Reliability and criterion validity of the "Gyroscope" application of the iPod™ for measuring lumbar range of motion.

Background: Recent technologies, such as the iPod, are often equipped with an accelerometer and magnetometer, which, through software applications, can perform various inclinometric functions. These applications have the potential to measure and quantify range of motion (ROM).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the iPod "Gyroscope" application intra- and inter-rater reliability as well as its criterion validity in healthy participants lumbar ROM assessment.

The Addition of Glenohumeral Adductor Coactivation to a Rotator Cuff Exercise Program for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Treatments for rotator cuff tendinopathy include rotator cuff muscle strengthening to promote better muscle recruitment in order to minimize subacromial narrowing during active movement. Glenohumeral adductor recruitment has also been shown to prevent such narrowing in asymptomatic individuals; therefore, adding glenohumeral adductor coactivation during rotator cuff strengthening could enhance the efficacy of rotator cuff strengthening. However, no study has explored its benefits.

Patellar taping alters knee kinematics during step descent in individuals with a meniscal injury: An exploratory study.

Background: Meniscus lesions are common musculoskeletal knee injuries which often lead to pain, limitation and compensations during functional tasks, such as descending stairs. This study investigated the effect of patellar taping with tension and without tension on three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the knee during a slow step descent task in patients with meniscal lesions.

Methods: Ten patients diagnosed with a meniscal lesion, confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, underwent five, step descent movements at slow speed under three different conditions: 1) no taping; 2) tension-free taping; and 3) patellar taping with medial tension.

Comparison of knee kinematics between meniscal tear and normal control during a step-down task.

Background: Difficulty descending stairs is a common functional complaint reported by patients with meniscal tears. Abnormal knee movement patterns, such as dynamic valgus of the knee or decreased knee flexion during step down, have been reported by clinicians, but 3D knee kinematics descending stairs has never been described in this population.

Objective: The objective of this study is to compare 3D knee kinematics of individuals with a meniscal tear to that of control individuals during a step-down task.