Torso Kinematics in Human Rolling Do Not Change When Upper Extremity Motion Is Constrained

Human rolling, as turning in bed, is a fundamental activity of daily living. A quantitative analysis of rolling could help identify the neuromusculoskeletal disorders that prohibit rolling and develop interventions for individuals who cannot roll. This study sought to determine whether crossing the arms over the chest would alter fundamental coordination patterns when rolling. Kinematic data were collected from 24 subjects as they rolled with and without their arms crossed over their chest. Crossing the arms decreased the mean peak angular velocities of the shoulders (p = .001) and pelvis (p = .013) and influenced the mean duration of the roll (p = .057). There were no fundamental differences in shoulder and pelvis coordination when rolling with the arms crossed over the chest, implying that the arms may not have a major role in rolling.

Survey of isometric scapulothoracic muscles strength in Mazandaran University of Science and Technology athlete’s student

Purpose: Shoulder girdle muscles are important for stabilizing the scapula and orienting the glenoid for upper-extremity motion in student athletes. Scapular strength deficits have been linked to shoulder dysfunction. Material: study the data of scapulothoracic musculature in student athletes using a handheld dynamometer. Cohort study. 66 subjects with varying levels of overhead activity. A handheld dynamometer was used to test the upper, middle, and lower trapezius, rhomboids, and serratus anterior. A one way-factor ANOVA was performed for each of the muscles by activity level analyses. 2-factor ANOVA was performed for each of the muscles by activity level and unilateral ratio by activity-level analyses. Post hoc analysis included multiple pairwise comparisons, using the Dunn-Bonferroni correction method. Results: Activity level did not significantly affect the unilateral ratios: Elevation: depression was 2.47:1, upward: downward rotation was 1.23:1, and protraction: retraction was 2.35:1. A rank order from strongest to weakest was established through significant comparisons. Conclusions: The unilateral ratios along with the rank order should be considered when discussing scapula rehabilitation protocols. Assessment of the upper and lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles and should be part of any shoulder examination.

Inertial Measurement Unit Based Upper Extremity Motion Characterization for Action Research Arm Test and Activities of Daily Living

In practical rehabilitation robot development, it is imperative to pre-specify the critical workspace to prevent redundant structure. This study aimed to characterize the upper extremity motion during essential activities in daily living. An IMU-based wearable motion capture system was used to access arm movements. Ten healthy subjects performed the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and six pre-selected essential daily activities. The Euler angles of the major joints, and acceleration from wrist and hand sensors were acquired and analyzed. The size of the workspace for the ARAT was 0.53 (left-right) × 0.92 (front-back) × 0.89 (up-down) m for the dominant hand. For the daily activities, the workspace size was 0.71 × 0.70 × 0.86 m for the dominant hand, significantly larger than the non-dominant hand (p ≤ 0.011). The average range of motion (RoM) during ARAT was 109.15 ± 18.82° for elbow flexion/extension, 105.23 ± 5.38° for forearm supination/pronation, 91.99 ± 0.98° for shoulder internal/external rotation, and 82.90 ± 22.52° for wrist dorsiflexion/volarflexion, whereas the corresponding range for daily activities were 120.61 ± 23.64°, 128.09 ± 22.04°, 111.56 ± 31.88°, and 113.70 ± 18.26°. The shoulder joint was more abducted and extended during pinching compared to grasping posture (p < 0.001). Reaching from a grasping posture required approximately 70° elbow extension and 36° forearm supination from the initial position. The study results provide an important database for the workspace and RoM for essential arm movements.