This study was conducted to mainly investigate physical functions such as Tinetti balance and gait evaluation, the right and left sides of the grips and legs strength, the time of length standing on leg, postural sway in standing, and also to clarify the case of falls in the institutionalized elderly. Subjects at the Hakuji Home for elderly in Ibaraki prefecture were examined. The subjects (n =...

Although the amplitude of the Hoffmann (H)-reflex in the forelimb muscles is known to be suppressed during rhythmic leg movement, it is unknown which factor plays a more important role in generating this suppression-movement-related afferent feedback or feedback related to body loading. To specifically explore the movement- and load-related afferent feedback, we investigated the modulation of t...

PURPOSE Fifteen elite male handball players were studied to examine the effects of an entire season of play on physical fitness and throwing velocity. METHODS One repetition maximal bench press (1RMBP), jumping explosive strength, power-load relationship of the leg and arm extensor muscles, 5- and 15-m sprint running time, endurance running, and handball throwing velocity (standing and three-...

All persons aged 70 through 75 years (N = 457) in a Swedish community were invited to participate in a 9 week balance training study. Out of 55 interested subjects, 15 were chosen at random for a study group; 15 matched controls were also selected. Before and after the investigation period the balance function was assessed by clinical balance tests and dynamic posturography. In the clinical bal...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the option of stimulating calf muscle contraction through externally applied neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and to measure venous blood flow response to this stimulation. METHODS Ten patients with class 6 chronic venous disease (CEAP clinical classification) were recruited. Measurements of peak venous velocities in the popliteal vei...

Human standing requires control of multisegmental configuration. Does the postural system normally allow flexible adjustment of configuration, or does it minimize degrees of freedom at the ankle, knee, and hip joints? Gentle, external, unpredictable, sagittal, mechanical perturbations (randomized force, 1-10 N; duration, 0.2-2 s; and leg) were applied to either knee of 24 healthy participants w...

Patients with primary orthostatic tremor (OT) experience a disabling sense of unsteadiness but rarely fall. In order to study the relationship between the development of subjective unsteadiness, objective unsteadiness and tremor, we recorded standing under four conditions (eyes open or closed, feet together or apart) in six patients with OT. Subjective unsteadiness was indicated by the patients...

Background and purpose - 7% of the asymptomatic population has leg-length inequality (LLI) greater than 12 mm. It has been proposed that LLI of >5 mm can be associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and hip. We studied a possible association between LLI and OA of the knee and hip joint. Patients and methods - We followed 193 individuals (97 women, 96 men) for 29 years...