Reliability of 2D kinematics during landing of volleyball athletes after exhaustion.

INTRODUCTION: It is possible to quantify changes in movement patterns through kinematic analysis of landing, especially to quantify changes in pre and post exhaustion situations, however the reliability of this post exhaustion analysis is not known. OBJECTIVE: To verify the inter and intra-examiner reliability of two-dimensional kinematic analysis during the landing of a vertical jump of volleyball athletes, pre and post exhaustion protocol. EXPERIMENTAL: Thirty volleyball athletes were recruited, and kinematic analysis was performed during landing, pre and post exhaustion protocol. The angular measurements analyzed were: 1) frontal plane: knee valgus and 2) sagittal plane: anterior trunk inclination, knee flexion and tibiotarsal angle, performed by two examiners. The reliability calculation used the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), in addition to the error of measurement (SEM), the coefficient of variation (CV) and the minimum detectable difference (MDD). RESULTS: Regarding reliability: ICC = 0.95-0.98 (pre) and ICC = 0.83-0.98 (post exhaustion). The CV presented heterogeneous values for the knee valgus and the inclination of the trunk, both pre and post protocol. The SEM from all angles presented values that varied from 0.74°-2.33° and the MDD ranged from 2.55°-5.54° pre protocol and 2.05°-6.45° post protocol. CONCLUSION: 2D kinematic evaluation can be used during landing, before and after the application of an exhaustion protocol, but professionals should pay attention to the angles of the knee valgus and the inclination of the trunk, as they have a large CV.

Electromyographic activity of the quadriceps and gluteus medius muscles during/different straight leg raise and squat exercises in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PPS) is characterized by anterior knee pain and affects young female adults. Physiotherapy is the most indicated treatment. The objective of the study was to analyze electromyographic activity of the quadriceps and gluteus medius muscles during different open and closed kinetic chain exercises in women with PPS. Twenty-two clinically healthy women and 24 women with symptomatic PPS were assessed through surface electromyography of the quadriceps and gluteus medius during the following exercises: straight leg raise with and without lateral hip rotation; squats; squats with adduction and hip abduction; and squats combined with lateral hip rotation. When comparing the groups, only the quadriceps muscle showed higher activity in the PPS group. In the comparisons between the exercises, in relation to gluteus medius and quadriceps muscle activity, the straight leg raise and straight leg raise with lateral hip rotation exercises showed more activity than squats in both groups. Among the squats, squats with adduction generated more gluteus medius activity in both groups, and no difference was noted among the squats for the quadriceps muscle. Therefore, rehabilitation programs that include exercises such as straight leg raises, straight leg raises with lateral hip rotation, and squats with adduction may be used for PPS patients.

Intervenção coronária percutânea em pacientes nonagenários / Percutaneous coronary intervention in ninety-year-old patients

Os idosos representam significativa parcela da população em nosso País e a população com idade > ou igual a 90 anos triplicou nas últimas três décadas. Este estudo retrospectivo teve como objetivo analisar os resultados da intervenção percutânea em pacientes nonagenários. Método: No total, foram avaliados, retrospectivamente, 31 pacientes nonagenários (G1), submetidos a tratamento coronário percutâneo, tratados entre janeiro de 1995 e janeiro de 2009. Esses pacientes foram comparados a outros 6.222 pacientes com idade < 80 anos (G2), tratados nesse mesmo período. Foram avaliadas as características clínicas, angiográficas e do procedimento, assim como os eventos cardíacos adversos maiores (ECAM) iniciais e tardios (óbito, acidente vascular cerebral, infarto do miocárdio, isquemia recorrente). Resultados: Os pacientes nonagenários apresentaram maior prevalência de diabetes, angina instável, comorbidades cronicas, doença coronária triarterial e fração de ejeção...

BACKGROUND: Elderly people represent a significant part of the Brazilian population and the population > 90 years has tripled in the past three decades. This retrospective study was aimed at analyzing the results of percutaneous coronary intervention in ninety-year-old patients. METHOD: Overall, 31 ninety-year-old patients (G1) undergoing percutaneous coronary treatment from January 1995 to January 2009 were retrospectively evaluated. These patients were compared to 6,222 patients < 80 years of age (G2), treated within the same period. Clinical, angiographic and procedure characteristics were assessed as well as early and late major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (death, stroke, myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemia). RESULTS: Ninety-yearold patients had a greater prevalence of diabetes, unstable angina, chronic comorbidities, three vessel coronary disease and left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%. Procedure success was different between both groups (87% vs. 95.1%; P = 0.049), as well as the incidence of in-hospital death (6.4% vs. 0.3%; P = 0.022) and acute myocardial infarction (6.4% vs. 3.6%; P = 0.035). In the late follow-up, there were significant differences in survival free from MACE (68% vs. 91%; P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% (RR 1.08, IC 0.39-2.99; P = 0.022), > 2 vessel disease (RR 1.82, IC 1.04-3.19; P = 0.011), left main coronary artery lesion (RR 2.98, IC 0.97-9.17; P = 0.001), presence of unstable angina (RR 2.48, IC 0.97-9.17; P = 0.0013) and diabetes (RR 2.35, IC 1.21-4.55; P = 0.0015) were MACE predicting variables. CONCLUSION: Ninety-year-old patients had a higher incidence of cardiovascular events than younger patients. However, when the technique is feasible and patients have good clinical condition, percutaneous coronary intervention may be effectively used with an acceptable safety margin.

Contaminaçäo microbiana de aparelhos telefônicos públicos e risco de saúde dos usuários / Microbial contamination of public telephones and health risks of users

Visando conduzir ao aperfeiçoamento do sistema no aspecto relacionado à saúde pública, procurou-se avaliar a presença de microrganismos patogênicos que pudessem oferecer riscos à saúde dos usuários de aparelhos telefônicos públicos instalados nos principais pontos da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foram examinados telefones localizados nos mais importantes terminais de transportes coletivos aéreos, terrestres e marítimo, utilizados pela populaçäo da cidade e visitantes, além de aparelhos instalados em dois shoppings. Amostras de 32 aparelhos instalados em oito pontos, foram coletadas com swabs umedecidos e transportadas, imediatamente, em meio de Stuart, para o laboratório de análise. Cada aparelho foi examinado por duas vezes entre julho e setembro de 2001, sendo que, de cada um, foram colhidas amostras de três pontos (bocal, áudio e teclado), totalizando 192 amostras. Procurou-se determinar a contaminaçäo de cada área dos aparelhos, representada por unidades formadoras de colônias por centímetro quadrado (ufc/cm²), e a presença de microrganismos indicadores de contaminaçäo higiênico-sanitária (coliformes fecais, enterococos, estafilococos coagulase-positiva e fungos). Os resultados revelaram maior contaminaçäo no áudio (158,5ufc/cm²), seguido pelo bocal (102,6ufc/cm²) e teclado (36,6ufc/cm²), principalmente por enterococos