Motor Point as an Alternative to Femoral Nerve Stimulation for the Assessment of Quadriceps Muscle Inhibition in Healthy Women.

Context: The evaluation of quadriceps muscle inhibition with the interpolated twitch technique is usually performed by stimulating the femoral nerve (FN). However, there are some problems related to the use of this stimulation site, which may be partially overcome by delivering the stimulation over the motor point (MP). This study sought to compare MP to FN stimulation at different joint angles for the evaluation of quadriceps muscle inhibition, resting peak torque, and discomfort in healthy women.

Can a clinical assessment predict the functional status progression in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome?

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a hip joint motion-related clinical disorder with a triad of symptoms, clinical signs, and imaging findings. However, scientific evidence is still unclear regarding the best treatment for FAIS.

Objectives: To assess the value of a physical therapy evaluation in predicting the progression of functional status over the subsequent years in patients with FAIS who are candidates for hip arthroscopy surgery.

Single-Leg Squat Test in the Clinical Setting Does Not Discriminate Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome From Asymptomatic Individuals.

Context: Laboratorial 3-dimensional kinematic analyses have shown changes in the single-leg squat's (SLS) pattern of patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). However, it is unknown whether clinicians are able to detect these changes using 2-dimensional kinematics.

Objective: To compare the frontal plane 2-dimensional kinematics of patients with FAIS and asymptomatic individuals in the SLS test performed in a clinical setting.

Do femoral version abnormalities play a role in hip function of patients with hip pain?

Background: A high prevalence of femoral version abnormalities has been observed in hip pain patients, with impact on hip range of motion and muscle strength that should be elucidated.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. Thirty-one patients with hip pain (16 men and 15 female) were subjected to Biplanar X-Rays to quantify femoral version using three-dimensional measurements.

Are the Harris Hip Score and the Hip Outcome Score valid patient-reported outcome measures for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome?

Background: The International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33) is a reference instrument among the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to assess people with hip disorders, including femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. Older questionnaires such as the Harris Hip Score, or its modified version (mHHS), and the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), through the full version or its subscales (Activities of Daily Living-ADL; and Sports) are still used in the clinical setting and their construct validity is so far underexplored.

Objective: To assess the construct validity of mHHS and HOS-ADL compared with iHOT-33 by hypothesis testing in a large sample of patients with FAI syndrome.

Assessing the Sensitivity of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography 3-Material Decomposition for the Detection of Gout.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and precision of a novel application of 3-material decomposition (3MD) with virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) in the dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) assessment of monosodium urate (MSU) and hydroxyapatite (HA) phantoms compared with a commercial 2-material decomposition (2MD) and dual-thresholding (DT) material decomposition methods.

Materials And Methods: Monosodium urate (0.0, 3.

Proximal and distal muscle thickness is different in women with patellofemoral pain but is not associated with knee frontal plane projection angle.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare proximal and distal muscle thickness between patellofemoral pain (PFP) and asymptomatic women (CG) and to verify the possible association between morphology and lower limb alignment during single leg-squat.

Methods: Thirty women (PFP, n = 15 and CG, n = 15) performed the following evaluations: (i) muscle thickness of external oblique (EO), gluteus medius (GMed), tensor fascia latae (TFL), peroneus (PER) and tibialis anterior (TA); (ii) knee frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) during single-leg squat.

Results: Compared with the CG, PFP showed: (1) smaller GMed (-10.

Alternating Current Is More Fatigable Than Pulsed Current in People Who Are Healthy: A Double-Blind, Randomized Crossover Trial.

Objective: Tolerance level and rapid fatigue onset are limitations in the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) as an electrotherapeutic resource in rehabilitation and training protocols; however, it is unclear if pulsed current (PC) and alternating current (AC) produce different fatigue levels when applied at submaximal contraction level. The purpose of this study was to compare fatigue and discomfort levels between PC and AC during a submaximal contraction protocol in people who are healthy.

Methods: In this double-blind, randomized crossover trial conducted in a laboratory setting, 30 male volunteers [23.

Hip muscle weakness and reduced joint range of motion in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: a case-control study.

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is a hip joint motion-related clinical disorder characterized by abnormal contact between the hip joint structures. Abnormal hip morphology and joint pain may impair the hip joint range of motion (ROM) and muscle function. However, FAI effects on hip joint ROM and muscle strength remain controversial.

Low-Frequency Pulsed Current Versus Kilohertz-Frequency Alternating Current: A Scoping Literature Review.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of low-frequency pulsed current versus kilohertz-frequency alternating current in terms of evoked force, discomfort level, current intensity, and muscle fatigability; to discuss the physiological mechanisms of each neuromuscular electrical stimulation type; and to determine if kilohertz-frequency alternating current is better than low-frequency pulsed current for clinical treatment.

Data Sources: Articles were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTSDiscus databases using the terms Russian current or kilohertz current or alternating current or pulsed current or Aussie current and torque or discomfort or fatigue or current intensity, and through citation tracking up to July 2017.

Study Selection: Two independent reviewers selected studies comparing the use of the 2 neuromuscular electrical stimulation currents.

The structural and mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon 2 years after surgical repair.

Background: Acute ruptures of the Achilles tendon affect the tendon's structural and mechanical properties. The long-term effects of surgical repair on these properties remain unclear.

Purpose: To evaluate effects of early mobilization versus traditional immobilization rehabilitation programs 2 years after surgical Achilles tendon repair, by comparing force-elongation and stress-strain relationships of the injured tendon to those of the uninjured tendon.