Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Neuromuscular Response To A Single Session Of Whole-Body Vibration In Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study, Huaqing (Virginia) Liang, Gena Henderson, Jianhua Wu

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Background Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a relative new intervention paradigm that could reduce spasticity and improve motor function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). We investigated neuromuscular response to a single session of side-alternating WBV with different amplitudes in children with CP.

Methods Ten children with spastic CP aged 7–17 years at GMFCS level I-III participated in this pilot study. Participants received two sessions of side-alternating WBV with the same frequency (20 Hz) but different amplitudes (low-amplitude: 1 mm and high-amplitude: 2 mm). Each session included six sets of 90 s of WBV and 90 s of rest. Before and …

Lower Extremity Kinetics And Muscle Activation During Gait Are Significantly Different During And After Pregnancy Compared To Nulliparous Females, Jennifer J. Bagwell, Nicholas Reynolds, Michelle Walaszek, Hannah Runez, Kristina Lam, Jo Armour Smith, Dimitrios Katsavelis

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Low back, pelvic, and lower extremity pain are common during and after pregnancy. Understanding differences in mechanics between pregnant and non-pregnant females is a first step toward identifying potential pathological mechanisms. The primary purpose of this study was to compare joint kinetics and muscle activation during gait between females during and after pregnancy to nulliparous females.

Methods

Twenty pregnant females completed testing on three occasions (second trimester, third trimester, and post-partum), while 20 matched, nulliparous controls were tested once. Motion capture, force data, and surface electromyography were averaged across seven trials during gait. Lower extremity kinematics, lower extremity moments …

Biomechanical Characteristics Of Lumbar Manipulation Performed By Expert, Resident, And Student Physical Therapists, Joseph M. Derian, Jo Armour Smith, Yue Wang, Wilson Lam, Kornelia Kulig

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Lumbar manipulation is a commonly used treatment for low back pain, but little research evidence exists regarding practitioner biomechanics during manipulation. Most existing evidence describes rate of force production through the hands into instrumented manikins and it is unclear how the practitioner moves their body and legs to generate this force.

Objectives

To identify and characterize important kinetic and kinematic factors in practitioners of varying experience performing lumbar manipulation in order to identify which factors distinguish experts from less experienced practitioners.

Study design

This was a cohort observational laboratory study.

Methods

43 male physical therapists (PT) and PT students …

Adaptations Of Lumbar Biomechanics After Four Weeks Of Running Training With Minimalist Footwear And Technique Guidance: Implications For Running-Related Lower Back Pain, Szu-Ping Lee, Joshua P. Bailey, Jo Armour Smith, Stephanie Barton, David Brown, Talia Joyce

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives

To investigate the changes in lumbar kinematic and paraspinal muscle activation before, during, and after a 4-week minimalist running training.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

University research laboratory.

Participants

Seventeen habitually shod recreational runners who run 10–50 km per week.

Main outcome measures

During stance phases of running, sagittal lumbar kinematics was recorded using an electrogoniometer, and activities of the lumbar paraspinal muscles were assessed by electromyography. Runners were asked to run at a prescribed speed (3.1 m/s) and a self-selected speed.

Results

For the 3.1 m/s running speed, significant differences were found in the calculated mean lumbar posture …

The Nature Of Movement Symmetry: Implications For Function And Injury Risk, Laura Broudy, Spt, Aerie Glowka, Spt, Katie Schaner, Spt, Michelle Wrigley, Spt, Danny Mcmillian, Dsc, Mpt, Cscs

Physical Therapy Research Symposium

Human movement requires an equipoise of mobility, strength, and neuromuscular control for optimal performance and injury protection. When certain movement asymmetries are present they create functional impairments that can negatively impact an individual’s performance and increase the likelihood for injury. This results in decreased quality of life due to missed time from work, sport, or social interaction and increased financial burden. There is limited evidence addressing what degree of asymmetry impacts functional performance or increases injury risk. Some activities such as throwing are naturally asymmetrical, thus asymmetry of the upper extremity may be beneficial in specific occupations or sporting professions. …

Walking Pattern In Children With And Without Down Syndrome Via A Force-Driven Harmonic Oscillator Model, Jianhua Wu, Matthew Beerse, Toyin Ajisafe, Huaqing Liang

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

Children with Down syndrome (DS) display poorer kinematic and kinetic patterns of walking than typically developing ( TD) children. However, little is known on neuromuscular control in children with DS during locomotion. A force driven harmonic oscillator (FDHO) model sheds light on general muscular activation with respect to the gravitational load of the thigh-shank-foot system. The K/G ratio derived from this model represents a scaling between the elastic restoring torque from muscles and soft tissues and the gravitational torque from the weight of the leg during walking. The K/G ratio has shown different muscular function in infant walkers and children …

Neuromuscular Changes In Older Adults During The Lateral Step Task, Tatiana Bejarano

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Older adults may have trouble when performing activities of daily living due to decrease in physical strength and degradation of neuromotor and musculoskeletal function. Motor activation patterns during Lateral Step Down and Step Up from 4-inch and 8-inch step heights was assessed in younger (n=8, 24.4 years) and older adults (n=8, 58.9 years) using joint angle kinematics and electromyography of lower extremity muscles. Ground reaction forces were used to ascertain the loading, stabilization and unloading phases of the tasks. Older adults had an altered muscle activation sequence and significantly longer muscle bursts during loading for the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, vastus …

Clinical Outcomes And Static And Dynamic Assessment Of Foot Posture After Lateral Column Lengthening Procedure, Heather Barske, Ruth Chimenti, Josh Tome, Elizabeth Martin, Adolph S. Flemister, Jeff Houck

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background: Lateral column lengthening (LCL) has been shown to radiographically restore the medial longitudinal arch. However, the impact of LCL on foot function during gait has not been reported using validated clinical outcomes and gait analysis.

Methods: Thirteen patients with a stage II flatfoot who had undergone unilateral LCL surgery and 13 matched control subjects completed self-reported pain and functional scales as well as a clinical examination. A custom force transducer was used to establish the maximum passive range of motion of first metatarsal dorsiflexion at 40 N of force. Foot kinematic data were collected during gait using 3-dimensional motion …

Two Different Fatigue Protocols And Lower Extremity Motion Patterns During A Stop-Jump Task, David Quammen, Nelson Cortes, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Shawn Lucci, Stacie I. Ringleb, James Onate

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Altered neuromuscular control strategies during fatigue probably contribute to the increased incidence of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes.

Objective: To determine biomechanical differences between 2 fatigue protocols (slow linear oxidative fatigue protocol [SLO-FP] and functional agility short-term fatigue protocol [FAST-FP]) when performing a running-stop-jump task.

Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Setting: Laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants: A convenience sample of 15 female soccer players (age = 19.2 ± 0.8 years, height = 1.67± 0.05m, mass = 61.7 + 8.1 kg) without injury participated.

Intervention(s): Five successful trials of a running–stop-jump task were obtained prefatigue and postfatigue during …

Influence Of The Hip On Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review, Erik P. Meira, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Context: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common conditions limiting athletes. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that dysfunction at the hip may be a contributing factor in PFPS.

Data Sources: MEDLINE (1950–September 2010), CINAHL (1982–September 2010), and SPORTDiscus (1830–September 2010) were searched to identify relevant research to this report. Study Selection: Studies were included assessing hip strength, lower extremity kinematics, or both in relation to PFPS were included.

Data Extraction: Studies included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, prospective epidemiology, case-control epidemiology, and cross-sectional descriptive epidemiology in a scientific peer-reviewed journal.

Results: PFPS is associated …

Deep Posterior Compartment Strength And Foot Kinematics In Subjects With Stage Ii Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction, Christopher Neville, Adolph S. Flemister, Jeff Houck

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background: Tibialis posterior muscle weakness has been documented in subjects with Stage II posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) but the effect of weakness on foot structure remains unclear. The association between strength and flatfoot kinematics may guide treatment such as the use of strengthening programs targeting the tibialis posterior muscle.

Materials and Methods: Thirty Stage II PTTD subjects (age; 58.1 ± 10.5 years, BMI 30.6 ± 5.4) and 15 matched controls (age; 56.5 ± 7.7 years, BMI 30.6 ± 3.6) volunteered for this study. Deep Posterior Compartment strength was measured from both legs of each subject and the strength ratio …

The Reliability Of Portable Fixed Dynamometry During Hip And Knee Strength Assessments, Roger O. Kollock Jr., James A. Onate, Bonnie Van Lunen

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Insufficient lower extremity strength may be a risk factor for lower extremity injuries such as noncontact anterior cruciate ligament tears. Therefore, clinicians need reliable instruments to assess strength deficiencies.

Objective: To assess the intrarater, interrater, intrasession, and intersession reliability of a portable fixed dynamometer in measuring the strength of the hip and knee musculature.

Design: Crossover study.

Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants: Three raters (A, B, C) participated in this 2-phase study. Raters A and B tested 11 healthy college graduate students (2 men, 9 women) in phase 1. Raters A and C tested 26 …

Comparison Of Frontal Plane Trunk Kinematics And Hip And Knee Moments During Anticipated And Unanticipated Walking And Side Step Cutting Tasks, Jeff R. Houck, Andrew Duncan, Kenneth E. De Haven

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background: Frontal plane trunk and lower extremity adjustments during unanticipated tasks are hypothesized to influence hip and knee neuromuscular control, and therefore, contribute to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk. The aims of this study were to examine frontal plane trunk/hip kinematics and hip and knee moments (measures of neuromuscular control) during unanticipated straight and side step cut tasks.

Methods: Kinematic and kinetic variables were collected while subjects performed two anticipated tasks, including walking straight (ST) and side step cutting (SS), and two unanticipated tasks (STU and SSU). Foot placement, thorax–pelvis–hip kinematic variables and hip and knee moments were calculated …

Rabbit Knee Joint Biomechanics: Motion Analysis And Modeling Of Forces During Hopping, David L. Gushue, Jeff Houck, Amy L. Lerner

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Although the rabbit hindlimb has been commonly used as an experimental animal model for studies of osteoarthritis, bone growth and fracture healing, the in vivo biomechanics of the rabbit knee joint have not been quantified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematic and kinetic patterns during hopping of the adult rabbit, and to develop a model to estimate the joint contact force distribution between the tibial plateaus. Force platform data and three-dimensional motion analysis using infrared markers mounted on intracortical bone pins were combined to calculate the knee and ankle joint intersegmental forces and moments. A statically …

Comparison Between Successful And Failed Sit-To-Stand Trials Of A Patient After Traumatic Brain Injury, Cynthia M. Zablotny, Deborah A. Nawoczenski, Bing Yu

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Comparison between successful and failed sit-to-stand trials of a patient after traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To compare the peak whole-body center of mass (COM) velocities and joint angular contributions in successful and unsuccessful sit-to-stand (STS) trials in a subject with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Single-case study.

Setting: Motion research laboratory.

Participant: A 24-year-old man who was 3.5 years post-TBI.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: Peak horizontal and vertical velocities of the whole-body COM and peak angular velocities of the ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder joints.

Results: The peak whole-body COM vertical velocity was significantly lower in the unsuccessful …

Self-Reported Giving-Way Episode During A Stepping-Down Task: Case Report Of A Subject With An Acl-Deficient Knee, Jeff Houck, Amy Lerner, David Gushue, H. John Yack

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Study Design: Case report.

Objective: To describe the knee kinematics and moments of a giving-way trial of a subject with an anterior-cruciate-ligament– (ACL) deficient knee relative to his non–giving-way trials and to healthy subjects during a step-down task.

Background: Episodes of giving way are believed to damage joint structures, therefore treatments aim to prevent giving-way episodes, yet few studies document giving-way events.

Methods: The giving-way trial experienced by a 32-year-old male subject with ACL deficiency during a step-down task was compared to his non–giving-way trials (n = 5) and data from healthy subjects (n = 20). Position data collected at …

Giving Way Event During A Combined Stepping And Crossover Cutting Task In An Individual With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency, Jeff Houck, H. John Yack

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Study Design: Case study.

Objective: To compare knee kinematics and moments of nongiving way trials to a giving way trial during a combined stepping and crossover cutting activity.

Background: The knee kinematics and moments associated with giving way episodes sugge motor control strategies that lead to instability and recovery of stability during movement.

Methods and Measures: A 27-year-old woman with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency reported giving way while performing a combined stepping and crossover cutting activity. P motion analysis system recorded motion of the pelvis, femur, tibia, and foot using 3 infrarec emitting diodes placed on each segment at 60 …