Clinical trial NCT02919150: Myotonometric Measurement of Myofascial Trigger Points: Reliability, Validity and Sensitivity
Official title: Myotonometric Measurement of Myofascial Trigger Points: Reliability, Validity and Sensitivity
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Muscle Tone Abnormalities
Keywords: Myofascial Trigger Points
Myotonometry
Isokinetic Dynamometry
Assessment
Reliability
Lead sponsor: University of Castilla-La Mancha
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo
name: Universidad San Jorge
First posted: 2016-09-29
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 55
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Subjects must be healthy volunteers and will be recruited from the city of Toledo.

Brief summary: The aims of this study are:

* To examine the inter-rater reliability to assess myofascial trigger points using a myotonometer
* To determinate the strength of the correlation between myotonometric parameters and isokinetic parameters
* To evaluate the sensitivity of myotonometric measurements to detect the location of myofascial trigger points

Detailed description: Previous researches have used complicated and expensive methods to measure mechanical properties of muscle tone like isokinetic dynamometer.

The purpose of this investigation is to establish the reliability, validity and sensitivity of a myotonometer to assess myofascial trigger points. The results of this study will verify the inter-reliability of a myotonometer device in order to evaluate muscle tone, examine correlations and associations between myotonometric measurements and isokinetic measurements and provide a measurable understanding of the location of myofascial trigger points.

Assessment:

Myoton device is a simple and portable tool to obtain quantitative and objective assessments of mechanical properties of muscle tone.

Isokinetic dynamometric technique is considered a valid biomechanics method to measure muscle tone in non-injured subjects but isokinetic machine is a heavy and expensive equipment.

Outcome measures:

Myotonometric measures will include muscle frequency, decrement (elasticity) and stiffness.

Isokinetic measures will include passive resistive torque to ankle dorsiflexion and dorsiflexion passive range of motion (PROM)

All outcome measures will be evaluated once.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age range 18-55 years.
* Healthy volunteers.
* Presence of a latent medial MTrP of the soleus muscle.
* Being able to provide written informed consent.
* Being able to follow instructions and realize clinical tests.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any history of ipsilateral lower limb severe injury or intervention (e.g. fracture, surgical intervention).
* Pain or musculoskeletal injury, ligament injury, tendonitis or plantar fasciitis in the ipsilateral leg for six months previous to the evaluation.
* Peripheral or central nervous system neurological disease.
* Altered sensitivity in the studied area.
* Treatment of a myofascial trigger point in the sural triceps in the six months previous to the evaluation.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Inter-rater reliability of myotonometric measurement
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Correlation between myotonometric measurement and isokinetic measurement
timeFrame: Day 1
measure: Sensitivity of distinguishing the localisation of myofascial trigger points within the taut band
timeFrame: Day 1
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Castilla-La Mancha
name: Julio Gomez Soriano, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Universidad San Jorge
name: Carolina Jiménez Sánchez, MSc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: