Medical engineering & physics
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Clinical Trial
The effect of FES of the tibial nerve on physiological activation of leg muscles during gait.
The effects of surface functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the tibial nerve of healthy subjects were evaluated. The FES was applied at three different times during gait: early, mid and late stances. The purpose of this work is to understand the effect of unilateral stimulation on the bilateral activation patterns of leg muscles, because FES is used in practice to improve gait, while associated neuromuscular change is not often measured. ⋯ For the semitendinosus, this was a difference of 6-7microV, with p<0.05. For the tibialis anterior, this was a difference of 7-15microV, with a significance of p=0.00, respectively. This information is important for future applications of stimulation as it means that stimulation not only affects the stimulated muscle but also the physiological motor control by the CNS.
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The mechanical environment considerably affects the evolution of the bone healing process. However, the effect of an external cyclic stimulation on the process has not yet been fully clarified. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the distribution of different mechanical variables in the fracture callus when an external cyclic stimulation is applied at different frequencies, in order to investigate those stimuli most likely to regulate bone healing. ⋯ We conclude that the change in the frequency of the external mechanical stimulus directly affects the interstitial fluid flow velocity in the fracture callus. This change in the fluid flow velocity may induce movement of wastes, feeds or growth factors, as well as stimulating cellular differentiation and proliferation by means of changes in the mechanical environment of the callus. In addition, the results of this work suggest that, to obtain a more significant effect of cyclic stimulation, higher frequencies with lower amplitude than those normally used in previous experimental works are needed.
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We have developed a method that allows biological tissues to be adhered together with minimal invasion by delivering integrated low-level energies from heat, pressure, and vibration. Tensile tests on adhered slices of porcine aorta were performed to determine the relationships between adhesive strength and conditions such as adhesion temperature, time, pressure, and vibration. ⋯ Adhesion strength increased in proportion to temperature, time, and pressure, and also in the presence of vibration, indicating that vibrational energy contributes to the adhesive mechanism and strength. Adhesive stability, the effect of heat on adhesive strength, and the ability of tissue to adhere to artificial materials were also clarified.