Investigation of Muscle Strength, Motor Coordination and Balance in Children with Idiopathic Toe Walking: A Case-control Study

Introduction Tension-type headache (TTH) is highly prevalent in the general population, and it is characterized by increased muscle tenderness with increasing headache frequency and intensity. Aim The aim of this case-control study was to compare muscle strength in neck and shoulder muscles in TTH patients and healthy controls by examining maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) during shoulder abduction, neck flexion and extension as well as the extension/flexion strength ratio of the neck. Methods Sixty TTH patients and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were included. Patients were included if they had TTH ≥8 days per month. The MVC neck extensor and flexor muscles were tested with the participant seated upright. MVC shoulder abduction was tested with the individual lying supine. Results Compared to controls TTH patients had significantly weaker muscle strength in neck extension ( p = 0.02), resulting in a significantly lower extension/flexion moment ratio ( p = 0.03). TTH patients also showed a tendency toward significantly lower muscle strength in shoulder abduction ( p = 0.05). Among the 60 TTH patients, 25 had frequent episodic TTH (FETTH), and 35 had chronic TTH (CTTH). Conclusion Patients with TTH exhibited decreased muscle strength in the neck extensor muscles, inducing a reduced cervical extension/flexion ratio compared to healthy people.

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Risk Factors for the Occurrence and Progression of Posttraumatic Elbow Stiffness: A Case-Control Study of 688 Cases

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2020.604056 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Yun Qian ◽

Shiyang Yu ◽

Yue Shi ◽

Hengye Huang ◽

Cunyi Fan

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Alcohol Abuse ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Elbow Stiffness ◽

Cast Immobilization ◽

Immobilization Time ◽

Control Study

Background: Elbow stiffness is a severe complication after trauma. Surgical or conservative treatments may be ineffective for restoring functional elbow motion. We aim to evaluate intrinsic and extrinsic factors for the occurrence and severity of elbow stiffness.Methods: This retrospective case–control study included mild/moderate stiffness, severe stiffness, and non-stiffness groups between January 2011 and December 2017 at a single orthopedic center. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and subgroup analysis were used to evaluate age, gender, body mass index, muscle strength, fracture type and site, injury mechanism, immobilization time, elbow dysfunction time, multiple surgeries, nerve symptoms, physical therapy, smoking and alcohol abuse, and dominant hand of stiff elbow as potential risk factors for the occurrence and severity of elbow stiffness.Results: There were 461 patients in the stiffness group and 227 patients in the non-stiffness group. The odds ratios (ORs) of the age, muscle strength, and injury mechanism were 0.960, 0.333, and 0.216 for the occurrence of elbow stiffness. In subgroup evaluation, increased cast immobilization time might be a risk factor for patients receiving conservative therapies (OR = 2.02; p = 0.014). In the evaluation on factors for progression of elbow stiffness, “multiple surgeries” might be a risk factor in surgical treatment by subgroup analysis (OR = 1.943; p = 0.026). Nevertheless, alcohol abuse might increase severity of elbow stiffness in conservatively treated patients (OR = 3.082; p = 0.025).Conclusion: Increased cast immobilization time in the conservative therapy might be a risk factor for stiffness occurrence. Multiple surgeries might be risk factors for stiffness progression. Alcohol abuse potentially increased stiffness severity after conservative treatment.

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The relation between leptin and inflammatory markers with respiratory and peripheral muscle strength in tuberculosis: A case-control study

The Clinical Respiratory Journal ◽

10.1111/crj.12956 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 2559-2565

Author(s):

Erika Cavalheiro Skupien ◽

Tássia Kirchmann Lazzari ◽

Sandra Eugênia Coutinho ◽

Denise Rossato Silva

Keyword(s):

Muscle Strength ◽

Inflammatory Markers ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Peripheral Muscle ◽

Control Study

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Reduced neck-shoulder muscle strength and aerobic power together with increased pericranial tenderness are associated with tension-type headache in girls: A case-control study

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102413515341 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (7) ◽

pp. 540-547 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Birte Tornoe ◽

Lars L Andersen ◽

Jørgen H Skotte ◽

Rigmor Jensen ◽

Gunvor Gard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Muscle Strength ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Aerobic Power ◽

Medication Overuse Headache ◽

Case Control ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Neck Flexion ◽

Shoulder Strength ◽

Tension Type Headaches ◽

Control Study

Background Tension-type headaches (TTH) are common among children worldwide and mean a potential risk of disability and medication overuse headache. The associated mechanisms, however, remain unsolved. Our study investigated muscle strength in the neck-shoulder region, aerobic power and pericranial tenderness in girls with TTH compared with healthy controls. Methods A blinded case-control study comprising 41 girls with TTH and 41 age-matched healthy controls. Standardised testing of isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and force steadiness of neck flexion and extension, as well as MVC and rate-of-force development of dominant shoulder, was conducted. VO2 max was recorded by a submaximal ergometer test and pericranial tenderness by standardised manual palpation. Logistic regression analyses were applied. Results Girls with TTH demonstrated significantly higher pericranial tenderness than controls, in correlation with headache frequency ( r = 0.66, p < 0.001). Results indicated that the odds ratio of girls having headache are 7.6 (95% CI 1.4–40.9) for weak to strong shoulder muscles; weak to average neck-shoulder strength OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.2–8.1); neck flexion strength OR 1.3 (95% CI 1.0–1.6) and 5.2 (95% CI: 1.4–19.6) for each unit of decrease in VO2 max. Conclusions Reduced neck-shoulder strength and aerobic power together with increased pericranial tenderness are associated with TTH in girls. Future interventions should be directed towards health promoting patient educational programmes on enhanced physical exercising. Much more exact and detailed research in young girls and boys are needed.

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Relationship between Respiratory Muscle Function and Postural Stability in Male Soccer Players: A Case-Control Study

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9060644 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 644

Author(s):

Felipe León-Morillas ◽

Carlos Lozano-Quijada ◽

Miguel Ángel Lérida-Ortega ◽

Martha Cecilia León-Garzón ◽

Alfonso Javier Ibáñez-Vera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Muscle Strength ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Respiratory Muscles ◽

Case Control ◽

Inspiratory Muscle ◽

Soccer Players ◽

The Relationship ◽

Inspiratory Muscle Strength ◽

Control Study

The important role of postural stability in exercise performance has been determined by several authors. Despite this, few studies have analyzed the relationship between respiratory muscles’ strength and postural stability in athletes. For this reason, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between postural stability and respiratory muscles’ function in male soccer players. A case-control study was conducted over twenty-eight healthy men (18 soccer players; 10 non-athletes). Inspiratory muscle strength (MIP) and respiratory resistance (MVV) were obtained through a digital spirometer. Stability variables were obtained in standing position on a stabilometric platform and in open and closed eyes conditions. The area and length of the center of pressures and displacements in the X and Y range were analyzed. Pearson’s coefficient was used to measure the linear correlation between MIP, MVV and stabilometric variables. In the soccer players’ group, MIP and MIP % predictive were inversely correlated with length (r = −0.535 and r = −0.585; p < 0.05) and X range (r = −0.527 and r = −0.560; p < 0.05), whereas MVV was directly correlated with length (r = 0.606; p < 0.01) and Y range (r = 0.558; p < 0.05). Our results show that the greater the inspiratory muscle strength, the less displacement of the pressure center, while at higher respiratory rates there is greater displacement.

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