T he Hip-Abduction, KneeExtension Orthosis (HA, KE) is designed to aid in preventing or correcting deformities in spastic hip abductor and hamstring muscles when stretching and exercise do not suffice. Spasticity in this group of muscles is not uncommon in paraplegia or in other selected diseases of the central nervous system-for example, in multiple sclerosis. The orthosis consists of bila ter...

OBJECTIVE To determine if the combined isometric contractions of knee extension/hip adduction and knee extension/hip abduction will elicit a different quadriceps and gluteus medius electromyographic (EMG) pattern as compared to isometric contraction of a uniplanar knee extension exercise. METHODS Eight healthy young adult volunteers without history of knee or quadriceps injury participated. S...

Imposed static hip stretches substantially modulate the soleus H-reflex in people with an intact or injured spinal cord while stretch of the hip flexors affect the walking pattern in lower vertebrates and humans. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of dynamic hip stretches on the soleus H-reflex in supine spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects. Sinusoidal movements were imposed on the r...

Background: Greater sagittal plane energy absorption (EA) in the 100 ms immediatelyfollowing ground contact during landing likely results in greater anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) loading and is the result of the combined EA of the hip, knee, and ankle. Further,greater total EA has been associated with landing biomechanics that are purported toincrease ACL injury risk. Howe...

IMPORTANCE Patients with a hip fracture lose more than 50% knee-extension strength in the fractured limb within one week of surgery. Hence, immediate progressive strength training following hip fracture surgery may be rational, but the feasibility unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine the feasibility of in-hospital progressive strength training implemented in the acute ward following hip fracture sur...

Background. Foam rolling has been shown to acutely increase range of motion (ROM) during knee flexion and hip flexion with the experimenter applying an external force, yet no study to date has measured hip extensibility as a result of foam rolling with controlled knee flexion and hip extension moments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of foam rolling on hip extensi...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Earlier studies have suggested that the hip extension angle and the hip flexor moment in walking are affected by hip dysplasia, but to our knowledge there have been no reports on running or evaluations of self-reported health. We evaluated differences in walking, running, and self-reported health between young adults with symptomatic hip dysplasia and healthy controls. ...

A broad goal in the field of powered lower limb exoskeletons is to reduce the metabolic cost of walking. Ankle exoskeletons have successfully achieved this goal by correctly timing a plantarflexor torque during late stance phase. Hip exoskeletons have the potential to assist with both flexion and extension during walking gait, but the optimal timing for maximally reducing metabolic cost is unkn...

[Purpose] The tendinous inscription divides the semitendinosus muscle into the proximal and distal compartments. It was hypothesized that there are functional differences between those compartments. [Subjects and Methods] Seven adult males performed knee flexion and hip extension in the prone position. An ultrasound device measured the decrease in the length of muscle fibers in the two compartm...

Crouch gait, a troublesome movement abnormality among persons with cerebral palsy, is characterized by excessive flexion of the hips and knees during stance. Treatment of crouch gait is challenging, at present, because the factors that contribute to hip and knee extension during normal gait are not well understood, and because the potential of individual muscles to produce flexion or extension ...