The effects of bracing and knee flexion angle on hamstring activity during crutch walking: A preliminary study for post-operative care
نویسندگان
چکیده
Objectives: To determine if immobilization of the knee at varying degrees of knee flexion will limit the surface electromygraphical (sEMG) activity of hamstring muscles during crutch-assisted ambulation. Methods: Ten healthy participants walked with crutches with the knee maintained at 0°, 30°, 60° and 90° of knee flexion, both with and without a brace. The leg was non-weight bearing for all trials except for those with the knee at 0° of flexion, when subjects performed a ‘toe-touch’ gait. sEMG was used to record activity of the biceps femoris and semitendinosus during trials. Results: For the semitendinosus, there were no differences between braced and unbraced conditions at 0° (22.5% vs 23.2%), 30° (37.5% vs 28.7%), 60° (47.2% vs 44.6%), and 90° (32.7% vs 51.8%) of knee flexion (all, p>0.05). Similarly, for the biceps femoris, there were no differences between braced and unbraced conditions at 0° (22.5% vs 23.2%), 30° (44.5% vs 28.7%), 60° (47.2% vs 44.6%), and 90° (32.7% vs 51.8%) of knee flexion (all, p>0.05). Finally, there were no differences between braced at 90° of knee flexion and unbraced at 0° of knee flexion with regard to semitendinosus (32.7% vs 23.2%) and biceps femoris (32.6% vs 23.2%) activity (p>0.05). Conclusions: The use of a brace to limit knee extension did not decrease activation of the hamstrings during crutch-assisted ambulation in healthy participants. More research is needed to determine if the use of a knee brace is necessary following surgical repair of the hamstring tendon.
منابع مشابه
The effect of Swedish massage on pain, flexion range of motion, the electrical activity of the quadriceps muscles, and their co-contraction with the hamstring muscles during walking in women with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a randomized c
Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is associated with decreased muscle strength, muscle activity, and impaired knee range of motion (ROM). This study aimed to investigate the effect of Swedish massage on pain, the flexion of knee joint ROM, the electrical activity of the quadriceps muscles, and their co-contraction with the hamstring muscles during walking in women with medial compartment ...
متن کاملThe Immediate Effect of Knee Brace on the Activity of Selected Lower Limb Muscles during Stance Phase of Walking in Females with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Background & Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effect of patella support brace on co-contraction and electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles in females with patellofemoral pain syndrome during stance phase of gait. Methods: EMG activity of vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, gluteus medi...
متن کاملKnee flexor strength recovery following hamstring tendon harvest for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review
The hamstring tendons are an increasingly popular graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction due to preservation of quadriceps function and the absence of anterior knee pain post-operatively. Two commonly used hamstring grafts are a quadruple strand semitendinosus graft (4ST) and a double strand semitendinosus-double strand gracilis graft (2ST-2G). It has been suggested that con...
متن کاملComparison of hamstring transfer with hamstring lengthening in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: further follow-up
BACKGROUND Overactivity or contractures of the hamstring muscles in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP) can lead to either a jump gait (knee flexion associated with ankle plantar flexion) or a crouch gait (knee flexion associated with ankle dorsiflexion). Hamstring lengthening is performed to decrease stance knee flexion. However, this procedure carries the potential risk of weakening ...
متن کاملCharacteristics associated with improved knee extension after strength training for individuals with cerebral palsy and crouch gait.
Muscle weakness may contribute to crouch gait in individuals with cerebral palsy, and some individuals participate in strength training programs to improve crouch gait. Unfortunately, improvements in muscle strength and gait are inconsistent after completing strength training programs. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in knee extensor strength and knee extension angle during wal...
متن کامل