improved significantly for the RT only. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that participants of all three groups were able to maintain their BMD. The improvements in quality of life and postural control after resistance training are nevertheless meaningful for postmenopausal osteopenic women and support the importance of regular loadings of the musculoskeletal system. This study was retrospectively registered in January 2022 at the DRKS (S00027816) as clinical trial.

Comparison of high tone therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy in chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy.

INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a worldwide concern in patients receiving neurotoxic agents for cancer therapy. High tone external muscle stimulation is a promising therapeutic approach to alleviate symptoms of CIPN. METHODS: This pilot study aims to investigate whether the application of home-based high-tone external muscle stimulation therapy (HTEMS) improves symptoms of CIPN. The trial is planned as a therapist- and assessor-blinded, 1:1 randomized controlled study. A total of 50 patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral polyneuropathy will be included. All patients will perform therapy at home. Study participants will be allocated randomly to the HTEMS therapy (intervention group) or to the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS, control group), respectively, following a standardized therapy schedule. Compliance of participants can be verified by reading out the tool box. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and after 8 weeks of home-based therapy. The primary outcome includes improvement of CIPN according to the patient-reported EORTC QLQ-CIPN 20 questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are the patient-reported change in health-related quality of life and clinician-reported changes of vibration sensibility, tendon reflexes, temperature sensibility, perception of touch, and strength of the lower leg muscles. Further a safety- and process evaluation will be performed. DISCUSSION: This pilot RCT aims to evaluate the impact of home-based HTEMS as compared to TENS in CIPN. There is a need for an effective treatment for CIPN and the results of this study are expected to possibly identify a novel and effective treatment strategy in the future.

[Eccentric Training after a Traumatic Apophysis Fracture at the Spina Iliaca Anterior Inferior: Case Study of a Junior Football Player]. / Exzentrisches Training nach einer traumatischen Apophysenfraktur an der Spina iliaca anterior inferior ­ Fallstudie an einem Nachwuchsfußballer.

Eccentric training is an established training method in competitive sports. It has been used effectively to improve muscle strength during rehabilitation after cruciate ligament reconstruction. However, it is still uncertain whether or not eccentric training contributes to successful rehabilitation after apophysis fractures. A fourteen-year-old soccer player, forward position, presents with an apophysis avulsion located at the right spina iliaca anterior inferior. After completing an early rehabilitation phase and isokinetic concentric strength development, the patient starts an eccentric training programme eight weeks after the injury, including training on an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex) for four weeks, followed by a four-week eccentric ergometer training (Eccentron). Before and after each eccentric training phase, isokinetic maximum strength tests of the knee extensors and flexors are performed with angular velocities of 60 degrees per second (°/sec.), 180°/sec. and 240°/sec. In response to the eight-week eccentric rehabilitation program, maximum torque increases in all angular velocities in the injured (60°/sec. + 14.4 %; 180°/sec. + 8.8 %; 240°/sec. + 6.3 %) and the uninjured leg (60°/sec. + 15.6 %; 180°/sec. + 1.9 %; 240°/sec. + 8.1 %) between the first and the last test. Furthermore, neuromuscular coordination has improved during the eccentric training sessions. This case study demonstrates that controlled eccentric training in the open and closed kinetic chain increases coordination and strength of the trained muscles and therefore should be regarded as a valuable contribution toward a safe return to sport after apophysis fractures.