Clinical biomechanics
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Clinical biomechanics · Mar 2021
Effects of a "toes-off" modified heel raise on muscle coordination in non-dancers, dancers, and dancers with flexor hallucis longus tendinopathy.
Tendinopathy of the flexor hallucis longus, commonly called "dancer's tendinitis", is a prevalent injury among female ballet dancers. Limited success of non-surgical interventions leads to many dancers undergoing tenolysis surgeries with risks and recovery times that can be detrimental to a dance career. The purpose of this study was to evaluate lower limb kinematics and muscle coordination during a modified traditional heel raise exercise where the toes hang off the edge of the support surface. We hypothesized this would decrease activation of the flexor hallucis longus and increase activation of larger plantarflexors. ⋯ The toes-off modification decreased flexor hallucis longus activation in most of the healthy dancers but was insufficient to shift muscle coordination from the flexor hallucis longus to larger plantarflexors in dancers with flexor hallucis longus tendinopathy. Future work should investigate clinical cues or modifications to this "toes-off" heel raise intervention.
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Clinical biomechanics · Dec 2020
Comparative StudyTwo reconstruction plates provide superior stability of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures in comparison to single plating - A biomechanical study.
Displaced midshaft fractures are the most common surgically treated clavicle fractures. However, they are associated with high complication rates following plating due to fixation failure in terms of plate breakage, screw breakage and/or screw loosening. The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical competence of three different plating techniques for fixation of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures. ⋯ Double plating of unstable midshaft clavicle fractures with reconstruction plates seems to provide superior fixation stability under dynamic loading, when compared to single compression or locked plating, whereas the latter is associated with inferior performance.
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Clinical biomechanics · Dec 2020
Trunk, pelvic and hip kinematics during the Stork test in pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain, asymptomatic pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Pelvic girdle pain is prevalent during pregnancy, and women affected report weight-bearing activities to be their main disability. The Stork test is a commonly used single-leg-stance test. As clinicians report specific movement patterns in those with pelvic girdle pain, we aimed to investigate the influence of both pregnancy and pelvic girdle pain on performance of the Stork test. ⋯ Our findings indicate that trunk, pelvic and hip movements during the Stork test are not specific to pregnancy and/or pelvic girdle pain in the 2nd trimester. Instead, movement strategies appear unique to each individual.
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Clinical biomechanics · Dec 2020
Strain measurement of the deep layer of the supraspinatus tendon using fresh frozen cadaver: The influence of shoulder elevation.
The shoulder is a uniquely complex large joint. Effective and safe physical therapy efforts towards rehabilitating injured and repaired shoulders requires a thorough understanding of shoulder mechanics from both generalized and very specific perspectives. Numerous biomechanical studies have been published on the shoulder. None of the studies, to our knowledge, considered the strain of the deep layers of the supraspinatus tendon for scapular plane elevation. ⋯ When performing isometric shoulder exercise regimens, rotator cuff forces and both surface and deep tendon strain, relative to scapular positioning, are relevant and should be considered.
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Clinical biomechanics · Jun 2020
Effects of iliotibial band syndrome on pain sensitivity and gait kinematics in female runners: A preliminary study.
Runners with iliotibial band syndrome display symptoms similar to chronic tendinopathy and distinct gait patterns compared to healthy controls. Although altered pain processing has been demonstrated in chronic tendinopathies, central pain processing and its relationship to motor control has not been measured in iliotibial band syndrome. The purpose of this study was to examine pain sensitivity, hip strength, and gait kinematics in runners with and without iliotibial band syndrome. ⋯ Runners with iliotibial band syndrome demonstrated expanded somatic pain sensitivity without hip strength differences, but concomitant with altered gait patterns. Bilateral pain symptoms and gait deviations exist in runners with iliotibial band syndrome even with unilateral symptoms, highlighting the importance of bilateral assessment.