bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Balance Improvements in Female High School Basketball Players after a 6-Week Neuromuscular-Training Program
Authors: McLeod Tamara C. Valovich , Armstrong Travis , Miller Mathew , Sauers Jamie L. 
Published: August 2016

Context:Poor balance has been associated with increased injury risk among athletes. Neuromuscular-training programs have been advocated as a means of injury prevention, but little is known about the benefits of these programs on balance in high school athletes.Objective:To determine whether there are balance gains after participation in a neuromuscular-training program in high school athletes.Design:Nonrandomized controlled trial.Setting:All data were collected at each participating high school before and after a 6-wk intervention or control period.Participants:62 female high school basketball players recruited from the local high school community and assigned to a training (n = 37) or control (n = 25) group.Intervention:Training-group subjects participated in a 6-wk neuromuscular-training program that included plyo- metric, functional-strengthening, balance, and stability-ball exercises.Main Outcome Measures:Data were collected for the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) before and after the 6-wk intervention or control period.Results:The authors found a significant decrease in total BESS errors in the trained group at the posttest compared with their pretest and the control group (P = .003). Trained subjects also scored significantly fewer BESS errors on the single-foam and tandem-foam conditions at the posttest than the control group and demonstrated improvements on the single-foam compared with their pretest (P = .033). The authors found improvements in reach in the lateral, anteromedial, medial, and posterior directions in the trained group at the posttest compared with the control group (P < .05) using the SEBT.Conclusion:The study demonstrates that a neuromuscular-training program can increase the balance and proprioceptive capabilities of female high school basketball players and that clinical balance measures are sensitive to detect these differences.
The Influence of Ankle Taping on Changes in Postural Stability during Soccer-Specific Activity
Authors: Lohkamp Monika , Craven Simon , Walker-Johnson Colin , Greig Matt 
Published: August 2016

Context:Postural stability diminishes with longer activity, which may increase the risk of injury. Tape can increase stability, but this effect diminishes after exercise.Objective:To investigate the influence of ankle taping on postural stability during soccer-specific activity.Participants:10 male, injury-free, semiprofessional soccer players.Intervention:A 45-min treadmill protocol replicating the activity profile of soccer match play—with and without ankle tape. Postural stability was assessed every 7.5 min, requiring response to sudden ankle plantar flexion and inversion during single-leg stance.Main Outcome Measure:Reaction time to perturbation and center- of-gravity (CoG) displacement.Results:Reaction time was significantly longer (P < .05) with longer exercise for both movements and conditions. No significant effect was evident in CoG displacement. For both outcome measures a nonsignificant benefit of taping was observed during the first 22.5 min of activity.Conclusion:Prolonged exposure to soccer-specific activity negates any beneficial effect of taping in improving postural stability.
Effects of Menthol-Based Counterirritant on Quadriceps Motoneuron-Pool Excitability
Authors: Huffman Daniel H. , Pietrosimone Brian G. , Grindstaff Terry L. , Hart Joseph M. , Saliba Susan A. , Ingersoll Christopher D. 
Published: August 2016

Context:Motoneuron-pool facilitation after cryotherapy may be mediated by stimulation of thermoreceptors surrounding a joint. It is unknown whether menthol counterirritants, which also stimulate thermoreceptors, have the same effect on motoneuron-pool excitability (MNPE).Objective:To compare quadriceps MNPE after a menthol-counterirritant application to the anterior knee, a sham counterirritant application, and a control treatment in healthy subjects.Design:A blinded, randomized controlled laboratory study.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:Thirty healthy subjects (16 m, 14 f; 24.1 ± 3.9 y, 170.6 ± 11.4 cm, 72.1 ± 15.6 kg) with no history of lower extremity surgery volunteered for this study.Intervention:Two milliliters of menthol or sham counterirritant was applied to the anterior knee; control subjects received no intervention.Main Outcome Measures:The average vastus medialis normalized Hoffmann reflex (Hmax:Mmax ratio) was used to measure MNPE. Measurements were recorded at 5, 15, 25, and 35 minutes postintervention and compared with baseline measures.Results:Hmax:Mmax ratios for all groups significantly decreased over time (F4,108 = 10.52, P < .001; menthol: baseline = .32 ± .20, 5 min = .29 ± .18, 15 min = .27 ± .18, 25 min = .28 ± .19, 35 min = .27 ± .18; sham: baseline = .46 ± .26, 5 min = .36 ± .20, 15 min = .35 ± .19, 25 min = .35 ± .20, 35 min = .34 ± .18; control: baseline = .48 ± .32, 5 min = .37 ± .27, 15 min = .37 ± .27, 25 min = .37 ± .29, 35 min = .35 ± .28). No significant Group × Time interaction or group differences in Hmax:Mmax were found.Conclusions:Menthol did not affect quadriceps MNPE in healthy subjects.
Comparison of Lower Extremity Emg Between the 2-Leg Squat and Modified Single-Leg Squat in Female Athletes
Authors: McCurdy Kevin , O’Kelley Erin , Kutz Matt , Langford George , Ernest James , Torres Marcos 
Published: August 2016

Purpose:To compare EMG activity of selected hip and knee muscle groups in female athletes performing a modified single-leg squat and the 2-leg squat using the same relative intensity.Methods:Eleven Division I female athletes from a variety of sports (soccer, softball, and track) completed the study. EMG measurements were taken as the subjects completed 3 parallel repetitions at 85% of their 3-repetition maximum on each exercise. Mean and mean peak EMG data from the gluteus medius, hamstrings, and quadriceps and the quadriceps:hamstrings EMG ratio were compared between the 2 exercises.Results:Statistically higher mean (P < .01) and mean peak (P < .05) gluteus medius and mean and mean peak (P < .01) hamstring EMG activity occurred during the modified single-leg squat. The 2-leg squat produced higher mean and mean peak (P < .05) quadriceps activity and a higher quadriceps:hamstrings EMG ratio (P < .01).Conclusion:Muscle-recruitment patterns appear to differ between the 2 types of squat exercises when performed at the same relative intensity by female athletes.
The Potential of Multiple Synovial-Fluid Protein-Concentration Analyses in the Assessment of Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Driban Jeffrey B. , Balasubramanian Easwaran , Amin Mamta , Sitler Michael R. , Ziskin Marvin C. , Barbe Mary F. 
Published: August 2016

Context:Joint trauma is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), which is becoming an increasingly important orthopedic concern for athletes and nonathletes alike. For advances in OA prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to occur, a greater understanding of the biochemical environment of the affected joint is needed.Objective:To demonstrate the potential of a biochemical technique to enhance our understanding of and diagnostic capabilities for osteoarthritis.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:Outpatient orthopedic practice.Participants:8 subjects: 4 OA-knee participants (65 ± 6 y of age) and 4 normal-knee participants (54 ± 10 y) with no history of knee OA based on bilateral standing radiographs.Intervention:The independent variable was group (OA knee, normal knee).Main Outcome Measures:16 knee synovial-protein concentrations categorized as follows: 4 as pro-inflammatory, or catabolic, cytokines; 5 as anti-inflammatory, or protective, cytokines; 3 as catabolic enzymes; 2 as tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases [TIMPs]; and 2 as adipokines.Results:Two anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-13 and osteoprotegerin) and a pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β) were significantly lower in the OA knees. Two catabolic enzymes (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-2 and MMP-3) were significantly elevated in OA knees. TIMP-2, an inhibitor of MMPs, was significantly elevated in OA knees.Conclusions:Six of the 16 synovial-fluid proteins were significantly different between OA knees and normal knees in this study. Future research using a similar multiplex ELISA approach or other proteomic techniques may enable researchers and clinicians to develop more accurate biochemical profiles of synovial fluid to help diagnose OA, identify subsets of OA or individual characteristics, guide clinical decisions, and identify patients at risk for OA after knee injury.
No Difference Between Doses in Skin Anesthesia After Lidocaine Delivered via Iontophoresis
Authors: Glaviano Neal R. , Selkow Noelle M. , Saliba Ethan , Hertel Jay , Saliba Susan 
Published: August 2016

Context:Iontophoresis is a method of administering medications transcutaneously using galvanic current. Dose is the product of current amplitude and treatment duration. It is assumed that higher doses of iontophoresis are more effective in delivering medication, yet research supporting this claim is insufficient.Objective:To compare high-dose lidocaine iontophoresis (80 mA-min), standard-dose lidocaine iontophoresis (40 mA-min), and 2 sham treatments indirectly by measuring skin anesthesia.Design:Double-blind crossover study.Setting:Research laboratory.Participants:15 healthy volunteers (10 women, 5 men: age 24.06 ± 2 y, height 169.7 ± 8.3 cm, weight 72.5 ± 14.2 kg).Intervention:Four treatments were counterbalanced and applied on the anterior forearm: 2 true interventions (40 and 80 mA-min) and 2 sham interventions separated by at least 24 h. The true-intervention doses were applied at a current of 2 mA with 2.5 ml 2% lidocaine HCL for 20 and 40 min. The sham treatments were 2.5 ml of lidocaine without galvanic current (intensity = 0 mA, 40 min) and 2.5 ml of saline solution (galvanic current of 2 mA for 40 min).Main Outcome Measures:Semmes-Weinstein monofilament scores were taken preintervention and postintervention (at 0, 20, 40, and 60 min) to measure skin anesthesia.Results:A significant interaction between treatment and time (F = 4.137, P < .01) was identified. The 40-mA-min dose produced greater anesthesia than the lidocaine and saline shams at all times. The 80-mA-min dose produced greater anesthesia than saline sham at all times. There was a significant difference noted, with 40 mA-min over 80 mA-min, at the 20-min posttest, but there were no other significant differences between the 40- and 80-mA-min doses at 0, 40, or 60 min posttreatment or between the 2 sham treatments at any time.Conclusions:The 40-mA-min treatment was just as effective as the 80-mA-min treatment, suggesting that shorter treatments may be more time efficient for clinicians and patients.
Metabolic Energy Expenditure During Spring-Loaded Crutch Ambulation
Authors: Seeley Matthew K. , Sandberg Ryan P. , Chacon Joshua F. , Funk Merrill D. , Nokes Neil , Mack Gary W. 
Published: August 2016

Context:Individuals using traditional axillary crutches to ambulate expend approximately twice as much energy as individuals who perform able-bodied gait. A relatively novel spring-loaded crutch now being marketed may reduce metabolic energy expenditure during crutch ambulation. This idea, however, had not yet been tested.Objective:To determine whether the novel spring-loaded crutch reduces oxygen consumption during crutch ambulation, relative to traditional-crutch ambulation. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the design for subject-perceived comfort and ease of use.Design:Within-subject.Setting:Indoor track.Participants:10 able-bodied men and 10 able-bodied women.Interventions:The independent variable was crutch design. Each subject ambulated using 3 different crutch designs (traditional, spring-loaded, and modified spring-loaded), in a randomized order.Main Outcome Measures:The primary dependent variable was oxygen consumption. Secondary dependent variables were subject-perceived comfort and ease of use, as rated by the subjects using a 100-mm visual analog scale. Dependent variables were compared among the 3 crutch designs using a 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA (α = .05).Results:Oxygen consumption during spring-loaded-crutch ambulation (17.88 ± 2.13 mL · kg−1 · min−1) was 6.2% greater (P = .015; effect size [ES] = .50) than during traditional axillary-crutch ambulation (16.84 ± 2.08 mL · kg−1 · min−1). There was no statistically significant difference (P = .068; ES = −.45) for oxygen consumption between spring-loaded-crutch ambulation and ambulation using the modified crutch (17.03 ± 1.61 mL · kg−1 · min−1). Subjects perceived the spring-loaded crutch to be more comfortable (P < .001; ES = .56) than the traditional crutch. There was no difference (P = .159; ES = −.09) between the spring-loaded and traditional crutches for subject-perceived ease of use.Conclusions:Compared with traditional axillary crutches, the novel spring-loaded crutch may be more comfortable but does not appear to benefit subjects via reduced metabolic energy expenditure.
Altered Plantar-Receptor Stimulation Impairs Postural Control in Those With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: McKeon Patrick O. , Stein Alex J. , Ingersoll Christopher D. , Hertel Jay 
Published: August 2016

Context:Postural control as assessed via time-to-boundary (TTB) measures has been shown to be impaired in those with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Foot orthotics have been shown to improve postural control, although it is not clear if this is via mechanical or sensorimotor mechanisms.Objective:To assess the effect of textured shoe inserts that provide no mechanical support on postural control as assessed by TTB measures in subjects with CAI.Design:A crossover design to examine the effects of a textured insole on postural control in individuals with unilateral CAI. The independent variables were vision (eyes open, eyes closed) and texture (textured insole, sham insole, control).Setting:Laboratory.Participants:20 physically active individuals, 12 men, 8 women, age 18–45 y (21.5 ± 5.51) with self-reported CAI.Intervention:Each subject balanced in shod single-limb stance with eyes open and eyes closed under 3 conditions (control, sham, and textured insole). The order of testing under the 3 shoe conditions and 2 vision conditions was counterbalanced.Main Outcome Measures:The mean of TTB minima and the standard deviation of TTB minima in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior directions.Results:There were significant reductions in TTB ML magnitude and variability found in the textured condition compared with the control and sham conditions. In the textured condition, subjects failed significantly more trials than any other condition.Conclusions:Stimulating the plantar surface of the foot, via a textured insole, has an effect in the broad spectrum of postural-control maintenance in individuals with CAI.
No Effect of Scapular Position on 3-Dimensional Scapular Motion in the Throwing Shoulder of Healthy Professional Pitchers
Authors: Seitz Amee L. , Reinold Michael , Schneider Robert A. , Gill Thomas J. , Thigpen Charles 
Published: August 2016

Context:Differences in 3-dimensional (3D) scapular motion have been reported between healthy baseball position players and healthy nonoverhead athletic controls, as well as players diagnosed with shoulder impingement syndrome. These alterations are theorized to be the result of adaptations due to the demands of repetitive throwing. However, comparisons between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders are commonly used to infer normal motion.Objective:The purpose of this study was to compare 3D scapular kinematics between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders in asymptomatic professional male baseball pitchers.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:45 asymptomatic professional baseball pitchers participating without restrictions during preseason training.Interventions:An electromagnetic tracking system was used to assess 3D scapular orientation at rest and during weighted (2.3-kg) shoulder flexion across discrete humeral-flexion angles (rest, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, and maximum).Main Outcome Measure:3D scapular upward/downward rotation (UR/DR), anteroposterior (AP) tilt, and internal/external rotation (IR/ER). Separate mixed-model ANOVAs (Side × Angle) for each scapular motion were used to compare the throwing and the nonthrowing shoulder across all angles.Results:There were significant side-to-side differences with scapular UR/DR (P < .001), AP tilt (P < .001), and IR/ER (P < .001). The throwing scapula displayed greater mean UR (increase = 3.6°, SE = 0.50) and anterior/posterior tilt (increase = 2.1°, SE = 0.60) and less mean IR (decrease = 2.1°, SE = 0.66) than the nonthrowing shoulder averaged across all arm angles.Conclusions:In asymptomatic professional pitchers, the throwing shoulder’s scapular position differs across all arm angles from that of the nonthrowing shoulder, but the motion does not differ. Scapular asymmetry that is consistent throughout arm elevation may be indicative not of pathology but, potentially, of a normal adaptation of the pitching shoulder.
Lack of Neuromuscular Origins of Adaptation After a Long-Term Stretching Program
Authors: Hayes Bradley T. , Harter Rod A. , Widrick Jeffrey J. , Williams Daniel P. , Hoffman Mark A. , Hicks-Little Charlie A. 
Published: August 2016

Context:Static stretching is commonly used during the treatment and rehabilitation of orthopedic injuries to increase joint range of motion (ROM) and muscle flexibility. Understanding the physiological adaptations that occur in the neuromuscular system as a result of long-term stretching may provide insight into the mechanisms responsible for changes in flexibility.Objective:To examine possible neurological origins and adaptations in the Ia-reflex pathway that allow for increases in flexibility in ankle ROM, by evaluating the reduction in the synaptic transmission of Ia afferents to the motoneuron pool.Design:Repeated-measures, case-controlled study.Setting:Sports medicine research laboratory.Participants:40 healthy volunteers with no history of cognitive impairment, neurological impairment, or lower extremity surgery or injury within the previous 12 mo.Intervention:Presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms were evaluated with a chronic stretching protocol. Twenty subjects stretched 5 times a wk for 6 wk. All subjects were measured at baseline, 3 wk, and 6 wk.Main Outcome Measures:Ankle-dorsiflexion ROM, Hmax:Mmax, presynaptic inhibition, and disynaptic reciprocal inhibition.Results:Only ROM had a significant interaction between group and time, whereas the other dependent variables did not show significant differences. The experimental group had significantly improved ROM from baseline to 3 wk (mean 6.2 ± 0.9, P < .001), 3 wk to 6 wk (mean 5.0 ± 0.8, P < .001), and baseline to 6 wk (mean 11.2 ±0.9, P < .001).Conclusions:Ankle dorsiflexion increased by 42.25% after 6 wk of static stretching, but no significant neurological changes resulted at any point of the study, contrasting current literature. Significant neuromuscular origins of adaptation do not exist in the Ia-reflex-pathway components after a long-term stretching program as currently understood. Thus, any increases in flexibility are the result of other factors, potentially mechanical changes or stretch tolerance.
Effects of Calisthenics and Pilates Exercises on Coordination and Proprioception in Adult Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kaya Derya Ozer , Duzgun Irem , Baltaci Gul , Karacan Selma , Colakoglu Filiz 
Published: August 2016

Objective:To assess and compare the effects of 6 mo of Pilates and calisthenics on multijoint coordination and proprioception of the lower limbs at the 3rd and 6th mo of training.Design:Randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, repeated-measures.Setting:University research laboratory.Participants and Intervention:Healthy, sedentary, female participants age 25–50 y were recruited and randomly divided into 3 groups: a calisthenic exercise group (n = 34, mean age ± SD 40 ± 8 y, body-mass index [BMI] 31.04 ± 4.83 kg/m2), a Pilates exercise group (n = 32, mean age ± SD 37 ± 8 y, BMI 31.04 ± 4.83 kg/m2), and a control group (n = 41, mean age ± SD 41 ± 7 y, BMI 27.09 ± 4.77 kg/m2). The calisthenics and Pilates groups underwent related training programs for 6 mo, while the controls had no specific training.Main Outcome Measures:Coordination and proprioception of the lower extremities with concentric and eccentric performances in the closed kinetic chain assessed with the monitored rehab functional squat system at baseline and at the 3rd and 6th mo of training.Results:For the within-group comparison, coordinative concentric and eccentric deviation values were significantly decreased for both dominant and nondominant lower limbs at pretraining and at the 3rd and 6th mo posttraining in the calisthenics group (P < .05). In contrast, there was no improvement in the Pilates group throughout the training. However, for comparisons between groups, the baseline values of coordinative concentric and eccentric deviations were different in the calisthenics group than in Pilates and the controls (P < .05). There were no differences in the proprioception values of either visible or nonvisible movement in any group throughout the training (P > .05).Conclusions:It seems that calisthenic exercises are more likely to improve coordination of the lower extremity after 3 and 6 mo of training than Pilates exercises. Calisthenic exercises may be useful for individuals who require improved coordination.
Ultrasound Assessment of Adductor Muscle Size Using Muscle Thickness of the Thigh
Authors: Ogawa Madoka , Mitsukawa Naotoshi , Bemben Michael G. , Abe Takashi 
Published: August 2016

Context:Previous studies investigated the relationship between ultrasound-derived anatomical muscle thickness (MTH) and individual muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle volume in several limb and trunk muscles; however, the adductor muscle that contributes to hip adduction and pelvic stabilization, as well as balance ability, has not been studied.Objective:To examine the relationship between MTH of the lower, middle, and upper thigh measured by B-mode ultrasound and the muscle CSA and volume of adductor muscle obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm the possibility of predicting adductor muscle CSA/volume using ultrasound-derived MTH.Setting:University research laboratory.Subjects:10 men and 10 women (20–41 y old) volunteered to participate in this study.Main Outcome Measures:A series of continuous muscle CSAs along the thigh were measured by MRI scans (1.5-T scanner, GE Signa). In each slice, the anatomical CSA of the adductors was analyzed, and the muscle volume was calculated by multiplying muscle CSA by slice thickness. Thigh MTH was measured by B-mode ultrasound (Aloka SSD-500) at 5 sites (anterior 30%, 50%, and 70% and posterior 50% and 70% of thigh length).Results:A strong correlation was observed between anterior 30% MTH and 30% adductor CSA in men (r = .845, P < .002) and women (r = .952, P < .001) and in both groups combined (r = .922, P < .001). Anterior 30% MTH was also strongly correlated to adductor muscle volume when combined with thigh length (n = 20, r = .949, P < .001). However, there were moderate or nonsignificant correlations between anterior and posterior 50% and 70% MTH and adductor muscle CSA/volume.Conclusions:The results suggest that MTH in the upper portion of anterior thigh best reflects adductor muscle CSA or muscle volume, while the lower portions of the anterior and posterior sites are least likely to predict adductor muscle size.