Forward step down test - clinical rating is correlated with joint angles of the pelvis and hip: an observational study.

Background: Clinical methods for assessing quality of movement and functional tests are important to clinicians. Typical deviations from normal kinematics during the clinical test of Forward Step Down Test (FSDT) are pelvic tilt and hip adduction which are associated with the risk of knee pain.

Objectives: (1) to examine the correlation between clinical assessment of the FSDT and joint angle measurements of pelvis, hip, knee and ankle joints in males and females; (2) to examine the differences in joint angles between individuals rated as good, fair or poor in a FSDT performance test.

Stretching and muscle-performance exercises for chronic nonspecific neck pain: who may benefit most?

Background: Although exercise is the mainstay of treatment for neck pain (NP), uncertainty remains over optimal decision-making concerning who may benefit most from such, particularly in the long term.

Objective: To identify the subgroup of patients with nonspecific NP most likely to benefit from stretching and muscle-performance exercises.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of treatment outcomes of 70 patients (10 of whom dropped out) with a primary complaint of nonspecific NP in one treatment arm of a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Ultrasonographic measurements of the omohyoid muscle during shoulder muscles contraction.

Background: The main function of the omohyoid muscle is to depress and withdraw the hyoid bone. This is an integral part of the swallowing process facilitating hyoid stabilization for tongue movement. Although the muscle is inferiorly attached to the scapula bone, its function during shoulder or scapula muscles contraction has yet not been studied.

The Perception of Pelvic Floor Muscle Function amongst Exercising Women Who Are Repeatedly Instructed to Contract Their Pelvic Floor Muscles.

In this study, the self-perception of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contractions amongst women receiving repeated verbal instructions during exercise classes was examined. The prevalence and severity of urinary stress incontinence were also assessed. This cross-sectional observational study included 46 women (mean age 48 (±8.

Neck Pain Clinical Prediction Rule to Prescribe Combined Aerobic and Neck-Specific Exercises: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: A previous randomized controlled trial revealed that combined aerobic and neck-specific exercises yielded greater improvement than neck-specific exercises alone after a 6-month intervention in outpatients with nonspecific neck pain (NP). The aim of this secondary analysis was to identify subgroups of patients in the combined exercises group most likely to benefit from the intervention.

Methods: Sixty-nine patients were included.

Effectiveness of Various Dosages and Administration Methods of Tanezumab for the Treatment of Pain in Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis: a Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Previous meta-analyses have reported the superiority of tanezumab versus placebo in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). However, they did not compare different injection methods (intravenous or subcutaneous), doses of injection.

Objective: The goal of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of different dosages and methods of injection of tanezumab on relieving pain in patients with OA.

Effectiveness of combined aerobic exercise and neck-specific exercise compared to neck-specific exercise alone on work ability in neck pain patients: a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the effect of combined aerobic exercise (AE) and neck-specific exercise to neck-specific exercise alone on the work ability of individuals complaining of neck pain.

Method: Secondary analysis of data from a previous randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare AE and neck-specific exercise (AE group, n = 69) to neck-specific exercise alone (control group, n = 70). The Work Ability Index (WAI) was administered after the 6-week intervention, and Global Rating of Change (GROC) was assessed after the 6-week intervention and at 12- and 24-week follow-ups.

Exertional sodium loss does not increase immediate salt appetite or dietary sodium intake in athletes.

We tested whether salt preference increases immediately after exertion-induced Na loss in sweat, and whether this may generalise to an increase in habitual dietary Na intake. For the first aim, trained athletes (n = 20) exercised in 2 ambient temperatures and sweat Na loss related to immediate salt preference assessed by taste, intake and psychophysical tests. For the second aim, we compared dietary and urinary Na, and salt preference, seasoning and hedonics in the athletes and sedentary men (n = 20).

Magnetically Actuated Manipulation and Its Applications for Cartilage Defects: Characteristics and Advanced Therapeutic Strategies.

For the fact that articular cartilage is a highly organized and avascular tissue, cartilage defects are limited to spontaneously heal, which would subsequently progress to osteoarthritis. Many methods have been developed to enhance the ability for cartilage regeneration, among which magnetically actuated manipulation has attracted interests due to its biocompatibility and non-invasive manipulation. Magnetically actuated manipulation that can be achieved by introducing magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic field.

The effectiveness of an aerobic exercise training on patients with neck pain during a short- and long-term follow-up: a prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To examine the effect of adding aerobic exercise (AE) to neck-specific exercise treatment for patients with neck pain (NP) to reduce pain and disability.

Design: A prospective multicentre randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Physiotherapy outpatient clinics.

Differences Between Long Distance Road Runners and Trail Runners in Achilles Tendon Structure and Jumping and Balance Performance.

Background: Load and joint kinematics change with differences in running surface. Running regularly on trails compared to roads might influence the load on the Achilles tendon and its adaptations, along with other factors such as balance, strength, and proprioception.

Objective: To investigate Achilles tendon structure and functional tests in road and trail runners.

Thrombolysis in elderly stroke patients in Italy (TESPI) trial and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Since its approval, the use of alteplase had been limited to patients aged ≤80 years.

Aims: TESPI trial had been designed to evaluate whether alteplase treatment within 3 h in patients with acute ischemic stroke aged >80 years resulted in favorable benefit/risk ratio compared with standard care. The meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was updated to put findings in the context of all available evidence.

Pharmacological Inhibition of Rac1 Activity Prevents Pathological Calcification and Enhances Tendon Regeneration.

Tendinopathy is a common disease, which is characterized by pain, swelling, and dysfunction. At the late stage of tendinopathy, pathological changes may occur, such as tendon calcification. Previously, we have shown that tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) underwent osteogenesis in the inflammatory niche in diseased tendons.

Prediction of the Wingate anaerobic mechanical power outputs from a maximal incremental cardiopulmonary exercise stress test using machine-learning approach.

The Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) is a short-term maximal intensity cycle ergometer test, which provides anaerobic mechanical power output variables. Despite the physiological significance of the variables extracted from the WAnT, the test is very intense, and generally applies for athletes. Our goal, in this paper, was to develop a new approach to predict the anaerobic mechanical power outputs using maximal incremental cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET).

Autograft or Allograft? Irradiated or Not? A Contrast Between Autograft and Allograft in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To compare the clinical outcomes and adverse events associated with irradiated and nonirradiated allografts in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched for randomized controlled trials from January 1990 to March 2018 to compare autograft with allograft in ACL reconstruction. Both objective and subjective outcomes of the function and adverse events were meta-analyzed.

The Effect of Cartilage Fragments on Femoral Tunnel Widening After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

Purpose: To analyze the effect of cartilage fragments on tunnel widening and tendon-bone integration at 2 years' follow-up after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was performed in 116 patients who underwent ACLR with autologous hamstring tendons augmented with cartilage fragments (study group, n = 56) or without any augmentation (control group, n = 60). All patients were followed up for 25.

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair With Graft Augmentation of 3-Dimensional Biological Collagen for Moderate to Large Tears: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Background: Due to the highly organized tissue and avascular nature of the rotator cuff, rotator cuff tears have limited ability to heal after the tendon is reinserted directly on the greater tubercle of the humerus. Consequently, retears are among the most common complications after rotator cuff repair. Augmentation of rotator cuff repairs with patches has been an active area of research in recent years to reduce retear rate.

Concurrent criterion validity of a novel portable motion analysis system for assessing the landing error scoring system (LESS) test.

The landing error scoring system (LESS) assesses the quality of a landing after a jump. The quality of the jump is usually evaluated using a three-dimensional (3-D) motion analysis system or a two-dimensional (2-D) video analysis visually rated by a clinician. However, both methods have disadvantages.

Biomimetic tendon extracellular matrix composite gradient scaffold enhances ligament-to-bone junction reconstruction.

Unlabelled: Management of ligament/tendon-to-bone-junction healing remains a formidable challenge in the field of orthopedic medicine to date, due to deficient vascularity and multi-tissue transitional structure of the junction. Numerous strategies have been employed to improve ligament-bone junction healing, including delivery of stem cells, bioactive factors, and synthetic materials, but these methods are often inadequate at recapitulating the complex structure-function relationships at native tissue interfaces. Here, we developed an easily-fabricated and effective biomimetic composite to promote the regeneration of ligament-bone junction by physically modifying the tendon extracellular matrix (ECM) into a Random-Aligned-Random composite using ultrasound treatment.

Sport- and sample-specific features of trace elements in adolescent female field hockey players and fencers.

Active physical exercises and growth are associated with mineral imbalances in young athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of sport-related factors on tissue mineral status in adolescent female athletes. Saliva and hair samples were used for the analysis of immediate and more permanent tissue mineral status, respectively.

The immediate effect of dry needling on multifidus muscles' function in healthy individuals.

Background: Dry needling of muscles is mainly used for the management of pain in musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the association between dry needling and motor performance of muscles is still unclear.

Objective: To investigate the immediate effect of dry needling on lumbar multifidus muscles' function in healthy subjects.

One-Step Cartilage Repair Technique as a Next Generation of Cell Therapy for Cartilage Defects: Biological Characteristics, Preclinical Application, Surgical Techniques, and Clinical Developments.

Purpose: To provide a comprehensive overview of the basic science rationale, surgical technique, and clinical outcomes of 1-step cartilage repair technique used as a treatment strategy for cartilage defects.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in the main medical databases to evaluate the several studies concerning 1-step procedures for cartilage repair. The characteristics of cell-seed scaffolds, behavior of cells seeded into scaffolds, and surgical techniques were also discussed.