AIM The main goal of this validation study was to evaluate whether lower limb muscle weakness and plantar flexor rate of force development (RFD) related to altered gait parameters in children with cerebral palsy (CP), when weakness was assessed with maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) in a gait related test position. As a subgoal, we analyzed intra- and intertester reliability of t...

BACKGROUND Plantar heel pain is a common foot disorder aggravated by weight-bearing activity. Despite considerable focus on therapeutic interventions such as orthoses, there has been limited investigation of footwear-related issues in people with plantar heel pain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether people with plantar heel pain experience footwear-related difficulties compared to...

OBJECTIVE Dactylitis is a hallmark of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) where flexor tenosynovitis is common. This study explored the microanatomical basis of dactylitis using high-resolution MRI (hrMRI) to visualise the small entheses around the digits. METHODS Twelve patients with psoriatic dactylitis (4 fingers, 8 toes), and 10 healthy volunteers (6 fingers, 4 toes) had hrMRI of the digits using a...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between lower limb muscular deficiencies and postural and gait capacities. DESIGN Observational study. SUBJECTS A total of 26 patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and 19 health-matched healthy subjects. METHODS Barefoot gait and postural control were analysed using a walking mat and a force platform, respectively. Muscu...

In rats, combinations of plantar flexor muscles representing approximately 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the mass of the total plantar flexor group were transferred orthotopically in the absence of synergistic muscles and allowed to recover for 120 days. We hypothesized that, compared with their individual control values for structural and functional variables, the transfers would display a hierarchic...

This study determines whether maximal voluntary ankle plantar flexor torque could be more accurately represented using a torque generator that is a function of both knee and ankle kinematics. Isovelocity and isometric ankle plantar flexor torques were measured on a single participant for knee joint angles of 111° to 169° (approximately full extension) using a Contrex MJ dynamometer. Maximal vol...

Neuromuscular adaptations of the plantar flexor muscles were assessed before and subsequent to short-term electromyostimulation (EMS) training. Eight subjects underwent 16 sessions of isometric EMS training over 4 wk. Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity and torque obtained under maximal voluntary and electrically evoked contractions were analyzed to distinguish neural adaptations from cont...

OBJECTIVE To determine the associating factors of fear of falling (FOF) and the correlations between FOF and quality of life (QOL) on subacute stroke patients in Korea. METHOD Fifty hemiplegic subacute stroke patients in our clinic were recruited. We directly asked patients with their fear of falling and interviewed them with the Korean version of falls efficacy scale-international (KFES-I). ...

In the light of the dynamic nature of habitual plantar flexor activity, we utilized an incremental isokinetic exercise test (IIET) to assess the work-related power deficit (WoRPD) as a measure for exercise-induced muscle fatigue before and after prolonged calf muscle unloading and in relation to arterial blood flow and muscle perfusion. Eleven male subjects (31 ± 6 years) wore the HEPHAISTOS un...

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSION REFERENCES Neuromuscular adaptations of the plantar flexor muscles were assessed before and subsequent to short-term electromyostimulation (EMS) training. Eight subjects underwent 16 sessions of isometric EMS training over 4 wk. Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity and torque obtained under maximal voluntary and electrically evoked contra...