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Hand*

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to living organisms. Evaluation of sporting techniques such as running biomechanics and swim stroke biomechanics and understanding of the biomechanics of different sporting activities is a vital foundation for the sports medicine practitioners. The purpose of this article is to provide the clinicians with relevant and easily applicable descriptions of the common sporting techniques. The key for the better sports performance and prevention of injury is exercising with correct biomechanics. Understanding normal sporting biomechanics makes the clinician to apply injury prevention strategies. Biomechanics of lower limb including standing, walking, running and biomechanics of upper limb during throwing and overhead activities are described.
Athletic Injuries ; Athletic Performance ; Biomechanics ; Lower Extremity ; Running ; Sports ; Sports Medicine ; Stroke ; Tennis ; Upper Extremity ; Walking

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to living organisms. Evaluation of sporting techniques such as running biomechanics and swim stroke biomechanics and understanding of the biomechanics of different sporting activities is a vital foundation for the sports medicine practitioners. The purpose of this article is to provide the clinicians with relevant and easily applicable descriptions of the common sporting techniques. The key for the better sports performance and prevention of injury is exercising with correct biomechanics. Understanding normal sporting biomechanics makes the clinician to apply injury prevention strategies. Biomechanics of lower limb including standing, walking, running and biomechanics of upper limb during throwing and overhead activities are described.
Athletic Injuries ; Athletic Performance ; Biomechanics ; Lower Extremity ; Running ; Sports ; Sports Medicine ; Stroke ; Tennis ; Upper Extremity ; Walking

OBJECTIVE: To determine the changes of posterior bulging of the lumbar intervertebral discs with flexion and extension movement of the spine in patients with central disc bulges or disc degeneration. METHOD: Twenty patients with low back pain were studied. Nine patients had central type disc bulging and eleven patients had disc degeneration only. The spines were scanned in neutral, flexion, and extension positions in a vertically open 0.5T MR scanner. Degree of posterior bulging of the lumbar intervertebral disc of the pathological level was measured. RESULTS: In the patients with disc bulge, posterior bulging of the disc decreased in all of the patients by 0.8 0.6 mm with flexion of the spine and increased in 77.8% of the patients by 1.0 0.8 mm with extension of the spine. In the patients with disc degeneration, posterior bulging decreased with flexion in 36.7% of the patients. With extension, posterior bulging increased in 55.6% of the patients. CONCLUSION: This study found that patients with low back pain and central disc bulges have consistent and marked discrepancies in posterior bulging with flexion-extension in comparison with our previous study with asymptomatic patients with normal MRIs.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration* ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spine

Avulsion fracture of the acromion is rare. It is difficult to diagnosis because there is little displacement and it occurs even without direct trauma. We experienced a case without direct trauma that was diagnosed with ultrasonography. A 55-year-old male patient visited our outpatient clinic with shoulder pain resulting from a significant stress at the trapezius muscle during lifting of a steel reinforcement. Simple radiography revealed a calcific deposit over the acromion rather than a fracture. Avulsion fracture was identified with ultrasonography. This is the first report demonstrating that ultrasonography has an advantage over radiographs in the diagnosis of an avulsion fracture of the acromion of the scapula.
Acromion* ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Diagnosis* ; Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; Lifting ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Scapula ; Shoulder Pain ; Steel ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Ultrasonography

Muscle pain is one of the most common, as well as elusive, clinical complaints. Pain can be experienced in muscles by any dysfunction of the muscle itself, peripheral nerves, or central nervous system. Persistent inflammation of the muscle increases nerve endings of the nociceptors and can develop allodynia or hyperalgesia. Myofascial trigger points are formed by perpetuating contraction of the sarcomeres and local ischemia and can result in regional pain. Disorders of the peripheral nervous system can entail muscle pain in the innervated territory. The central nervous system can also modulate or generate muscle pain. Gate-control theory provides an explanation as to how pain can be affected by the nervous system. Fibromyalgia is believed to be related to a lowered pain threshold in the central nervous system. Clinicians, during their diagnostic approach, should not unduly attribute muscle pain to pathology confined to the muscle merely because pain is perceived and evoked from the muscle. Even in cases where abnormalities are confirmed in the muscle, such as myofascial trigger points, clinicians should seek the underlying etiology. In particular, diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome does not rule out primary musculoskeletal disorders. Rather, arthropathies or radiculopathies are known to frequently involve myofascial pain syndrome, which would not improve unless they are resolved. After accurate diagnosis of muscle pain is obtained, appropriate treatment should be implemented. A multi-disciplinary, individualized approach, including physiotherapy, exercise, education, and behavioral modification, is recommended.
Central Nervous System ; Contracts ; Fibromyalgia ; Hyperalgesia ; Inflammation ; Ischemia ; Muscles ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes ; Nerve Endings ; Nervous System ; Nociceptors ; Pain Threshold ; Peripheral Nerves ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Radiculopathy ; Sarcomeres ; Trigger Points

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of cold air therapy on relieving spasticity, the optimal intramuscular temperature, and the duration of spasticity relief. METHOD: Twenty-three 4 months old Korean white rabbits weighing 2 to 3 kg were used. After posterior laminectomy at thoracolumbar junction, the spinal cord was completely transected. After spasticity occurred, cold air was applied to the triceps surae muscles for 30 minutes at three different intramuscular temperatures (32.5, 30, and 25degrees C). Spasticity was measured pre-treatment, immediately following treatment, after 30 minutes, and after 60 minutes. Clinical parameters (muscle tone, deep tendon reflex, ankle clonus, and Babinski's sign) and electrophysiologic parameters (F/M ratio and H/M ratio) were measured. RESULT: Muscle tone and Babinski's sign significantly decreased immediately following treatment in the 32.5degrees C group, immediately following treatment and after 30 minutes in the 30degrees C and 25degrees C group. Deep tendon reflex and ankle clonus significantly decreased immediately following treatment in the 32.5degrees C group, immdiately following treatment, after 30 minutes in the 30degrees C group, immediately following treatment, after 30 minutes and after 60 minutes in the 25degrees C group. The F/M ratio and H/M ratio were not significantly affected in the 32.5degrees C group but decrease immediately following treatment in the 30degrees C and 25degrees C groups. Compound motor unit action potentials were not evoked in 6 out of 16 cases (37.5%) in the 25degrees C group, resulting in blockage of conduction. CONCLUSION: To relieve spasticity with cold air therapy, the intramuscular temperature should be maintained at 30degrees C. The duration of spasticity relief lasted from 30 minutes to one hour after cold air therapy.
Action Potentials ; Ankle ; Humans ; Infant ; Laminectomy ; Muscle Spasticity* ; Muscles ; Rabbits ; Reflex, Babinski ; Reflex, Stretch ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the patterns of isokinetic knee torque curves in normal population and determine the characteristics of those curves. METHOD: Two hundred and eightly-six normal subjects were included. The isokinetic knee torque curves were divided into three parts; to the angle of peak torque generation, to the point 10~20 degrees prior to end of joint motion, and to the end of joint motion. Each part was classified as convex(1), flat(2) and concave(3) type according to the shape. The curves were named such as 1-2-2 in order. Types of the curves, peak torque, angle of knee at peak torque, total acceleration energy, age, and sex of the subjects were compared. RESULTS: For knee extensors, frequencies of the curve types were 1-2-2(A), 1-2-1(B), 1-3-1(C), and 1-3-2(D). Mean ages of type A and B curves were slightly higher than types of C and D. Mean peak torque was greatest in type D. For knee flexors, the frequencies were 1-2-2(A), 1-2-1(B), and 1-1-2(C). Female predominance were found in type B while type C was found mostly in male. Mean peak torque was greatest in type C. CONCLUSION: The most common torque curve type was 1-2-2 for knee extensors and flexors. Torque curve types of knee extensors showed differences in age and torque curve types of knee flexors showed differences in sexual distribution.
Acceleration ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee* ; Male ; Torque*