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Journal of Biomechanics May 2022The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which we could use a split-belt experimental paradigm to increase limb or joint work. Split-belt treadmill...
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which we could use a split-belt experimental paradigm to increase limb or joint work. Split-belt treadmill walking was combined with uphill walking at 0°, 5° and 10° in young, healthy individuals to assess whether we could specifically target increased force output between and within limbs. Thirteen healthy, young adults participated in this study. Participants performed walking trials with the left belt at 1.0 m/s and the right belt at 0.5 m/s. Repeated measures ANOVAs assessed the effects of speed of the treadmill belt and incline on total and joint specific positive extensor work as well as relative work. Mechanical work varied because of the speed and incline of the treadmill belt at the level of the total limb and across joints. Positive lower extremity relative joint work varied as a result of treadmill belt speed and treadmill incline. Positive mechanical work was greater on the limb that was on the faster treadmill belt, regardless of incline. Increases in relative knee but not hip joint work increased as incline increased. The current investigation shows that the nervous system can shift mechanical work production both between and within limbs to safely walk in a novel split-belt environment. This work extends previous research by demonstrating that researchers/clinicians can also use increasing treadmill incline (or some other means to add increased resistive forces) during split-belt treadmill walking to encourage increased mechanical output at particular limbs and/or joints which may have rehabilitation implications.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Exercise Test; Gait; Hip Joint; Humans; Knee Joint; Walking; Young Adult
PubMed: 35413513
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111083 -
Journal of Biomechanics Jan 2020A joint moment also causes motion at other joints of the body. This joint coupling-perspective allows more insight into two age-related phenomena during gait. First,...
A joint moment also causes motion at other joints of the body. This joint coupling-perspective allows more insight into two age-related phenomena during gait. First, whether increased hip kinetic output compensates for decreased ankle kinetic output during positive joint work. Second, whether preserved joint kinetic patterns during negative joint work in older age have any functional implication. Therefore, we examined how age and surface inclination affect joint moment strategies to accelerate and/or decelerate individual leg joints during walking. Healthy young (age: 22.5 ± 4.1 years, n = 18) and older (age: 76.0 ± 5.7 years, n = 22) adults walked at 1.4 m/s on a split-belt instrumented treadmill at three grades (0%, 10%, -10%). Lower-extremity moment-induced angular accelerations were calculated for the hip (0% and 10%) and knee (0% and -10%) joints. During level and uphill walking, both age groups showed comparable ankle moment-induced ipsilateral (p = 0.774) and contralateral (p = 0.047) hip accelerations, although older adults generated lower ankle moments in late stance. However, ankle moment-induced contralateral hip accelerations were smaller (p = 0.001) in an older adult subgroup (n = 13) who showed larger hip extension moments in early stance than young adults. During level and downhill walking, leg joint moment-induced knee accelerations were unaffected by age (all p > 0.05). These findings suggest that during level and uphill walking increased hip flexor mechanical output in older adults does not arise from reduced ankle moments, contrary to increased hip extensor mechanical output. Additionally, results during level and downhill walking imply that preserved eccentric knee extensor function is important in maintaining knee stabilization in older age.
Topics: Acceleration; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Biomechanical Phenomena; Exercise Test; Female; Gait; Humans; Joints; Kinetics; Leg; Male; Surface Properties; Walking; Young Adult
PubMed: 31690458
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.109440 -
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface May 2024The interaction among joints of the midtarsal complex and subtalar joint is important for locomotor function; however, its complexity poses substantial challenges in...
The interaction among joints of the midtarsal complex and subtalar joint is important for locomotor function; however, its complexity poses substantial challenges in quantifying the joints' motions. We determine the mobility of these joints across locomotion tasks and investigate the influence of individual talus morphology on their motion. Using highly accurate biplanar videoradiography, three-dimensional bone kinematics were captured during walking, running and hopping. We calculated the axis of rotation of the midtarsal complex and subtalar joint for the landing and push-off phases. A comparison was made between these rotation axes and the morphological subtalar axis. Measurement included total rotation about and the orientation of the rotation axes in the direction of the subtalar joint and its deviation via spatial angles for both phases. The rotation axes of all three bones relative to the talus closely align with the morphological subtalar axis. This suggests that the midtarsal and subtalar joints' motions might be described by one commonly oriented axis. Despite having such an axis, the location of the axes and ranges of motion differed among the bones. Our results provide a novel perspective of healthy foot function across different sagittal plane-dominant locomotion tasks underscoring the importance of quantifying midtarsal complex and subtalar motion while accounting for an individual's talus morphology.
Topics: Humans; Male; Subtalar Joint; Biomechanical Phenomena; Running; Adult; Walking; Female; Range of Motion, Articular
PubMed: 38807524
DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0074 -
Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery Dec 2022Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis is an established surgical procedure for treating patients with end-stage ankle joint arthritis and subtalar joint arthritis. Although it...
BACKGROUND
Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis is an established surgical procedure for treating patients with end-stage ankle joint arthritis and subtalar joint arthritis. Although it greatly relives pain, a major drawback is loss of range of motion. Although it is known to restrict an additional subtalar joint compared to tibiotalar arthrodesis, there is a lack of gait analysis studies comparing the two methods. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in kinematics of the foot and ankle joints between tibiotalar and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. We also compared preoperative and postoperative statuses for each surgical method.
METHODS
The study included 12 and 9 patients who underwent tibiotalar and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis, respectively, and 40 healthy participants were included in the control group. The DuPont foot model was used to analyze intersegmental foot and ankle kinematics during gait.
RESULTS
Compared to controls, both tibiotalar and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis resulted in slow gait speed with reduced stride length, increased step width, and decreased range of sagittal plane motion. Both fusion methods showed similar range of motion in all segments and planes following surgery. Coronal positions showed more supination of the forefoot and pronation of the hindfoot segment after each operation, particularly tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. Gait after tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis did not significantly differ from that after tibiotalar arthrodesis, but there was a tendency of more pronation in the hindfoot segment.
CONCLUSIONS
Both fusion methods limited foot and ankle motion in similar ways. Comparing tibiotalar and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis suggests that additionally fusing the subtalar joint does not cause greater movement restriction in patients. Objectively comparing tibiotalar and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis will facilitate further understanding of the effect of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis on movement and the value of subtalar joint motion for improved preoperative counselling.
Topics: Humans; Ankle Joint; Ankle; Arthrodesis; Subtalar Joint; Arthritis
PubMed: 36518930
DOI: 10.4055/cios22034 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Most injectable preparations for the articular cavity are solution-type preparations that are frequently administered because of rapid elimination. In this study,...
Most injectable preparations for the articular cavity are solution-type preparations that are frequently administered because of rapid elimination. In this study, triptolide (TPL), an effective ingredient in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was prepared in the form of a nanoparticle thermosensitive gel (TPL-NS-Gel). The particle size distribution and gel structure were investigated by TEM, laser particle size analysis and laser capture microdissection. The effect of the nanoparticle carrier material PLGA on the phase transition temperature was investigated by H variable temperature NMR and DSC. The tissue distribution, pharmacokinetic behavior, four inflammatory factors and therapeutic effect were determined in a rat RA model. The results suggested that PLGA increased the gel phase transition temperature. The drug concentration of the TPL-NS-Gel group in joint tissues was higher than that in other tissues at different time points, and the retention time was longer than that of the TPL-NS group. After 24 days of administration, TPL-NS-Gel significantly improved the joint swelling and stiffness of the rat models, and the improvement degree was better than that of the TPL-NS group. TPL-NS-Gel significantly decreased the levels of hs-CRP, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α in serum and joint fluid. There was a significant difference between the TPL-NS-Gel and TPL-NS groups on Day 24 ( < 0.05). Pathological section results showed that inflammatory cell infiltration was lower in the TPL-NS-Gel group, and no other obvious histological changes were observed. Upon articular injection, the TPL-NS-Gel prolonged drug release, reduced the drug concentration outside the articular tissue and improved the therapeutic effect in a rat RA model. The TPL-NS-Gel can be used as a new type of sustained-release preparation for articular injection.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Joints; Injections, Intra-Articular; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 37375214
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124659 -
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering Jun 2022The lumbar facet capsular ligament, which surrounds and limits the motion of each facet joint in the lumbar spine, has been recognized as being mechanically significant...
The lumbar facet capsular ligament, which surrounds and limits the motion of each facet joint in the lumbar spine, has been recognized as being mechanically significant and has been the subject of multiple mechanical characterization studies in the past. Those studies, however, were performed on isolated tissue samples and thus could not assess the mechanical state of the ligament in vivo, where the constraints of attachment to rigid bone and the force of the joint pressure lead to nonzero strain even when the spine is not loaded. In this work, we quantified these two effects using cadaveric lumbar spines (five spines, 20 total facet joints harvested from L2 to L5). The effect of joint pressure was measured by injecting saline into the joint space and tracking the 3D capsule surface motion via digital image correlation, and the prestrain due to attachment was measured by dissecting a large section of the tissue from the bone and by tracking the motion between the on-bone and free states. We measured joint pressures of roughly 15-40 kPa and local first principal strains of up to 25-50% when 0.3 mL of saline was injected into the joint space; the subsequent increase in pressure and strain were more modest for further increases in injection volume, possibly due to leakage of fluid from the joint. The largest stretches were in the bone-to-bone direction in the portions of the ligament spanning the joint space. When the ligament was released from the vertebrae, it shrank by an average of 4-5%, with local maximum (negative) principal strain values of up to 30%, on average. Based on these measurements and previous tests on isolated lumbar facet capsular ligaments, we conclude that the normal in vivo state of the facet capsular ligament is in tension, and that the collagen in the ligament is likely uncrimped even when the spine is not loaded.
Topics: Biomechanical Phenomena; Humans; Ligaments, Articular; Lumbar Vertebrae; Range of Motion, Articular; Zygapophyseal Joint
PubMed: 35237790
DOI: 10.1115/1.4053993 -
BMC Geriatrics Aug 2022The lower extremity may play a crucial role in compensating for gait perturbations. The study aimed to explore the mechanism of perturbation compensation by...
BACKGROUND
The lower extremity may play a crucial role in compensating for gait perturbations. The study aimed to explore the mechanism of perturbation compensation by investigating the gait characteristics and lower extremity joint moment effects in young (YS) and older subjects (OS) during the first recovery gait following slipping (slipping_Rec1) and stumbling (stumbling_Rec1).
METHOD
An automatic perturbation-triggered program was developed using D-Flow software based on the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab to induce the two aforementioned perturbations. Marker trajectories and ground reaction forces were recorded from 15 healthy YS (age: 26.53 ± 3.04 years; body height: 1.73 ± 0.07 m; body mass: 66.81 ± 11.44 kg) and 15 healthy OS (age: 68.33 ± 3.29 years; body height: 1.76 ± 0.10 m; body mass: 81.13 ± 13.99 kg). The Human Body Model was used to compute the variables of interest. One-way analysis of variance and independent samples t-test statistical analyses were performed.
RESULTS
In slipping_Rec1 and stumbling_Rec1, the change in gait pattern was mainly reflected in a significant increase in step width, no alterations in step length and stance/swing ratio were revealed. Based on perturbed task specificity, lower extremity joint moments increased or decreased at specific phases of the gait cycle in both YS and OS in slipping_Rec1 and stumbling_Rec1 compared to normal gait. The two perturbed gaits reflected the respective compensatory requirements for the lower extremity joints, with both sagittal and frontal joint moments producing compensatory effects. The aging effect was not reflected in the gait pattern, but rather in the hip extension moment during the initial stance of slipping_Rec1.
CONCLUSIONS
Slipping appears to be more demanding for gait recovery than stumbling. Gait perturbation compensatory mechanisms for OS should concentrate on ankle strategy in the frontal plane and counter-rotation strategy around the hip.
Topics: Aged; Ankle Joint; Gait; Hip Joint; Humans; Knee Joint; Lower Extremity; Walking
PubMed: 35948887
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03354-3 -
Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal Sep 2023Musculoskeletal ultrasound is a well accessible technique to assess disease activity in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Knowledge of reference values of...
BACKGROUND
Musculoskeletal ultrasound is a well accessible technique to assess disease activity in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Knowledge of reference values of joint structures is indispensable to differentiate between physiological and pathological finding. The aim of this study was to assess the structural sonographic features of joints and tendons in healthy children from several age groups (0.2-18 year), and develop a set of normative data.
METHODS
Greyscale ultrasound was performed in 500 healthy children (age 0.2-18 years) according to a predefined scanning protocol (Additional file 1) including the shoulder, elbow, wrist, second metacarpophalangeal joint, hip, knee, ankle, and first metatarsophalangeal joint). Demographic data and values of cartilage thickness, tendon diameters, and the degree of capsular distention measured by bone-capsular distance (BCD) were collected. Differences according to the sex were assessed by unpaired t-test. Single and multiple regression analyses were performed between the ultrasound outcomes and covariates such as age, height, weight and body mass index. Growth charts and tables were developed with respect to age. Nonparametric quantile regression was applied using the R-packages quantreg and quantregGrowth.
RESULTS
A total of 195 male and 305 female volunteers were included between the age of 0 and 18 years (mean age 8.9; range: 0.2-17.9 years). Cartilage diminished markedly as children aged, and cartilage of the boys was significantly thicker compared to the girls in all joints (p < 0.001). In addition, cartilage became thinner as children's height and weight increased (beta regression coefficients between - 0.27 and - 0.01, p < 0.0001). Capsular distention (i.e., BCD > 0 mm) was uncommon in the ankle, wrist and MCP2 (resp. in 3, 6, and 3% of cases). It was more common in the suprapatellar and parapatellar knee, MTP1 and posterior recess of the elbow (resp. in 34, 32, 46, and 39% of cases). In the hip, some capsular distention was always present. Age was found to be the best predictor for BCD (beta regression coefficients between 0.05 and 0.13, p < 0.0001). Height was, in addition to age, a good predictor of tendon diameter (beta regression coefficients between 0.03 and 0.14, p < 0.0001). Growth curves and tables for each variable were developed.
CONCLUSIONS
Reference values of sonographic cartilage thickness, BCD and diameters of tendons at several joints were established from 500 healthy children, aged between 0.2 and 18 years. Growth charts and tables were developed to distinguish normal findings from pathology in children with complaints suspicious of arthritis.
Topics: Humans; Child; Female; Male; Infant, Newborn; Infant; Child, Preschool; Adolescent; Ultrasonography; Wrist; Ankle Joint; Wrist Joint; Arthritis, Juvenile
PubMed: 37726757
DOI: 10.1186/s12969-023-00895-8 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2021We aimed to compare the reliability of bone scintigraphy (BS) and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-derived parameters in the...
We aimed to compare the reliability of bone scintigraphy (BS) and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-derived parameters in the detection of active arthritis in 28-joint areas and evaluate the reliability of joint counts between BS and clinical assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We enrolled 106 patients (67 in the development group and 39 in the validation groups) with active RA who underwent BS, F-FDG PET/computed tomography (CT), and clinical evaluation of disease activity. We compared the results of BS-derived joint assessment with those of PET-derived and clinical joint assessments. Subsequently we developed a disease activity score (DAS) using BS-positive joints and validated it in an independent group. The number of BS-positive joints in 28-joint areas significantly correlated with the swollen /tender joint counts (SJC/TJC) and PET-derived joint counts. A BS uptake score of 2 (strong positive) was significantly more sensitive compared with a BS uptake score of 1 (weak positive) in detecting a PET-positive joint among the 28-joints. After conducting multivariate analyses including erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR) and patient global assessment (PGA) in addition to BS-derived parameters, BS/DAS was obtained as follows: 0.056 × number of BS-positive joints in 28 joints + 0.012 × ESR + 0.030 × PGA. A significant correlation between BS/DAS and DAS28-ESR was confirmed in the validation group. Strong positive uptake of BS is sensitive and reproducible for the detection of active joints, and can complement the clinical assessment of disease activity in RA.
Topics: Aged; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Bone and Bones; Female; Humans; Joints; Male; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Radionuclide Imaging; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 34750402
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01104-w -
PloS One 2019Explosive movement requires that the individual exerts force and power with appropriate magnitude and timing. These coordination aspects have received less attention... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
Explosive movement requires that the individual exerts force and power with appropriate magnitude and timing. These coordination aspects have received less attention despite being a basic prerequisite for daily mobility and physical autonomy, especially in older people. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to characterize the effect of age on inter-joint coordination during explosive movement.
METHODS
Twenty-one elderly and twenty young participants performed three maximal vertical jumps, while kinematics were recorded throughout each squat jump. Inter-joint coordination and coordination variability were calculated for selected sagittal hip-knee, knee-ankle, and hip-ankle joint couplings using the continuous relative phase method.
RESULTS
The young participants produced significantly greater jump height performance (0.36 ± 0.07 m vs. 0.12 ± 0.04 m, p < 0.001). The mean absolute continuous relative phase for ankle-knee and knee-hip joint couplings were significantly greater for the elderly in comparison to the young group (p < 0.01 for the both). No significant differences between senior and young participants in the mean absolute continuous relative phase for ankle-hip joint couplings (p = 0.25) was observed. However, there was significantly more variability in inter-joint coordination in the elderly marked by greater continuous relative phase variabilities in ankle-knee, ankle-hip and knee-hip joint couplings (p < 0.001) than those observed in young adults.
CONCLUSION
In this study, seniors demonstrated proximodistal inter-joint coordination but with different delays in the pattern of inter-joint coordination during squat jumps compared to young adults. In addition, a higher continuous relative phase variability in the elderly may be needed to improve stability or compensate for strength deficits in jump achievement.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Biomechanical Phenomena; Female; Humans; Joints; Male; Mechanical Phenomena; Movement; Young Adult
PubMed: 31498811
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221716