Publications by authors named "Masafumi Mizukami"

Background: The morphological changes in the posterior glenoid rim are unknown in relation to the area of rotator cuff tendons pinched within the glenohumeral joint in the throwing shoulders of baseball players. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify whether these changes are associated with the area of impingement in baseball players.

Methods: Overall, 25 asymptomatic male college baseball players (average age19.

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Background: Cervical spinal cord injury (CSI) often leads to impaired respiratory function, affecting the overall well-being of patients. This study aimed to investigate the influence of rib cage motion on inspiratory capacity in CSI patients.

Methods: We conducted a study with 11 CSI patients, utilising respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP).

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Introduction: The wearable cyborg Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) is the world's first cyborg-type wearable robotic device, and it assists the user's voluntary movements and facilitates muscle activities. However, since the minimum height required for using the HAL is 150 cm, a smaller HAL (2S size) has been newly developed for pediatric use. This study aimed to (1) examine the feasibility and safety of a protocol for treatments with HAL (2S size) in pediatric patients and (2) explore the optimal method for assessing the efficacy of HAL.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to validate the structure of the Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) using a group of 104 Japanese individuals, mostly with tetraplegia, through repeated evaluations and statistical analysis.
  • - Results indicated that TASS is a unidimensional and reliable tool for assessing trunk function in SCI patients, though it showed an item with poor fit and a ceiling effect, particularly affecting those with complete injuries.
  • - The conclusion highlighted the need for modifications in the TASS, as it proved to be too easy for the participants, suggesting that changes could enhance its effectiveness as an assessment tool.
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Article Synopsis
  • The Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) and the Trunk Control Test (TCT-SCI) are both reliable tools for assessing trunk function in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), but their validity differences are not fully understood.
  • In a study involving 30 SCI individuals, researchers evaluated both criterion validity (comparing TASS to the TCT-SCI) and construct validity (examining correlations with other motor scores and walking indices).
  • Results showed a moderate correlation between TASS and TCT-SCI, supporting construct validity, and established cut-off points for identifying ambulators at 26 points for TASS and 18 points for TCT-SCI.
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Background: The Seated Reach Test (SRT) is an assessment tool for evaluating the sitting balance of individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). We developed the Shoulder Shifting Test (SST), which is a tool for measuring the reaching distance of individuals with difficulty in raising their arms, such as individuals with tetraplegia.

Objective: To investigate the agreement between the SST and the SRT and the usefulness of the SST.

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Objective: To confirm the responsiveness and minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) of the Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS).

Participants And Methods: We evaluated 48 Japanese individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) (age 64.1 ± 10.

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Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and calculate the measurement error of the Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) and trunk control test (TCT-SCI) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Rehabilitation Hospital in Japan.

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Background: During shoulder abduction and external rotation, internal impingement can occur when compressive forces between the greater tuberosity and the posterior glenoid rim pinch the undersurface of the rotator cuff. Previous studies on internal impingement have focused on qualitative results such as pathological findings; however, few studies have quantified the area of impingement (AOI) of the rotator cuff muscles between the greater tuberosity and the posterior glenoid rim.

Purpose: To compare the AOI between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders of baseball players.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated inspiratory intercostal muscle activity in patients with cervical spinal cord injuries using various methods like electromyography and ultrasonography.
  • - Three patients were evaluated, but electromyography did not show significant muscle activity; however, rib cage volume increased with higher inspiratory efforts.
  • - The findings suggest that respiratory inductance plethysmography effectively measures intercostal muscle function despite the lack of significant changes in muscle thickness among patients.
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Background/objective: Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are prone to re-injury, and it is crucial to prevent the primary injury. One of the anatomical risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury is the posterior tibial slope angle. Investigating the characteristics of healthy individuals with respect to the posterior tibial slope angle is important to elucidate the risk of developing anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

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Background: Gait disturbance often occurs in stroke survivors. Recovery of walking function is challenging, as some gait disturbance due to hemiparesis often remains even after rehabilitation therapy, presenting a major obstacle towards regaining activities-of-daily-living performance and achieving social reintegration.

Objective: This study aims to clarify the effectiveness of a walking program involving the wearable Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL-TS01) robotic exoskeleton for improving walking ability in stroke patients with hemiparesis and stagnant recovery despite ongoing rehabilitation.

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[Purpose] The hybrid assistive limb was developed to improve the kinematics and muscle activity in patients with neurological and orthopedic conditions. The purpose of the present study was to examine the long-term sustained effect of gait training using a hybrid assistive limb on gait stability, kinematics, and muscle activity by preventing knee collapse in a patient with cerebral palsy. [Participant and Methods] A 17 year-old male with cerebral palsy performed gait training with a hybrid assistive limb 12 times in 4 weeks.

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[Purpose] This study aimed to determine the safety and immediate effect of a single training session with the Hybrid Assistive Limb (CYBERDYNE) on walking ability in patients with cerebral palsy. [Participants and Methods] This study included 20 patients with cerebral palsy (15 males, 5 females, mean age 15.0 ± 6.

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Background: The Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL, CYBERDYNE) is a wearable robot that provides assistance to patients while walking, standing, and performing leg movements based on the intended movement of the wearer. We aimed to assess the effect of HAL training on the walking ability, range of motion (ROM), and muscle strength of patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and to compare the functional status after HAL training to the conventional training methods after surgery.

Methods: Nine patients (10 knees) underwent HAL training (mean age 74.

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Purpose: The Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL®, CYBERDYNE) is a wearable robot that provides assistance to a patient while they are walking, standing, and performing leg movements based on the wearer's intended movement. The effect of robot-assisted training using HAL® for cerebral palsy (CP) is unknown. Therefore, we assessed the effect of robot-assisted training using HAL® on patients with CP, and compared walking and gross motor abilities between pre-intervention and post-intervention.

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Background: The Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) is an exoskeleton wearable robot suit that assists in voluntary control of knee and hip joint motion. There have been several studies on HAL intervention effects in stroke, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. However, no study has investigated HAL intervention for patients with cerebral palsy after surgery.

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[Purpose] Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) using Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL, CYBERDYNE) was previously reported beneficial for stroke and spinal cord injury patients. Here, we investigate the immediate effect of a single session of RAGT using HAL on gait function for cerebral palsy (CP) patients. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve patients (average age: 16.

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After total knee arthroplasty (TKA), it is important for patients to show early improvements in knee joint function and walking to regain independence in performing the activities of daily life. We conducted for 4 weeks an intervention one week after TKA using a hybrid assistive limb (HAL: unilateral leg type) as an exoskeleton robotic device to facilitate knee joint function and walking. The intervention improved the range of knee extension movement safely and without pain compared to preoperation.

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[Purpose] Friction massage (friction) of the popliteal fossa is provided for the purpose of relieving pain related to circulatory disorders by improving venous flow in the lower legs. The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of enhancing the venous flow based on measuring the blood flow velocity of the popliteal vein before and after providing friction to the patients. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen healthy male university students participated in the study.

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[Purpose] This study aimed to examine whether or not friction massage of the popliteal fossa would be effective for achieving dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve healthy male university students participated. Before and after friction massage, dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy to evaluate its efficacy.

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Background: The robotic Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) provides motion according to the wearer's voluntary activity. HAL training effects on walking speed and capacity have not been clarified in subacute stroke.

Objectives: To determine improvement in walking ability by HAL and the most effective improvement measure for use in future large-scale trials.

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Purpose To determine whether gait training with a hybrid assistive limb (HAL) as an exoskeleton robotic device was safe and could increase functional mobility and gait ability in subacute stroke patients. Methods The participants were eight patients with post-stroke hemiparesis whose walking impairment and gait recovery curves had plateaued. The intervention program was gait training using HAL and a walker for 20 min daily 5 days a week for 5 weeks.

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[Purpose] The aim of this study was to understand the factors involved in increasing physical activity levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients for improved glycemic control. [Subjects] The subjects were 101 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who had completed an inpatient diabetes education program. [Methods] The survey evaluated physical activity levels on the basis of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and a questionnaire listing physical and psychosocial factors.

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