Design of the Second Spine: A Secondary Pathway to Transfer Loads From the Shoulders to the Pelvis

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joon-Hyuk Park ◽  
Paul Stegall ◽  
Damiano Zanotto ◽  
Vineet Vashista ◽  
Xin Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Vertebral Column ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Musculoskeletal Injuries ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Erect Posture ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Muscle Activations ◽  
Backpack Load

The Second Spine is a vest intended to prevent musculoskeletal injuries caused by heavy backpack loads, while also maintaining the range of motion of the wearer. The vest is formed by multiple segments between the shoulder and a pelvic belt. In normal “off” configuration, the segments are disconnected from each other and the vest is flexible providing full range of motion to the upper body. With the pull of a string in the “on” configuration, the vest becomes semi-rigid creating a secondary pathway to transfer loads between the shoulder and a pelvic belt. The device was evaluated by a subject who walked on a treadmill while carrying a backpack load of 25% of his body weight (BW). Experiment results showed that the semi-rigid vest reduces the force exerted on the shoulders and induces a more erect posture. Muscle activations in the lower limbs indicate that loads were successfully transferred from the shoulders to the waist while bypassing the vertebral column. These results show that the device can be used to mitigate potential risks of musculoskeletal injuries caused from backpack loads.

Use of Kinetic and Kinematic Data to Evaluate Load Transfer as a Mechanism for Flexion Relaxation in the Lumbar Spine

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J. Howarth ◽  
Paul Mastragostino
Keyword(s):  
Lumbar Spine ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Added Mass ◽  
Erector Spinae ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Kinematic Data ◽  
Flexion Relaxation

Flexion relaxation (FR) in the low back occurs when load is transferred from the spine's extensor musculature to its passive structures. This study investigated the influence of added upper body mass on low back kinetics and kinematics at the FR onset. Sixteen participants (eight male, eight female) performed standing full forward spine flexion with 0%, 15%, and 30% of their estimated upper body mass added to their shoulders. Electromyographic data were obtained from the lumbar erector spinae. Ground reaction forces and kinematic data from the lower limbs, pelvis, and spine were recorded. Extensor reaction moments (determined using a bottom-up linked segment model) and flexion angles at the FR onset were documented along with the maximum spine flexion. The angle at the FR onset increased significantly with added mass (p < 0.05). Expressing the FR onset angle as a percent of the full range of trunk flexion motion for that condition negated any differences between the added mass conditions. These findings demonstrate that low back kinetics play a role in mediating FR in the lumbar spine.

Mid-aortic syndrome: computed tomography angiography depicting extensive collateral circulation in an 11-year-old patient with thoracoabdominal aortic coarctation

VASA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krohn ◽  
Gebauer ◽  
Hübler ◽  
Beck
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Computed Tomography Angiography ◽  
Collateral Circulation ◽  
Intestinal Ischemia ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Descending Aorta ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Blood Pressures

The mid-aortic syndrome is an uncommon clinical condition characterized by severe narrowing of the descending aorta, usually with involvement of its renal and visceral branches, presenting with uncontrollably elevated blood pressures of the upper body, renal and cardiac failure, intestinal ischemia, encephalopathy symptoms and claudication of the lower limbs, although clinical presentation is variable. In this article we report the case of an eleven-year-old patient with the initial diagnosis of a mid-aortic syndrome and present the computed tomography angiography pictures and reconstructions before and after surgical therapy.

Congenital Syphilis Simulating Bone Neoplasm in 2-Month Old Infant – Case Report

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Congenital Syphilis ◽  
Eosinophilic Granuloma ◽  
Osteolytic Lesion ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Elective Cesarean Section ◽  
Distal Fibula ◽  
X Ray

Introduction: Congenital Syphilis (CS) occurs through the transplacental transmission of Treponema pallidum in inadequately treated or non-treated pregnant women, and is capable of severe consequences such as miscarriage, preterm birth, congenital disease and/or neonatal death. CS has been showing an increasing incidence worldwide, with an increase of 208% from 2009 to 2015 in Brazil. Case report: 2-month old infant receives care in emergency service due to edema of right lower limb with pain in mobilization. X-ray with osteolytic lesion in distal fibula. Infant was sent to the Pediatrics Oncology clinic. Perinatal data: 7 prenatal appointments, negative serology at 10 and 30 weeks of gestation. End of pregnancy tests were not examined and tests for mother’s hospital admission were not requested. Mother undergone elective cesarean section at 38 weeks without complications. During the pediatric oncologist appointment, patient showed erythematous-squamous lesions in neck and other scar-like lesions in upper body. A new X-ray of lower limbs showed lesions in right fibula with periosteal reaction associated with aggressive osteolytic lesion compromising distal diaphysis, with cortical bone rupture and signs of pathological fracture, suggestive of eosinophilic granuloma. She was hospitalized for a lesion biopsy. Laboratory tests: hematocrit: 23.1 / hemoglobin 7.7 / leukocytes 10,130 (without left deviation) / platelets 638,000 / Negative Cytomegalovirus IgG and IgM and Toxoplasmosis IgG and IgM / VDRL 1:128. Congenital syphilis diagnosis with skin lesions, bone alterations and anemia. Lumbar puncture: glucose 55 / total proteins 26 / VDRL non reagent / 13 leukocytes (8% neutrophils; 84% monomorphonuclear; 8% macrophages) and 160 erythrocytes / negative VDRL and culture. X-ray of other long bones, ophthalmological evaluation and abdominal ultrasound without alterations. Patient was hospitalized for 14 days for treatment with Ceftriaxone 100mg/kg/day, due to the lack of Crystalline Penicillin in the hospital. She is now under outpatient follow-up. Discussion: CS is responsible for high rates of morbidity and mortality. The ongoing increase of cases of this pathology reflects a severe health issue and indicates failures in policies for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, with inadequate follow-up of prenatal and maternity protocols.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Magnitude of Interlimb Asymmetries in Young Female Soccer Players: A Preliminary Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 475
Author(s):  
Javier Raya-González ◽  
Filipe Manuel Clemente ◽  
Daniel Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Muscle Mass ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Asymmetry Index ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Countermovement Jump ◽  
Change Of Direction ◽  
Jump Ability

Although asymmetries in lower limbs have been linked with players’ performance in male soccer players, literature that has been published addressing female soccer is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was twofold: (i) describe the asymmetries of women soccer players during jumping, change-of-direction and range-of-motion tests; and (ii) test possible relationships between asymmetries and injury risk in female soccer players. Sixteen female players (15.5 ± 1.5 years) performed a battery of fitness tests (i.e., jump ability, change-of-direction ability and passive range-of-motion) and muscle mass analysis via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, through which the specific asymmetry index and the related injury risk were calculated. Significant (p < 0.05) lower asymmetries in the change-of-direction test were observed in comparison to those observed in jumping and range-of-motion tests; significant (p < 0.05) lower asymmetries in muscle mass were also reported compared to those found in the change-of-direction and countermovement jump tests. Additionally, increased injury risk for countermovement jump and hip flexion with extended knee range-of-motion (relating to asymmetry values) and for ankle flexion with flexed knee range-of-motion in both legs (relating to reference range-of-motion values), as well as increased individual injury risk values, were observed across all tests. These findings suggest the necessity to implement individual approaches for asymmetry and injury risk analyses.

scholarly journals A Feasibility Study of Kinematic Characteristics on the Upper Body According to the Shooting of Elite Disabled Archery Athletes

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2962
Author(s):  
Tae-Whan Kim ◽  
Jae-Won Lee ◽  
Seoung-Ki Kang ◽  
Kyu-Yeon Chae ◽  
Sang-Hyup Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Movement Trajectory ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Kinematic Characteristics ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Athletes With Disabilities ◽  
Body Center ◽  
Time Required

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the kinematic characteristics of the upper limb segments during the archery shooting of Paralympic Wheelchair Class archers (ARW2—second wheelchair class—paraplegia or comparable disability) and Paralympic Standing Class archers (ARST—standing archery class—loss of 25 points in the upper limbs or lower limbs), where archers are classified according to their disability grade among elite disabled archers. The participants of this study were selected as seven elite athletes with disabilities by the ARW2 (n = 4) and ARST (n = 3). The analysis variables were (1) the time required for each phase, (2) the angle of inclination of the body center, (3) the change of trajectory of body center, and (4) the change of the movement trajectory of the bow center by phase when performing six shots in total. The ARW2 group (drawing phase; M = 2.228 s, p < 0.05, holding phase; M = 4.414 s, p < 0.05) showed a longer time than the ARST group (drawing phase; M = 0.985 s, holding phase; M = 3.042 s), and the angle of the body did not show a significant difference between the two groups. Additionally, in the direction of the anteroposterior axis in the drawing phase, the change in the movement trajectory of the body center showed a more significant amount of change in the ARW2 group than in the ARST group, and the change in the movement trajectory of the bow center did not show a significant difference between the two groups.

scholarly journals Passive knee exoskeletons in functional tasks: Biomechanical effects of a SpringExo coil-spring on squats

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rand Hidayah ◽  
Dongbao Sui ◽  
Kennedi A. Wade ◽  
Biing-Chwen Chang ◽  
Sunil Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Rectus Femoris ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Flexion Angle ◽  
Coil Spring ◽  
Foot Pressure ◽  
Low Profile ◽  
Muscle Activations

Abstract Passive wearable exoskeletons are desirable as they can provide assistance during user movements while still maintaining a simple and low-profile design. These can be useful in industrial tasks where an ergonomic device could aid in load lifting without inconveniencing them and reducing fatigue and stress in the lower limbs. The SpringExo is a coil-spring design that aids in knee extension. In this paper, we describe the muscle activation of the knee flexors and extensors from seven healthy participants during repeated squats. The outcome measures are the timings of the key events during squat, flexion angle, muscle activation of rectus femoris and bicep femoris, and foot pressure characteristics of the participants. These outcome measures assess the possible effects of the device during lifting operations where reduced effort in the muscles is desired during ascent phase of the squat, without changing the knee and foot kinematics. The results show that the SpringExo significantly decreased rectus femoris activation during ascent (−2%) without significantly affecting either the bicep femoris or rectus femoris muscle activations in descent. This implies that the user could perform a descent without added effort and ascent with reduced effort. The exoskeleton showed other effects on the biomechanics of the user, increasing average squat time (+0.02 s) and maximum squat time (+0.1 s), and decreasing average knee flexion angle (−4°). The exoskeleton has no effect on foot loading or placement, that is, the user did not have to revise their stance while using the device.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Full Range of Motion vs. Partial Range of Motion Training in the Development of Strength in Untrained Men

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-521
Author(s):  
Dwayne C. Massey ◽  
John Vincent ◽  
Mark Maneval ◽  
Melissa Moore ◽  
J. T. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Full Range

Abstract TP156: Robot-Guided Ankle and Knee Therapeutic Training Improves Motor Functions in Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunju Lee ◽  
Kai Chen ◽  
Richard L Harvey ◽  
Elliot J Roth ◽  
Li-Qun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Knee Flexion ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Berg Balance Scale ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Active Movement ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Movement Training ◽  
Knee Rehabilitation

Introduction: Stroke survivors develop substantial disability such as weakness, spasticity, increased stiffness, and reduced range of motion in lower limbs, contributing to reduced quality of life. It is important to stretch impaired ankle and knee to increase range of motion and reduce spasticity, and to conduct active movement training to improve balance and locomotion. Hypothesis: We addressed the hypotheses that robot-aided ankle and knee training will reduce motor impairments and improve balance and gait functions, and the improvements will maintain to the 6-weeks follow-up. Methods: Seven male stroke survivors participated in the robot-guided ankle and knee rehabilitation training using a pair of ankle and knee rehabilitation robots over 18 training sessions (3 sessions/week for 6 weeks). Three evaluations were done before and after training, and 6 weeks follow-up. Each session involved passive stretching under intelligent control and active movement training under real-time, audiovisual and haptic feedback. About equal time was spent on the ankle and knee training. Results: We found significant improvement in 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT: 294.8 m pre-training to 386.4 m post training; p<0.01), Berg Balance Scale (BBS, 45 pre to 52 post; p<0.05), ankle active range of motion (AROM) (-11.7° pre to 1.7° post; p<0.05, a negative value means not being able to reach 0° dorsiflexion), passive ROM in dorsiflexion (12.7° pre to 23.3° post; p<0.01), and dorsiflexion muscle strength (-0.3 Nm pre to 5.7 Nm post; p<0.05, negative means lower than the passive torque at 0° ankle dorsiflexion). The knee had significant improvement in AROM in extension against the load of the robot (34.8° pre to 15.9° knee flexion post; p<0.05) and maximal flexion strength at 90° knee flexion (19.3 Nm pre to 31.7 Nm post; p<0.01). At the follow-up, the outcomes were found as similar results of post evaluation, e.g., 379m (p<0.05) in 6MWT, 51 (p<0.05) in BBS, and 5.2 Nm (p=0.05) in dorsiflexion strength. Conclusions: In conclusions, robot-guided stretching and active movement training reduced impairments at the knee and ankle of stroke survivors resulting in improved mobility. Furthermore, the effect of training was maintained at the 6-weeks follow-up after the treatment.

scholarly journals Implementing a clinical assessment protocol for sensory and skeletal function in diabetic neuropathy patients at a university hospital in Brazil

2005 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 229-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel de Camargo Neves Sacco ◽  
Silvia Maria Amado João ◽  
Denise Alignani ◽  
Daniela Kinoshita Ota ◽  
Cristina Dallemole Sartor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diabetic Neuropathy ◽  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Muscle Function ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Tactile Sensitivity ◽  
Assessment Protocol

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Physiotherapy can contribute towards recovering or preventing physical and sensory alterations in diabetic neuropathy patients. Our objective was to create and apply a protocol for functional assessment of diabetic neuropathy patients' lower limbs, to guide future physiotherapy. DESIGN AND SETTING: Clinical study at the University Hospital and teaching/research center of Universidade de São Paulo. METHODS: An intentional sample of diabetic neuropathy patients was utilized. The protocol was divided into: (1) preliminary investigation with identification of relevant clinical diabetes and neuropathy characteristics; (2) thermal, tactile and proprioceptive sensitivity tests on the feet; (3) evaluations of muscle function, range of motion, lower limb function, foot anthropometry. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 57 years, and they had had the diagnosis for 13 years on average. Distal numbness and tingling/prickling were present in 62% and 67%, respectively. There were tactile sensitivity alterations above the heel in 50%, with thermal sensitivity in 40% to 60%. The worst muscle function test responses were at the triceps surae and foot intrinsic muscles. Longitudinal plantar arches were lowered in 50%. Decreased thermal and tactile sensitivity of the heels was found. There was a general reduction in range of motion. CONCLUSIONS: The results provided detailed characterization of the patients. This protocol may be easily applied in healthcare services, since it requires little equipment, at low cost, and it is well understood by patients.

Effect of a Supervised Stretching Program on Neck, Shoulder, and Trunk Range of Motion in Older Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Sandra C. Webber ◽  
Michelle M. Porter
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Power Training ◽  
And Control ◽  
Lower Body Power

Abstract Upper body and neck range of motion (ROM) are important for safe walking and driving. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stretching would improve neck, trunk, and shoulder ROM. Forty-eight community-dwelling women (75 ± 3 years of age) were randomly allocated to intervention (upper body stretching, n = 15) and control conditions (lower body power training, n = 33). All participants exercised in supervised 45-minute sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Testing of upper body ROM included a cervical ROM, device-based measurement and field tests of the neck, trunk, and shoulder ranges. Shoulder ROM was the only movement that improved in the intervention group beyond levels seen in control participants (33% increase, p < 0.01). Neck and trunk ROM did not change in response to a specific stretching program. Older adults with ROM limitations may need to explore other exercise options or focus on compensatory strategies for safe community mobility.

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