Fibrous muscular contractures: treatment with a new direct contact microwave applicator operating at 915 MHz.

A patient having bilateral contractures of the rectus femoris and brachial biceps muscles due to pentazocine injection was treated with a regime of heat and stretch. Heat was provided by a new air cooled direct contact applicator operating at 915 MHz. Stretch was applied by adding weights to a cable which was attached to the arm or leg to be stretched.

Temperatures in human thighs after hot pack treatment followed by ultrasound.

Temperature distributions were measured in the anterior thigh of human volunteers after preheating with a hot pack followed by ultrasound, a frequently used therapeutic procedure. The skin surface temperature is elevated by this procedure but the highest temperature is still produced at the bone-muscle interface at the end of the treatment session.

Knee lock device for knee ankle orthoses for spinal cord injured patients: an evaluation.

The effect of a specially designed knee lock in a knee ankle orthosis was studied in 2 able-bodied volunteers and in 2 patients with spinal cord lesions. This lock allows the knee to bend during the swing phase but locks the knee securely during the stance phase. The device is intended to improve gait pattern and reduce oxygen consumption more than a standard knee lock which keeps the knee straight throughout the entire gait cycle.

Pneumatic and standard double upright orthoses: comparison of their biomechanical function in three patients with spinal cord injuries.

A detailed analysis of the biomechanical and physiological function of pneumatic orthoses comparing them to the standard double upright knee ankle orthoses was performed in three patients with different lesion levels. The results suggest that the main value of the long pneumatic orthosis is for early mobilization of the patient. In addition, the long pneumatic orthosis provides hip and trunk stabilization for marginal walkers who walk for exercise purposes.

Heating patterns produced in humans by 433.92 MHz round field applicator and 915MHz contact applicator.

Temperature distributions produced by a round field applicator operating at a frequency of 433.92 megahertz (MHz) are comparable to those produced by a 915 MHz cooled contact applicator in human volunteers with less than or equal to 1 cm or greater than or equal to 2 cm of subcutaneous fat. The major difference between the two applicators is the temperatures produced on the skin surface and in the subcutaneous fat in humans.

Temperature distribution produced in models by three microwave applicators at 433.92 megahertz.

Temperature distributions produced in phantom models by diathermy applicators operating at a frequency of 433.92 MHz, a frequency not approved for diathermy by Federal Communication Commission regulations, and an experimental cooled contact applicator operating at an assigned frequency of 915 MHz were compared. The specially designed direct contact applicator with surface cooling elevated deep muscle temperatures as effectively as the "Rundfeldstrahler" operating at the lower frequency in spite of the better penetration of the energy at the lower frequency.