Progressive submaximal effort hamstring muscle endurance is reduced after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Background: Endurance capability in the muscles controlling the knee is poorly understood post anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, despite many sporting activities requiring notable muscle endurance. The hamstring muscles, when active, provide important anatomical support to protect the reconstructed graft. In the absence of good hamstring endurance, fatigue may predispose individuals to re-injury.

Validity and Reliability of 3-D Ultrasound Imaging to Measure Hamstring Muscle and Tendon Volumes.

Objective: The validity and reliability of 3-D ultrasound (US) in estimation of muscle and tendon volume was assessed in a very limited number of muscles that can be easily immersed. The objective of the present study was to assess the validity and reliability of muscle volume measurements for all hamstring muscle heads and gracilis (GR), as well as tendon volume for the semitendinosus (ST) and GR using freehand 3-D US.

Methods: Three-dimensional US acquisitions were performed for 13 participants in two distinct sessions on separate days, in addition to one session dedicated to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Trajectories of Pain and Function Outcomes up to 5 to 8 Years Following Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Background: There appears to be substantial variability in outcomes > 2 years following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that is masked by whole group analyses. The goal of the study was to identify trajectories of pain and function outcomes up to 5 to 8 years post-TKA and to identify baseline factors that are associated with different trajectories of recovery.

Methods: Baseline, 6-month, and 12-month pain and function data were collected in a previous study investigating predictors of outcome following primary TKA (n = 286), along with a variety of baseline predictor variables.

A combination of high preoperative pain and low radiological grade of arthritis is associated with a greater intensity of persistent pain 12 months after total knee arthroplasty.

Aims: Despite new technologies for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), approximately 20% of patients are dissatisfied. A major reason for dissatisfaction and revision surgery after TKA is persistent pain. The radiological grade of osteoarthritis (OA) preoperatively has been investigated as a predictor of the outcome after TKA, with conflicting results.

Mobilisation or immobilisation-based treatments for first carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis with subgroup analyses.

Introduction: Both joint mobilisation and immobilisation are thought to be effective in the treatment of first carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of this review was to establish whether either intervention reduced pain and improved pinch strength in people with first CMCJ OA in the short term and assess whether one intervention is superior to the other.

Method: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A Prospective, Median 15-Year Comparison of Ponseti Casting and Surgical Treatment of Clubfoot.

Background: In 2010, 2 authors of this current study reported the results of Ponseti treatment compared with primary posteromedial release (PMR) for congenital talipes equinovarus in a cohort of 51 prospective patients. This current study shows outcomes recorded at a median of 15 years after the original treatment.

Methods: Patient health records were available for all 51 patients at a median of 15 years (range, 13 to 17 years) following treatment of congenital talipes equinovarus with either the Ponseti method (25 patients [38 feet]) or PMR (26 patients [42 feet]).

Impairments in grip and pinch force accuracy and steadiness in people with osteoarthritis of the hand: A case-control comparison.

Background: Symptomatic hand osteoarthritis (OA) is severely disabling condition. Limited evidence has focused on force control measures in this population.

Objectives: It was the aim of the present study to determine whether force matching accuracy and steadiness are impaired in people with hand OA.

Experimental Hand and Knee Pain Cause Differential Effects on Corticomotor Excitability.

Acute pain elicits a well-known inhibitory effect on upper limb corticomotor excitability, whereas the temporal effects of lower-limb experimental pain and pain in a remote limb are less clear. The aim of this study was to compare the temporal corticomotor excitability changes in the upper and lower limbs in response to acute upper and lower limb pain. In a cross-over design, 13 participants (age 29 ± 9 years; 12 male) attended 2 sessions where experimental pain was induced by injecting hypertonic saline into either the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle or infrapatellar fat pad at the knee, inducing a short-lasting pain experience scored on a numerical rating scale (NRS).

A Higher Grey Matter Density in the Amygdala and Midbrain Is Associated with Persistent Pain Following Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Objective: The development of persistent pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is common, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. The goal of the study was to assess brain grey matter structure and its correlation with function of the nociceptive system in people with good and poor outcomes following TKA.

Subjects: Thirty-one people with LOW_PAIN (<3/10 on the numerical ratings scale [NRS]) at six months following TKA and 15 people with HIGH_PAIN (≥3/10 on the NRS) were recruited into the study.

A Gel Pad Designed to Measure Muscle Volume Using Freehand 3-Dimensional Ultrasonography.

We developed an innovative gel pad that covers the entire lower leg to remove artifacts due to the pressure of the transducer in freehand 3-dimensional ultrasonography. In comparison to the reference method in water, this study showed that this new method was valid (bias, 3.4 mL; limit of agreement, 7.

Stretch reflex changes in ACL-deficient individuals and healthy controls during normal and surprise landings.

No studies in ACL-D individuals have examined neuromuscular adaptations during landing from a jump where an unexpected mechanical event changes the pre-programmed course of movement. The purpose of this study was to compare pre- and post-landing muscle activation in ACL-D individuals and uninjured controls during normal and surprise landings. Nineteen ACL-D and 17 uninjured volunteered.

Chronic effects of muscle and nerve-directed stretching on tissue mechanics.

Tissue-directed stretching interventions can preferentially load muscular or nonmuscular structures such as peripheral nerves. How these tissues adapt mechanically to long-term stretching is poorly understood. This randomized, single-blind, controlled study used ultrasonography and dynamometry to compare the effects of 12-wk nerve-directed and muscle-directed stretching programs versus control on maximal ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and passive torque, shear wave velocity (SWV; an index of stiffness), and architecture of triceps surae and sciatic nerve.

Experimental knee pain impairs joint torque and rate of force development in isometric and isokinetic muscle activation.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of acute experimental knee joint pain on maximum force generation and rate of force development (RFD) of the quadriceps muscle during isometric and dynamic muscle activations.

Methods: The right knee of 20 healthy people was injected with hypertonic saline to create an acute pain experience. Measurements of maximum knee extensor torque during isometric, concentric, and eccentric contractions were undertaken using a Biodex dynamometer.

Orthostatic intolerance following hip arthroplasty: incidence, risk factors and effect on length of stay: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Early postoperative mobilisation is important for enhanced recovery, but can be hindered by orthostatic intolerance, characterised by dizziness, nausea, vomiting, feeling of heat, blurred vision and ultimately syncope. Although the incidence of orthostatic intolerance following total hip arthroplasty has been identified, few studies have yet investigated potential risk factors for developing orthostatic intolerance after hip arthroplasty.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of orthostatic intolerance on the first postoperative day after total hip arthroplasty, potential predisposing risk factors for developing orthostatic intolerance and its effect on length of stay.

Effects of stroke injury on the shear modulus of the lower leg muscle during passive dorsiflexion.

Contractures are common complications of a stroke. The spatial location of the increased stiffness among plantar flexors and its variability among survivors remain unknown. This study assessed the mechanical properties of the lower leg muscles in stroke survivors during passive dorsiflexions.

Sensorimotor performance and function in people with osteoarthritis of the hand: A case-control comparison.

Objectives: To determine whether hand left/right judgements, tactile acuity, and body perception are impaired in people with hand OA. To examine the relationships between left right judgements, tactile acuity and hand pain. To explore the relationships between sensorimotor measures (left/right judgements and tactile acuity) and measures of hand function in people with hand OA.

A Comparison of Walking Gait Following Mechanical and Kinematic Alignment in Total Knee Joint Replacement.

Background: Although previous studies have compared radiological, pain, and function scores in kinematically aligned (KA) and mechanically aligned (MA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA), no previous studies have undertaken a three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis in these groups. This study compared kinematic and kinetic variables recorded during level walking in patients at least 2 years post-surgery who underwent an MA or KA procedure.

Methods: Utilizing a 9-camera motion analysis system, gait analysis was undertaken on 29 patients (MA = 15, KA = 14).

The effects of resistance training on muscle strength, joint pain, and hand function in individuals with hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Hand osteoarthritis is a common condition characterised by joint pain and muscle weakness. These factors are thought to contribute to ongoing disability. Some evidence exists that resistance training decreases pain, improves muscle strength, and enhances function in people with knee and hip osteoarthritis.

Non-Muscular Structures Can Limit the Maximal Joint Range of Motion during Stretching.

Stretching is widely used in sport training and clinical practice with the aim of increasing muscle-tendon extensibility and joint range of motion. The underlying assumption is that extensibility increases as a result of increased passive tension applied to muscle-tendon units. In some stretching protocols, this condition is not always met sufficiently to trigger adaptation within the muscle-tendon unit.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Examination and Imaging Findings for Identifying Subacromial Pain.

Background: The diagnosis of subacromial pathology is limited by the poor accuracy of clinical tests for specific pathologies. The aim of this study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination and imaging features for identifying subacromial pain (SAP) defined by a positive response to diagnostic injection, and to evaluate the influence of imaging findings on the clinical diagnosis of SAP.

Methods And Findings: In a prospective, diagnostic accuracy design, 208 consecutive patients presenting to their primary healthcare practitioner for the first time with a new episode of shoulder pain were recruited.

Pain Catastrophizing is Not Associated With Spinal Nociceptive Processing in People With Chronic Widespread Pain.

Objectives: Pain catastrophizing has been associated with higher pain intensity, increased risk of developing chronic pain and poorer outcomes after treatment. Despite this, the mechanisms by which pain catastrophizing influences pain remain poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that pain catastrophizing may impair descending inhibition of spinal level nociception.

The Association Between Corticomotor Excitability and Motor Skill Learning in People With Painful Hand Arthritis.

Objectives: Previous studies have shown a tendency for reduced motor cortex inhibition in chronic pain populations. People with chronic pain also routinely demonstrate motor deficiencies, including skill learning. The goals of the current study were to (1) provide a thorough analysis of corticomotor and intracortical excitability in people with chronic arthritic hand pain, and (2) examine the relationship between these measures and performance on a motor skill learning task.

Is Motor Cortical Excitability Altered in People with Chronic Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Chronic pain is characterised by maladaptive neuroplasticity in many systems, including the motor system. There is evidence that patients with chronic pain demonstrate altered corticospinal and intracortical excitability; however, findings are inconsistent and existing literature in this area has not been systematically reviewed.

Objective: To systematically review studies examining corticospinal and intracortical excitability using transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with chronic pain compared to healthy controls and to provide a meta-analysis of study outcomes.