Comparison of the gluteus medius and rectus femoris muscle activities during natural sit-to-stand and sit-to-stand with hip abduction in young and older adults

Abstract Background and Purpose. Performing nontraditional abdominal exercises with devices such as abdominal straps, the Power Wheel, and the Ab Revolutionizer has been suggested as a way to activate abdominal and extraneous (nonabdominal) musculature as effectively as more traditional abdominal exercises, such as the crunch and bent-knee sit-up. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises in activating abdominal and extraneous musculature. Subjects. Twenty-one men and women who were healthy and between 23 and 43 years of age were recruited for this study. Methods. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to assess muscle activity from the upper and lower rectus abdominis, external and internal oblique, rectus femoris, latissimus dorsi, and lumbar paraspinal muscles while each exercise was performed. The EMG data were normalized to maximum voluntary muscle contractions. Differences in muscle activity were assessed by a 1-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results. Upper and lower rectus abdominis, internal oblique, and latissimus dorsi muscle EMG activity were highest for the Power Wheel (pike, knee-up, and roll-out), hanging knee-up with straps, and reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees. External oblique muscle EMG activity was highest for the Power Wheel (pike, knee-up, and roll-out) and hanging knee-up with straps. Rectus femoris muscle EMG activity was highest for the Power Wheel (pike and knee-up), reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees, and bent-knee sit-up. Lumbar paraspinal muscle EMG activity was low and similar among exercises. Discussion and Conclusion. The Power Wheel (pike, knee-up, and roll-out), hanging knee-up with straps, and reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees not only were the most effective exercises in activating abdominal musculature but also were the most effective in activating extraneous musculature. The relatively high rectus femoris muscle activity obtained with the Power Wheel (pike and knee-up), reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees, and bent-knee sit-up may be problematic for some people with low back problems.

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Ultrasonographic Morphologic Changes of the Central Aponeurosis of the Rectus Femoris Muscle in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

Ultrasound Quarterly ◽

10.1097/ruq.0000000000000227 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 241-246

Author(s):

Yusuke Takahashi ◽

Kyoji Okada ◽

Akira Saito ◽

Isao Saito ◽

Kazuo Kinoshita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Rectus Femoris ◽

Rectus Femoris Muscle ◽

Femoris Muscle ◽

Morphologic Changes

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Ultrasound Measurement of Rectus Femoris Muscle Parameters for Discriminating Sarcopenia in Community‐Dwelling Adults

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine ◽

10.1002/jum.15913 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yen‐Lung Chen ◽

Peng‐Ta Liu ◽

Huihua K. Chiang ◽

Si‐Huei Lee ◽

Yen‐Li Lo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rectus Femoris ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Ultrasound Measurement ◽

Rectus Femoris Muscle ◽

Femoris Muscle

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Reliability Limits Of The Modified Thomas Test For Assessing Rectus Femoris Muscle Flexibility About The Knee Joint

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-43.5.470 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 470-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jason D. Peeler ◽

Judy E. Anderson

Keyword(s):

Knee Joint ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Rectus Femoris ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Nonparametric Tests ◽

Method Error ◽

Statistical Reliability ◽

Active Population ◽

Rectus Femoris Muscle ◽

Femoris Muscle

Abstract Context: The modified Thomas test is commonly used in the clinical setting to assess flexibility about the thigh region. Objective: To evaluate the clinical reliability of the modified Thomas test for evaluating the flexibility of the rectus femoris muscle about the knee joint. Design: Descriptive laboratory study using a test-retest design. Setting: Institution-based clinical orthopaedic setting. Patients Or Other Participants: Fifty-seven individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 years with no history of trauma participated. Of those, 54 completed the study. Intervention(s): Three Board-certified athletic therapists with an average of 12.67 years of sport medicine expertise assessed rectus femoris flexibility using pass/fail and goniometer scoring systems. A retest session was completed 7 to 10 days later. Main Outcome Measure(s): Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to compare participants' test-retest results. Results: Chance-corrected κ values (intrarater x¯ = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30, 0.54; interrater x¯ = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.23, 0.41) indicated generally poor levels of reliability for pass/fail scoring. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values (intrarater x¯ = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.55, 0.76; interrater x¯ = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.40, 0.60) indicated fair to moderate levels of reliability for goniometer data. Measurement error values (standard error of measurement = 7°, method error = 6°, and coefficient of variation = 13%) and Bland-Altman plots (with 95% limits of agreement) further demonstrated the degree of intrarater variance for each examiner when conducting the test. Conclusions: These results call into question the statistical reliability of the modified Thomas test and provide clinicians with important information regarding its reliability limits when used to clinically assess flexibility of the rectus femoris muscle about the knee joint in a physically active population. More research is needed to ascertain the variables that may confound the statistical reliability of this orthopaedic technique.

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