Comparing concentric isokinetic thigh muscle strength in female Gaelic football players with and without previous hamstring injury

SummaryStudy aim: to test the hypothesis that an eccentric training programme applied on women football players would reduce the hamstring injury rate by improving thigh muscle balance and, particularly, hamstring strength.Material and methods: three football teams were recruited for this randomised controlled trial. They played in the first and second divisions in Spain. Players were randomised within clubs either to the intervention (eccentric exercises, n = 22) or control (control exercises, n = 21) groups, and randomisation was stratified according to previous history of thigh strains. The eccentric programme was divided into 3 phases, and each phase was composed of 7 weeks. Compliance level and all injuries were recorded throughout the season as well as training and game exposure times. Muscle strength and power of the lower extremities and flexibility of the hamstrings and lower back were measured before and after the intervention.Results: the risk for sustaining a hamstring strain (RSHS) was reduced by 81%. However, differences were not significant due to the low number of subjects (relative risk 0.19; 95% coefficient interval 0.02–1.50). The strength of the hamstrings decreased in both groups (p < 0.05), whereas sprint time was improved only in the intervention group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: the present findings suggest that a simple program of eccentric exercise could reduce RSHS.

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Association of Thigh Muscle Strength with Texture Features Based on Proton Density Fat Fraction Maps Derived from Chemical Shift Encoding-Based Water–Fat MRI

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11020302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 302

Author(s):

Michael Dieckmeyer ◽

Stephanie Inhuber ◽

Sarah Schläger ◽

Dominik Weidlich ◽

Muthu R. K. Mookiah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Shift ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Neuromuscular Disorders ◽

Texture Features ◽

Thigh Muscle ◽

Proton Density ◽

Proton Density Fat Fraction ◽

Thigh Muscles ◽

Fat Fraction ◽

Flexion Strength

Purpose: Based on conventional and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), texture analysis (TA) has shown encouraging results as a biomarker for tissue structure. Chemical shift encoding-based water–fat MRI (CSE-MRI)-derived proton density fat fraction (PDFF) of thigh muscles has been associated with musculoskeletal, metabolic, and neuromuscular disorders and was demonstrated to predict muscle strength. The purpose of this study was to investigate PDFF-based TA of thigh muscles as a predictor of thigh muscle strength in comparison to mean PDFF. Methods: 30 healthy subjects (age = 30 ± 6 years; 15 females) underwent CSE-MRI of the lumbar spine at 3T, using a six-echo 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence. Quadriceps (EXT) and ischiocrural (FLEX) muscles were segmented to extract mean PDFF and texture features. Muscle flexion and extension strength were measured with an isokinetic dynamometer. Results: Of the eleven extracted texture features, Variance(global) showed the highest significant correlation with extension strength (p < 0.001, R2adj = 0.712), and Correlation showed the highest significant correlation with flexion strength (p = 0.016, R2adj = 0.658). Multivariate linear regression models identified Variance(global) and sex, but not PDFF, as significant predictors of extension strength (R2adj = 0.709; p < 0.001), while mean PDFF, sex, and BMI, but none of the texture features, were identified as significant predictors of flexion strength (R2adj = 0.674; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Prediction of quadriceps muscle strength can be improved beyond mean PDFF by means of TA, indicating the capability to quantify muscular fat infiltration patterns.

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Partial blood flow restriction without exercise to attenuate reduction in thigh muscle strength and trophism during immobilization: A meta-analysis

Physical Therapy in Sport ◽

10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.11.015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. e4

Author(s):

Daniel Germano Maciel ◽

Mikhail Santos Cerqueira ◽

Jean Arthur Mendonça Barboza ◽

José Diego Sales do Nascimento ◽

Wouber Hérickson de Brito Vieira

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Thigh Muscle ◽

Flow Restriction

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The Effects of Tourniquet Application in Total Knee Arthroplasty on the Recovery of Thigh Muscle Strength and Clinical Outcomes

The Journal of Knee Surgery ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1701454 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Omer Ayik ◽

Mehmet Demirel ◽

Fevzi Birisik ◽

Ali Ersen ◽

Halil I. Balci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Total Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Peak Torque ◽

Thigh Muscle ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Total Work ◽

Isokinetic Muscle Strength ◽

Total Knee

AbstractThe present randomized controlled study aims to evaluate whether tourniquet application during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has an effect on (1) thigh muscle strength (quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength) and (2) clinical outcomes (postoperative knee range of motion [ROM], postoperative pain level, and Knee Society Score [KSS]). The effects of tourniquet application during TKA were investigated in 65 patients randomly allocated to one of two groups: TKA with a tourniquet and TKA without a tourniquet. Patients in both groups were comparable in terms of the demographic and clinical data (p > 0.05 for age, number of patients, sex, radiographic gonarthrosis grade, American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] classification, and body mass index [BMI]). All patients in both groups were operated by the same surgeon using one type of prosthesis. Isokinetic muscle strength (peak torque and total work) of knee extensors (quadriceps) and flexors (hamstrings) was measured in Newton meters (Nm) using a CYBEX 350 isokinetic dynamometer (HUMAC/CYBEX 2009, Stoughton, MA). The combined KSS (knee score + function score), visual analog scale (VAS), and knee ROM were measured preoperatively and at 1 and 3 months postoperatively to evaluate clinical outcomes. There were no significant differences between the two groups in preoperative and postoperative values of isokinetic muscle strength (peak torque and total work) and aforementioned clinical outcomes (p < 0.05). The present study has shown that quadriceps strength and clinical outcomes were not improved in the early postoperative period (3 months) when a tourniquet was not used during TKA.

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