Effects of 7 Consecutive Systematic Applications of Cryotherapy With Compression.

Context: Postsurgical and acute orthopedic patients are frequently treated with consecutive systematic cryotherapy despite the void of data to support treatment safety or effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine the occurrence of frostbite and measure skin temperatures during the systematic application of 2 cryocompression protocols.

Design: A repeated-measures design guided this study.

Skinfold thickness at 8 common cryotherapy sites in various athletic populations.

Context: Researchers have observed slower cooling rates in thigh muscle with greater overlying adipose tissue, suggesting that cryotherapy duration should be based on the adipose thickness of the treatment site. Skinfold data do not exist for other common cryotherapy sites, and no one has reported how those skinfolds might vary because of physical activity level or sex.

Objective: To determine the variability in skinfold thickness among common cryotherapy sites relative to sex and activity level (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes, recreationally active college athletes).

Temperature measurement reliability and validity with thermocouple extension leads or changing lead temperature.

Context: Thermocouples' leads are often too short, necessitating the use of an extension lead.

Objective: To determine if temperature measures were influenced by extension-lead use or lead temperature changes.

Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

Response of thermocouples interfaced to electrothermometers when immersed in 5 water bath temperatures.

Context: Thermocouples and electrothermometers are used in therapeutic modality research. Until recently, researchers assumed that these instruments were valid and reliable.

Objective: To examine 3 different thermocouple types in 5 degrees C, 15 degrees C, 18.

Reliability and validity of electrothermometers and associated thermocouples.

Objective: Examine thermocouple model uncertainty (reliability+validity).

Design: First, a 3x3 repeated measures design with independent variables electrothermometers and thermocouple model. Second, a 1x3 repeated measures design with independent variable subprobe.

The uncertainty (validity and reliability) of three electrothermometers in therapeutic modality research.

Context: Data from electrothermometers are used to determine therapeutic modality usage, but the value of experimental results is only as good as the data collected.

Objective: To determine the reliability and validity of 3 electrothermometers from 2 manufacturers.

Design: A 3 x 4 x 17 factorial with repeated measures on 2 factors.

Paraspinal musculature and skin temperature changes: comparing the Thermacare HeatWrap, the Johnson & Johnson Back Plaster, and the ABC Warme-Pflaster.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized, crossover design.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson Back Plaster, the ABC Warme-Pflaster, and the ThermaCare HeatWrap on skin and paraspinal muscle temperature. Also, to compare the subjects' heat perception for the 3 products.

Desmin increases with high-intensity concentric contractions in humans.

To investigate the role desmin may play in muscular adaptation to exercise, we measured desmin protein content in the vastus lateralis muscle of seven untrained men in response to 8 weeks of high-intensity cycle training. Training involved 15-s sprints separated by rest for 5 min. Subjects began with four sprints twice per week, and progressed to six sprints three times per week.

Cold Modalities With Different Thermodynamic Properties Produce Different Surface and Intramuscular Temperatures.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surface cooling and deep cooling produced by 3 common forms of cryotherapy. DESIGN AND SETTING: We used a 3 x 4 x 4 factorial with repeated measures on measurement depth and treatment. Independent variables were measurement depth (surface, fat + 1 cm, and fat + 2 cm), treatment (ice bag, Wet-Ice, Flex-i-Cold, and control), and treatment order (first, second, third, and fourth).