Clinical mobility metrics estimate and characterize physical activity following lower-limb amputation.

Background: Regular physical activity following a lower-limb amputation is essential for maintaining health and a high quality of life. Most adults with a lower-limb amputation, however, participate in insufficient daily physical activity, and thus, are predisposed to poor health outcomes. Estimating physical activity after lower-limb amputation via common mobility metrics may aid in clinical decisions regarding treatment prioritization and prosthesis prescription.

Body image and perception among adults with and without phantom limb pain.

Background: Following lower-limb amputation, phantom limb pain (i.e., pain perceived as coming from the amputated portion of the limb) is common.

Sex-specific Differences in Multisite Pain Presentation among Adults with Lower-Limb Loss.

Objectives: Multisite pain remains significantly understudied following lower-limb loss (LLL), especially among females. This study aimed to explore sex-specific differences in the presentation of multisite pain post LLL. Hypotheses were multisite pain would be more prevalent among females post LLL as compared with males, and female sex would be significantly associated with multisite pain prevalence.

Exploring Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Intensity Effects on Multifidus Muscle Activity in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: An Ultrasound Imaging-Informed Investigation.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Background: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is an effective tool for stimulating multifidus muscle contractions. Ultrasound imaging (USI) is valid and reliable for quantifying multifidus activity represented by percent thickness change from a resting to contracted state.

Epidural Fat and Its Association with Pain, Physical Function, and Disability Among Older Adults with Low Back Pain and Controls.

Objective: To examine epidural fat and its relationship to pain, physical function, and disability among older adults with chronic low back pain, chronic low back pain plus leg pain, and controls.

Design: Cross-sectional, comparative study.

Setting: Standardized examinations were conducted in a research laboratory, and magnetic resonance images were obtained.

Back Stiffness Is Associated with Physical Health and Low Back Pain-Related Disability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objective: Back stiffness is a common complaint among older adults with low back pain. Nonetheless, self-reported back stiffness has received little exploration in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of self-reported low back stiffness with physical health and low back pain-related disability among older adults with low back pain.

Trunk Muscle Size and Composition Assessment in Older Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain: An Intra-Examiner and Inter-Examiner Reliability Study.

Objective: To evaluate intra- and inter-examiner reliability for the assessment of relative cross-sectional area, muscle-to-fat infiltration indices, and relative muscle cross-sectional area, i.e., total cross-sectional area minus intramuscular fat, from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images obtained in older adults with chronic low back pain.