Leg Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

There are two patterns of back pain: 1) back-dominant pain and 2) leg pain dominant, greater than back pain. The causes of back pain are very different and numerous, but mostly are due to vertebral, mechanical etiology, and rarely because... more

There are two patterns of back pain: 1) back-dominant pain and 2) leg pain dominant, greater than back pain. The causes of back pain are very different and numerous, but mostly are due to vertebral, mechanical etiology, and rarely because of non vertebral, visceral etiology. Leg pain greater than back pain is mostly disease of spinal nerve root, generally presented by radicular pain in a dermatomal distribution. Mechanical compression of spinal roots, caused by disc herniation or by spinal stenosis, results in radicular symptoms. Rarely, in about 1% of patients, there are some other reasons except vertebral mechanical cause, like infection, tumor or fracture. There are several causes of pseudoradicular pain like periferal neuropathy, myifascial syndromes, vascular diseases, osteoarthritis. Spondylarthropathies should be taken in cosideration as well. A complete history and physical examination is important to determine further diagnostic evaluation and to provide eficient therapy.

This study proposes a simple estimate of hamstring length at initial contact (LEST) for use when musculoskeletal modelling is not available. The estimate is calculated by using the kinematic curves to measure the excessive flexion (above... more

This study proposes a simple estimate of hamstring length at initial contact (LEST) for use when musculoskeletal modelling is not available. The estimate is calculated by using the kinematic curves to measure the excessive flexion (above normal) at the hip and knee at initial contact. The excessive hip flexion is then multiplied by a scaling factor (k) and the excessive knee flexion subtracted from the result. Validation of this estimate was carried out using kinematic gait data from 25 children with cerebral palsy (50 limbs) by comparing the results of the estimate with an equivalent measure derived from musculoskeletal modelling (LTRUE). Very high agreement was found when LTRUE and LEST were compared for the three biarticular hamstring muscles, demonstrated by correlation coefficients of over 0.9. Different k values were tested with a value of 3 giving the best results overall. The estimate is acceptable as a simple ‘rule of thumb’ for use in clinical practice. It can provide useful additional information to complement the clinical examination and gait assessment results.

Abstract: Background and Objective Stroke patients with severe leg paralysis are often bedridden in the acute and subacute phase, which increases the risk of disuse muscle atrophy in the chronic phase. The evidence to date indicates that... more

Abstract: Background and Objective Stroke patients with severe leg paralysis are often bedridden in the acute and subacute phase, which increases the risk of disuse muscle atrophy in the chronic phase. The evidence to date indicates that oxidative stress plays an ...

We applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to evaluate in resting conditions the effects of compression tights (CT) on calf muscle oxygenation and venous pooling compared with Lycra(R) elastic tights (ET) and shorts (no compression)... more

We applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to evaluate in resting conditions the effects of compression tights (CT) on calf muscle oxygenation and venous pooling compared with Lycra(R) elastic tights (ET) and shorts (no compression) according to the body posture (supine vs standing). Twelve sportsmen regularly involved in endurance training volunteered to this study. Their average age, height and weight (+/-SD) were 26.5+/-2.6 years, 177+/-6 cm and 70.1+/-4 kg, respectively. Tissue oxygenation index (TOI), deoxyhemoglobin (HHb), and blood pooling (Hbtot) of the right gastrocnemius medialis were continuously monitored at 2 Hz using a NIRS device (NIRO-300, Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan). A home made transducer was used to measure applied pressure at the interface between skin and clothing over the calf area. Subjects were asked to realize a supine-standing protocol (5 min for each position) by wearing CT, ET or shorts in a counterbalanced order on the same day. HHb and Hbtot concentra...

Retrospective analysis. To evaluate the efficacy of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) for upper extremity spastic hypertonia in tetraplegia of spinal origin. University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital. The medical records of 14 individuals... more

Retrospective analysis. To evaluate the efficacy of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) for upper extremity spastic hypertonia in tetraplegia of spinal origin. University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital. The medical records of 14 individuals with tetraplegia of spinal origin who underwent intrathecal baclofen pump placement were reviewed. The effects of intrathecal baclofen on spasm frequency, deep tendon reflexes, and tone (Ashworth scale) were assessed for the upper and lower extremities for a 1-year follow-up period. There were statistically significant declines in upper extremity spasm scores (1.8 points, P=0.012), reflex scores (1.4 points, P<0.0001) and Ashworth scores (0.6 points, P<0.0001) for the 1-year follow-up period. For the lower extremities, all decreases were significant (P<0.0001). There was also a statistically significant (P<0.0001) increase in intrathecal baclofen dosage requirements during the 1-year follow-up period to maintain the reductions in spasm freq...

This study was undertaken to evaluate if possible changes in stretch- and H-reflexes could be related to the changes in the EMG activity of the cooled lower leg muscles observed during a stretch-shortening cycle exercise. Eight subjects... more

This study was undertaken to evaluate if possible changes in stretch- and H-reflexes could be related to the changes in the EMG activity of the cooled lower leg muscles observed during a stretch-shortening cycle exercise. Eight subjects wearing shorts and jogging shoes were exposed once to 27 degrees C and twice to 10 degrees C for 60 min each. During the second exposure to 10 degrees C, the subject's lower legs were kept warm (10 degrees Clw) with electrical pillows. After the exposures Achilles tendon reflex (stretch reflex) was induced and the EMG activity of the triceps surae was measured. Immediately after reflex measurements the EMG activity of the triceps surae and tibialis anterior during a drop-jump (stretch-shortening cycle) was measured. After similar thermal exposures electrically induced H-reflex from the calf was measured. During the preactivity and stretch phases the EMG activity of the triceps surae increased after the exposure to 10 degrees C, whereas during the...

This was a prospective cohort study at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a large multispecialty hospital in New Delhi, India. From January 2001 to July 2004, 1,552 consecutive inpatients and outpatients who presented with clinically suspected lower... more

This was a prospective cohort study at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a large multispecialty hospital in New Delhi, India. From January 2001 to July 2004, 1,552 consecutive inpatients and outpatients who presented with clinically suspected lower limb DVT were enrolled in the study. ...

The objective of this study was to determine differences in electromyographic (EMG) activity of the soleus (SOL), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), abdominal stabilizers (AS), upper lumbar erector spinae (ULES), and lumbo-sacral... more

The objective of this study was to determine differences in electromyographic (EMG) activity of the soleus (SOL), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), abdominal stabilizers (AS), upper lumbar erector spinae (ULES), and lumbo-sacral erector spinae (LSES) muscles while performing squats of varied stability and resistance. Stability was altered by doing the squat movement on a Smith machine, a free squat, and while standing on two balance discs. Fourteen male subjects performed the movements. Activities of the SOL, AS, ULES, and LSES were highest during the unstable squat and lowest with the Smith machine protocol (p < 0.05). Increased EMG activity of these muscles may be attributed to their postural and stabilization role. Furthermore, EMG activity was higher during concentric contractions compared to eccentric contractions. Performing squats on unstable surfaces may permit a training adaptation of the trunk muscles responsible for supporting the spinal column (i.e., erector...

We read the article by Klute et al1 with interest; however, we identified a number of issues with the article. The authors compared the socket fit, activity level, and limb volume of 2 different prosthetic suspension systems, namely a... more

We read the article by Klute et al1 with interest; however, we
identified a number of issues with the article. The authors
compared the socket fit, activity level, and limb volume of 2
different prosthetic suspension systems, namely a vacuumassisted
suspension system (VASS) and a pin suspension.1
Because limited literature is available on the effect of vacuumassisted
suspension as a means of controlling residual limb
volume and pistoning,2 the article would have been more
clinically helpful if some ambiguities were clarified.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22541316

The sinus tarsi syndrome is now a well-defined entity of foot pathology. Usually post-traumatic, it is characterised by pain over the lateral opening of the sinus tarsi and a feeling of instability of the ankle. We were able to define two... more

The sinus tarsi syndrome is now a well-defined entity of foot pathology. Usually post-traumatic, it is characterised by pain over the lateral opening of the sinus tarsi and a feeling of instability of the ankle. We were able to define two objective criteria for the syndrome: arthrography of the subtalar joint shows specific abnormalities and recording of the electromyographic function of the peronei demonstrates abnormalities during walking. Conservative treatment is successful in about two-thirds of the cases. In other cases a simple surgical procedure can cure or improve 90% of the patients. Le syndrome du sinus du tarse est une entité bien définie de la pathologie du pied. Le plus souvent post-traumatique, il se caractérise par une douleur à l'orifice externe du sinus du tarse et une instabilité de l'arrière-pied. Nous avons pu définir deux symptômes objectifs de ce syndrome parfois difficile à diagnostiquer: l'arthrographie de l'articulation sous-astragalienn...

Introduction Esophageal Doppler provides a continuous and non-invasive estimate of descending aortic blood flow (ABF) and corrected left ventricular ejection time (LVETc). Considering passive leg raising (PLR) as a reversible volume... more

Introduction Esophageal Doppler provides a continuous and non-invasive estimate of descending aortic blood flow (ABF) and corrected left ventricular ejection time (LVETc). Considering passive leg raising (PLR) as a reversible volume expansion (VE), we compared the relative abilities of PLR-induced ABF variations, LVETc and respiratory pulsed pressure variations (ΔPP) to predict fluid responsiveness. Methods We studied 22 critically ill patients in acute