Objective To determine normal reference values for conduction in the posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve.Methods Antidromic sensory conduction examinations of the bilateral posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve were conducted with fifty-eight healthy subjects.The onset latency,peak latency,peak-to-peak amplitude and conduction velocity of the sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) were recorded and the inter-side ratios of the peak-to-peak amplitudes were calculated.Results The observed means (and standard deviations) of the onset time,the peak latency,the amplitude and the conduction velocity were 1.96 (0.12) ms,2.48 (0.14) ms,7.39 (2.36) μV and 61.39 (3.69) m/s,respectively.The side-to-side amplitude ratio (smaller/larger) was 0.88 ± 0.09,and no significant difference was observed between the left and right side.The average peak latency and amplitude were significantly different for different age groups.There was no statistically significant difference among the age groups with regard to onset latency or conduction velocity.Conclusion Conduction in the posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve is easy to study.The peak latency is prolonged and the amplitude decreases with age,suggesting that different normal reference values should be established for different age groups.

Objective To estimate the test-retest reliability of limits of stability (LOS) measurement in healthy young adults. MethodsTwenty-five healthy young adults participated this study.Their center of pressure (COP) displacements were recorded while they stood on a force platform.The subjects performed maximal voluntary sway maneuvers in the anterior,posterior,left and right directions in turn.The LOS in each direction was calculated using balance clinic software.Each subject underwent 3 consecutive,identical tests at 7 day intervals with the same investigator.The test-retest reliability of LOS was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).ResultsFor the first test the ICC values ( ICC1 ) of the LOS ranged from 0.790 to 0.857.For the mean LOS of the first two tests the ICC2 ranged from 0.906 to 0.937,and for the mean LOS of three tests the ICC3 ranged from 0.910 to 0.948. ConclusionThe LOS test is a reliable measurement with healthy young adults.In clinical practice,averaging two LOS tests is suggested in assessing balance and postural control with young adults.

For fine management of the clinical practice teaching in the rehabilitation therapy, a set of Rehabilitation Therapy Clinical Practice Examination was developed. It was used to assess the skill of rehabilitation evaluation, rehabilitation therapy and related knowledge of every internships, to avoid the arbitrary result of the practice examination, and has been well accepted in practice.

Objective:To explore the influence of age on the passive stiffness of women′s quadriceps muscles and the relationship between stiffness and muscle functioning.Methods:Twenty healthy elderly women formed the senior-aged group, while 20 young, healthy women were selected as the young group. The passive stiffness of the subjects′ vastus medialis, rectus femoris and vastus lateralis muscles was measured using ultrasound shear wave imaging with the knee flexed to 30°, 60°, 90° and 105°. Both groups completed the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the five times sit-to-stand test (FTSST). Maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MIVC) strength during knee extension was also measured.Results:The passive muscle stiffness of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis muscles was significantly greater in the senior-aged group when the knee was flexed at 60°, 90° or 105°. The 6MWT and FTSST times of the young group were of course significantly better, and their MIVC at 60° and 90° of knee flexion was also significantly stronger. Rectus femoris stiffness among the senior-aged group was negatively correlated with MIVC when the knee was flexed at 60°.Conclusions:The passive stiffness of the muscles studied increases with age, especially in stretching. When the knee joint is flexed at 60° there tends to be a negative correlation between the MIVC of the quadriceps femoris and the stiffness of the rectus femoris among elderly females.