PURPOSE : The purpose of the present study was to clarify the effect of static stretching on muscular performance with concentric isotonic muscle actions under various loads.METHODS : Concentric isotonic leg extension power outputs were assessed in 12 healthy male subjects after two types of pre-treatment. The pre-treatments included 1) static stretching (SS) treatment performing static stretching of leg extensors, and 2) non-stretching (NS) treatment by resting in a sitting position. Loads during the assessment of the power output were set to 5%, 30% and 60% of the maximum voluntary contractile (MVC) torque with isometric leg extension in each subject.RESULTS : The peak power output following the SS treatment was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that following the NS treatment under each load.CONCLUSION : The present study demonstrated that static stretching significantly reduces power output with concentric isotonic muscle actions under various loads. This result suggests that static stretching decreases power performance.

Although decreased dorsiflexion range of motion (DROM) is linked to ankle inversion sprains and other lower limb injuries, the mechanisms underlying these links are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between DROM and the ankle dorsiflexion and inversion, and the foot progression angles during a sidestep cutting maneuver. Nineteen healthy subjects participated in this study. The loaded DROM in a flexed- knee position was measured. The foot and ankle motions were assessed during the sidestep cutting maneuver using a 3D motion analysis system. The low DROM group displayed smaller dorsiflexion and inversion angles, and greater external foot rotation, and performed the task using a significantly greater percent of their DROM than the high DROM group during the sidestep cutting maneuver. In addition, the smaller DROM was associated with smaller dorsiflexion angles, greater external foot rotation, and greater maximum dorsiflexion angles as a percentage of DROM during the sidestep cutting maneuver. The decreased DROM may prevent the ankle from becoming stable during the sidestep cutting maneuver, therefore the ankle may be vulnerable position to an inversion sprain. The kinematic patterns displayed by individuals with a decreased DROM may be a compensatory strategy for dorsiflexion deficits, which may be associated with ankle and knee injuries.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is a rare hereditary disease that results from a 4p chromosome deletion. Patients with this syndrome are characterized by craniofacial dysgenesis, seizures, growth delay, intellectual disability, and congenital heart disease. Although several cases have been reported, very little information is available on anesthetic management for patients with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. We encountered a case requiring anesthetic management for a 2-year-old girl with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. The selection of an appropriately sized tracheal tube and maintaining intraoperatively stable hemodynamics might be critical problems for anesthetic management. In patients with short stature, the tracheal tube size may differ from what may be predicted based on age. The appropriate size ( internal diameter ) of tracheal tubes for children has been investigated. Congenital heart disease is frequently associated with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Depending on the degree and type of heart disease, careful monitoring of hemodynamics is important.
Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Deletion ; Female ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Seizures ; Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome*

The usefulness of acupuncture and moxibustion as complementary and alternative medicine in the field of palliative care, in recent years. Since August 2021, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was integrated into the palliative care team at Tokai University Hospital, an advanced acute care hospital. We present an overview and activities of the acupuncture and moxibustion therapy team at our hospital. Within approximately 1 year and 3 months, 35 patients (14 men and 21 women) presented for acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, which corresponds to 10% of the number of patients treated by the palliative care team. The most common reason for consultation was requests for physical pain, especially pain (55%), indicating a need for acupuncturists to relieve pain. The most common treatment method was warm moxibustion, suggesting the influence of painful or scary images of acupuncture. The majority of patients also wanted acupuncture intervention until discharge from hospital. The presence of a need for acupuncture for temporary relief of pain as well as temporary improvement of mental state, including relaxation, was suggested.