The recovery of walking function following spinal cord injury (SCI) is of major importance to patients and clinicians. In experimental SCI studies, a rat model is widely used to assess walking function, following thoracic spinal cord lesion. In an effort to provide a resource which investigators can refer to when seeking the most appropriate functional assay, the authors have compiled and categorized the behavioral assessments used to measure the deficits and recovery of the gait in thoracic SCI rats. These categories include kinematic and kinetic measurements. Within this categorization, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of measurement. The present review includes the type of outcome data that they produce, the technical difficulty and the time required to potentially train the animals to perform them, and the need for expensive or highly specialized equipment. The use of multiple kinematic and kinetic parameters is recommended to identify subtle deficits and processes involved in the compensatory mechanisms of walking function after experimental thoracic SCI in rats.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.027 | DOI Listing |
Clin Biomech (Bristol)
January 2025
Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Rd, #14-03 Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Woodlands Health, National Healthcare Group, 737628, Singapore.
Background: Stair climbing tests are pivotal when assessing physical performance in knee osteoarthritis patients, yet the biomechanical strategies that underpin poor stair climbing ability are heterogeneously reported. Single step tasks emulate a step-by-step gait pattern, an approach associated with knee pain when stair climbing. The objective of this study is to analyse the biomechanics and electromyography activity of both the leading and trailing limbs during single Step-up and Down tasks in knee osteoarthritis patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSports Med Open
January 2025
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea.
Background: Knee valgus loading is thought to be an important contributor to noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, but the effects of training programs focusing on decreasing knee valgus loading on lower extremity biomechanics with respect to ACL injury risk remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of strength training designed to strengthen the medial thigh muscles on lower extremity joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity during single-leg landing.
Methods: A total of 35 healthy participants randomly conducted either exercises targeting medial thigh muscles (intervention group) or exercises that did not target specific lower extremity muscles (control group).
J Funct Morphol Kinesiol
December 2024
School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 172 37 Athens, Greece.
The tempo of resistance exercises is known to influence performance outcomes, yet its specific effects on post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of fast versus slow repetitions at a load of 70% of one-repetition maximum (1-RM) in the bench press exercise, focusing on velocity, surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity, and applied force while equating time under tension on bench press throw performance. Eleven men (age: 23.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Sports Med
January 2025
Sports Medicine and Movement Lab, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA.
Background: During a windmill softball pitch, the throwing shoulder experiences forces greater than the pitcher's body weight. Various kinematic, kinetic, and performance factors have been related to shoulder forces and torques in softball pitchers, and softball research has examined clinical screening measures such as range of motion, muscular strength, and/or neuromuscular control. However, no studies have explicitly identified low-cost, clinic-friendly screening measures predictive of shoulder distraction forces in softball pitchers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGait Posture
January 2025
School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China. Electronic address:
Background: The clinical benefits and widespread use of traditional mobility aids (such as canes, walking frames, wheeled walkers, etc.) have been hampered by improper use, fear of falling, and social stigma. Clarifying the biomechanical impacts of using mobility aids on users is fundamental to optimizing rehabilitation programs.
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