Clinical trial NCT04191759: Reliability of the Passive Properties of the Calf Muscles in Healthy Subjects Assessed Using Isokinetic Device
Official title: Reliability of the Passive Properties of the Calf Muscles in Healthy Subjects Assessed Using Isokinetic Device
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Tendon Injuries
Muscle Tightness
Lead sponsor: University Hospital, Caen
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2019-12-10
Enrollment: 16
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 45
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: One single group of 16 healthy volunteers
Primary purpose: DIAGNOSTIC

Brief summary: The investigators designed this study to determine the test-retest reliability of the viscoelastic passive properties of the calf muscles assessed using isokinetic device in flexed and extended knee position. The second objective is to determine the clinical viability of the parameters using the coefficient of repeatability and to investigate the individual characteristics associated with increased calf stiffness or altered viscoelasticity

Detailed description: Recordings using an isokinetic dynamometer make it possible to quantify the resisting force during passive muscle stretch for a constant speed movement in dorsal flexion (flexion) and its release in plantar flexion (extension). The surface electromyography (EMG) makes it possible to measure voluntary contraction and the movement is considered passive if the corrected and normalized EMG signal, using root-mean-square (RMS), is less than 10% RMS during the Maximal Voluntary Muscle Contraction (MVMC).

Stiffness is calculated from the slope of the rise of the curve during the passive dorsiflexion phase of the joint. The elastic potential energy can be measured and corresponds to the area under the curve during elongation.

During the plantar flexion return phase, there is a hysteresis phenomenon resulting in behavior that differs from the curve. This difference between the two curves corresponds to the behavior related to viscoelastic relaxation. Viscoelasticity has a thixotropic behavior, i.e. it varies over time, for example, with heating. These parameters have been studied together or separately to evaluate the effect of age or stretching on the passive mechanical properties of the calf.

However, the test-retest reliability of the viscoelastic passive properties of the calf muscles assessed using isokinetic device has not been demonstrated.

The investigators designed this study to determine the test-retest reliability of the viscoelastic passive properties of the calf muscles assessed using isokinetic device in flexed and extended knee position. The second objective is to determine the clinical viability of the parameters using the coefficient of repeatability and to investigate the individual characteristics associated with increased calf stiffness or altered viscoelasticity

Muscle tension is expressed by the peak torque (Nm), recorded at neutral position (PT0°) and 10° flexion (PT10°). Plantarflexor stiffness is determined as the slope of the torque-angle curve expressed as Nm·degree-1 during the linear region form 0-10° flexion (Slope0-10). A measure of elastic energy storage is calculated through the AUC of the torque-angle curve across the all range of motion. Hystérésis over time due to viscoelastic stress relaxation is calculated as the percent reduction in work absorption between the muscle stretching and releasing phases . The flexed-to-extended ratio is calculated as the ratio of flexed knee to extended knee and evaluated for PT0°, PT10° and Slope0-10 values , at 5 and 90°/sec

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patient who signed the research information form
* Patient affiliated to a social security system
* An active patient, under 45 years of age, who participates in at least 4 hours of physical activity per week

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals unable to perform an isokinetic muscle testing
* Individuals with a current or recent lower limb injury with time loss from sport participation within the previous month.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from Baseline stiffness parameters at 15 days to assess the reproducibility of stiffness parameters
timeFrame: Two evaluations on both dominant and non dominant knees: one evaluation at the first visit, and a second evaluation at the second visit at 15 days after the first visit
measure: Change from Baseline viscoelastic parameters at 15 days to assess the reproducibility of viscoelastic parameters
timeFrame: Two evaluations on both dominant and non dominant knees: one evaluation at the first visit, and a second evaluation at the second visit at 15 days after the first visit
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Patient characteristics
timeFrame: One evaluation only, at the first visit after inclusion
measure: Physical characteristics, popliteal angle
timeFrame: One evaluation only, at the first visit after inclusion
measure: Physical characteristics, Calf Circumference
timeFrame: One evaluationsonly, at the first visit after inclusion (T1)
measure: Physical characteristics, ROM
timeFrame: One evaluation only, at the first visit after inclusion
measure: Physical characteristics, Fingertip-to-Floor (FTF) Test
timeFrame: One evaluation only, at the first visit after inclusion
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Caen
country: France
facility: CHU Caen Normandie
Study officials:
References: