Quadriceps femoris cross-sectional area and specific leg strength: relationship between different muscles and squat variations

Background The aim was to determine the relationship between the cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris and strength performance in the deep and parallel barbell squat. Methods The sample included 16 university students (seven female, 24.1 ± 1.7 years). Muscle strength was expressed as external load, including the one-repetition maximum and the body mass segments involved (calculated according to Dempster’s method). The cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris muscles was determined using ultrasound, while leg muscle mass was measured using the Bioelectrical Impedance method. Results The cross-sectional areas of the three vastii muscles and leg muscle mass showed moderate to strong correlation with external load in both squat types (r = 0.509–0.873). However, partial correlation (cross-sectional area of quadriceps femoris muscles were controlled) showed significant association only between leg muscle mass and deep squat (r = 0.64, p < 0.05). The cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis showed a slightly higher correlation with external load in the parallel than in the deep squat (r = 0.67, p < 0.01 vs. r = 0.59, p < 0.05). The regression analysis extracted the vastus medialis cross-sectional area as the most important factor in manifesting strength (parallel squat: R2 = 0.569; deep squat: R2 = 0.499, both p < 0.01). The obtained results suggest that parallel squat strength depends mainly on the cross-sectional area of the vastii muscles, while it seems that the performance in the deep squat requires an additional engagement of the hip and back extensor muscle groups.

Anterior prompt for debridement and myoplasty femoral neck and head osteomyelitis

The known anterior prompts to the femoral neck are non-traumatic, but they exclude the possibility of myoplasty and are not large enough for intra-articular sequestrectomy.Objective. The aim of the study was to develop an anterior prompt to the hip joint for sequestrectomy with myoplasty.Materials and research methods. For surgery neck and head of the hip osteomyelitis we perform a semi-oval incision in the projection of the femoral head, from the anterior spines of the ilium we cut off the tendons of the sartorius and rectus head of the quadriceps femoris muscles. An operating field is formed, which allows sequestrectomy to be performed. Plasty of the osteomyelitis cavity is performed with the proximal parts of the two anterior ileofemoral muscles. The operating field, if necessary, can be increased by temporary transection of the lumbar-iliac muscle tendon.Research results. The key to the anterior surgical prompt to the hip joint is the sartorius and rectus head of the quadriceps. The length of the surgical wound reaches 17–22 cm, and the width is 16–18 cm. With the mobilized proximal part of the sartorius muscle, we fill the entire bone cavity in the neck and head of the femur. Of the 12 operated patients, 11 (91.7 ± 7.6 %) had a stable long-term remission.Conclusion. The proposed approach is less traumatic and allows you to operate at an angle of about 90°. It complements the advantages of the known anterior prompts and is devoid of their disadvantages.

Experimental Study on Physical Burden of Transfer Assistance for Excretion – Comparison Between Transfer-Type Wheelchair and Ordinary Wheelchair –

Assisting the elderly to or from a toilet for excretion is a heavy burden, and staff at nursing homes and families at home have problems such as backache and tiredness. There are several previous studies on standing up from a chair, bed, or toilet seat but almost no studies on the series of actions required for excretion (i.e., from a bed to a transfer apparatus and from the transfer apparatus to the toilet seat). The difference in the physical burden (muscular strength) for helpers when using the Norisukesan II, a transfer-type wheelchair developed in collaboration with the authors, and an ordinary wheelchair when transferring a patient to or from a toilet for excretion was studied by biometrics with surface electromyogram (EMG) patterns. We chose a total of 11 healthy adult examinees, 10 males and one female, with an average age of 47.7±9.7. Muscle activity was measured at eight positions: right and left biceps brachii muscles, right and left quadriceps femoris muscles, upper right and left trapezius muscles, and right and left waist muscles. The results showed that if the transfer-type wheelchair was used, the muscle activity of the helpers’ biceps brachii muscles decreased by 70%, that of the quadriceps femoris muscles decreased by 60%, that of the trapezius muscles decreased by 70%, and that of the waist muscles decreased by 40%, when compared to using the ordinary wheelchair. It was therefore quantitatively clarified that assisting patients with the transfer-type wheelchair could reduce the assisting burden significantly, as the helpers did not have to tightly hold or turn the patients.