Effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on functional and strength recovery of handgrip in patients affected by epicondylitis.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is effective in the treatment of tendinopathy. We designed a prospective observational clinical study to assess the correlation between clinical and functional measures and recovery of strength after ESWT for epicondylitis. We analyzed 26 patients.

Evaluation of counter movement jump parameters in young male soccer players.

Purpose: The Counter Movement Jump (CMJ) is widely used as a field test to evaluate the muscular explosive power of lower limbs in various sports, including soccer. The aim of the present study was to verify the possibility to discriminate the effect of training level and age on young adult male soccer players, adopting the flight time, the peak force, or the peak power obtained from a countermovement jump.

Methods: One hundred and twenty three young male soccer players were enrolled in the study; the participants were split into groups according to Tanner's stages (pre- and post-pubertal) and training level (high and low activity).

Relevance of orthostatic posturography for clinical evaluation of hip and knee joint arthroplasty patients.

In order to verify whether orthostatic posturography (OP) can support clinical assessment of total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA), 81 subjects with THA and 100 with TKA were recruited and compared with 59 healthy volunteers. All patients were tested one or two days prior to surgery; 42 subjects (20 THA and 22 TKA) were tested again after six months, and 34 (14 THA and 20 TKA) yet again after 12 months. OP was performed using a Kistler 9286A piezoelectric force plate and the following postural parameters (PPs) were adopted on account of their functional meaning: mean velocity and the root mean square of the distance of the centre of pressure (CoP), sway area, and 95% of the CoP power frequency.

Power output estimation in vertical jump performed by young male soccer players.

The purpose of the study was (a) to assess the accuracy of the regression equations available in the literature to estimate the actual peak power (PPac) of the countermovement jump (CMJ) executed by young male soccer players, (b) to develop new regression equations from this population, and (c) to verify whether regression equations obtained from age-based subgroups could increase the accuracy of the estimation (PPes) of PPac. In all, 117 young players (age: 13.6 ± 2.

Evaluation of standing vertical jump by ankles acceleration measurement.

The use of accelerometers is discussed to evaluate standing vertical jump. Two accelerometers, mounted on each ankle and connected to a wearable system, were used for signal acquisition, and a piezoelectric platform was used to verify the results. Fifty-one subjects were enrolled, subdivided into a group of healthy subjects and 2 groups who had different surgery for Achilles tendon rupture.

Comparative functional analysis of two different achilles tendon surgical repairs.

Background: A number of different surgical procedures have been developed to treat Achilles tendon injuries including open and mini-invasive type. The aim of the present work was to compare the functional outcome of two different techniques, applying a clinical and instrumented protocol.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one subjects were enrolled in the study.