Length-tension properties of ankle muscles in chronic human spinal cord injury.

Contracture, or loss of range of motion (ROM) of a joint, is a common clinical problem in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). In order to measure the possible contribution of changes in muscle length to the loss of ankle ROM, the active force vs. angle curves for the tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemiussoleus (GS) were measured in 20 participants, 10 with SCI, and 10 gender and age matched, neurologically intact (NI) individuals.

They talk the talk: Surveying attitudes and judging behavior about living anonymous kidney donation.

Background: Over the past 30 years, numerous studies have reported that some individuals are willing to donate a kidney anonymously to a stranger; however, intentions are poor predictors of behavior. We surveyed individuals interested in being living anonymous donors (LADs), exposed them to an interview paralleling live-donor assessment, and measured their LAD commitment. Personality and donation decision factors were examined to corroborate cases of attitudinal and behavioral congruency.

The living anonymous kidney donor: lunatic or saint?

Studies indicate that 11% to 54% of individuals surveyed would consider donating a kidney, while alive, to a stranger. The idea of 'living anonymous donors' (LADs) as a donor source, however, has not been embraced by the medical community. Reservations focus on the belief that LADs might be psychologically unstable and thus unsuitable donors.