Pelvis/lower extremity alignment and range of motion in knee osteoarthritis: A case-control study in elderly Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in Japan is high, with an estimated 25,300,000 affected individuals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of knee osteoarthritis by comparing differences between patients with knee osteoarthritis and healthy elderly individuals with respect to alignment of the pelvis and lower extremities and range of motion. METHODS: Twenty-six women (13 with medial knee osteoarthritis and 13 healthy elderly) participated in this study. Pelvic tilt, knee extension angle, femoro-tibial angle, quadriceps angle, navicular drop, and leg-heel alignment were measured. In addition, the range of motion was measured at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. RESULTS: Patients with knee osteoarthritis showed a posterior pelvic tilt, knee flexion, varus, and foot pronation alignment compared to healthy subjects. The range of motion for hip extension, adduction, knee flexion, extension, and ankle dorsiflexion was significantly smaller while the range of motion for eversion was significantly larger in the knee osteoarthritis group. CONCLUSION: People with medial knee OA have different static alignment and ROM compared to those without knee OA. The results clarify the comprehensive characteristics of the pelvis and lower extremities in knee osteoarthritis.

A Maximum Muscle Strength Prediction Formula Using Theoretical Grade 3 Muscle Strength Value in Daniels et al.'s Manual Muscle Test, in Consideration of Age: An Investigation of Hip and Knee Joint Flexion and Extension.

This study attempted to develop a formula for predicting maximum muscle strength value for young, middle-aged, and elderly adults using theoretical Grade 3 muscle strength value (moment fair: Mf )-the static muscular moment to support a limb segment against gravity-from the manual muscle test by Daniels et al. A total of 130 healthy Japanese individuals divided by age group performed isometric muscle contractions at maximum effort for various movements of hip joint flexion and extension and knee joint flexion and extension, and the accompanying resisting force was measured and maximum muscle strength value (moment max, Mm ) was calculated. Body weight and limb segment length (thigh and lower leg length) were measured, and Mf was calculated using anthropometric measures and theoretical calculation. There was a linear correlation between Mf and Mm in each of the four movement types in all groups, excepting knee flexion in elderly. However, the formula for predicting maximum muscle strength was not sufficiently compatible in middle-aged and elderly adults, suggesting that the formula obtained in this study is applicable in young adults only.

Comparative analysis of ultrasound changes in the vastus lateralis muscle following myofascial release and thermotherapy: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the effects of myofascial release (MFR) and hot pack therapy (HPT) on fascial gliding and flexibility of the vastus lateralis muscle. METHODS: Three treatments were applied to the left vastus lateralis muscles of each participant (12 healthy males): MFR for 4 min, superficial HPT for 10 min, and superficial HPT for 20 min. Deep fascial motion was measured by B-mode ultrasound, whereas muscle stiffness was measured by real-time elastography (RTE) and a durometer before and after the interventions. RESULTS: Only MFR resulted in changes in both deep fascial motion and muscle stiffness measured by RTE. Durometer-measured muscle stiffness revealed changes following both MFR and 20-min HPT but not 10-min HPT. CONCLUSIONS: HPT may produce only superficial effects. Because MFR improved all measured parameters, continuous stretching and pressure are probably important for improving fascial gliding and flexibility of the vastus lateralis muscle.

Difference in the electromyographic onset of the deep and superficial multifidus during shoulder movement while standing.

Based on the current literature, it remains unclear whether electromyographic onset of the deep fibers of the multifidus (DM) is dependent on the direction of shoulder movement and the position of the center of foot pressure (CFP). In the present study, we re-examined the electromyographic onset of the DM during shoulder flexion and extension and investigated the influence of the CFP position before arm movement. Intramuscular and surface electrodes recorded the electromyographic onset of the DM, superficial fibers of the multifidus (SM), rectus abdominis, and anterior and posterior deltoid. Eleven healthy participants performed rapid, unilateral shoulder flexion and extension in response to audio stimuli at three CFP positions: quiet standing, extreme forward leaning, and extreme backward leaning. It was found that the electromyographic onset of the DM and SM relative to the deltoid was dependent on the direction of arm movement. Additionally, of all electromyographic onsets recorded, only that of the DM occurred earlier in the extreme forward leaning position than in the extreme backward leaning position during shoulder flexion. These results suggest that the electromyographic onset of DM was influenced by the biomechanical disturbance such as shoulder movement and CFP position.

Muscle hardness measurement by using ultrasound elastography: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Muscle hardening, including delayed onset muscle soreness, can be found after vigorous exercise. Some techniques for measuring muscle hardness have been proposed. Freehand ultrasound (US) elastography has been developed and applied to breast imaging. PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of US elastography for investigating changes in muscle hardness after eccentric exercise of the elbow flexor muscles. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six healthy male volunteers performed eccentric contractions of the elbow flexor muscles of their non-dominant arms. US elastography was performed by using 14-6 MHz linear array transducer combined with a stabilizer and a gel pack of reference agent. Color-coded elasticity images and the relative strain ratio of the biceps brachii muscle to the reference were obtained. To verify the US elastography measurements, a commercially available durometer was also employed. Both measurements were performed before, immediately after, and 1-4 days after exercise. The mean scores of strain ratios of the US elastography and durometer measurements were examined using repeated-measures ANOVA. RESULTS: US elastography demonstrated significant muscle hardening and recovery after exercise (P<0.01). Muscle hardness increased up immediately after the exercise and continued to increase, peaking on day 2 post-exercise, and then decreased until day 4. The durometer indicated similar changes to US elastography. The control arms did not demonstrate any significant change. CONCLUSION: US elastography is feasible to measure muscle hardness and to produce a two-dimensional hardness map of the muscle.

Origin and migration of interneurons of the olfactory bulb in the musk shrew, Suncus murinus.

The olfactory bulb of the musk shrew, Suncus murinus, is characterized by the presence of various interneurons. Our previous report (Kakuta et al., 2001) demonstrated that positive immunoreactions for calretinin were observed in periglomerular and perinidal cells in the glomerular layer, small ovoid neurons in the external plexiform layer, and granule cells in the granule cell layer of the olfactory bulb in the musk shrew aged 1 to 5 weeks, in addition to calretinin-immunoreactive bipolar cells distributed in the anterior subependymal layer and in each layer of the olfactory bulb. To examine the origin and migration of interneurons of the olfactory bulb, we labeled generated cells by injecting 28-day-old musk shrews with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), and detected the labeled progeny cells that survived after several intervals. BrdU-labeled cells originated in the subependymal layer around the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle, and rostrally migrated in the subependymal layer from the anterior wall of the lateral ventricle into the center of the olfactory bulb, where they radially migrated into the granule cell layer, external plexiform layer, and glomerular layer. It took 2 days to migrate rostrally in the subependymal layer from the anterior lateral ventricle to the center of the olfactory bulb, and 2 to 6 days to migrate radially from the bulbar subependymal layer into the three layers mentioned. The rate of rostralward migration of the labeled cells was estimated to be 38 microm/h, while that of radial migration, 7 to 25 microm/h. The present BrdU-labeling study, together with our previous immunohistochemical study (Kakuta et al., 2001), indicates that anterior subependymal cells differentiate into granule cells in the granule cell layer, into Van Gehuchten cells in the external plexiform layer, and into periglomerular and perinidal cells in the glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb in the musk shrew.