Knee injury rehabilitation often includes the step-up exercise. However, the authors have been unable to locate documentation of the effect of the step-up exercise on lower extremity strength indices. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a six-week lateral step-up exercise protocol on quadriceps muscle group strength. Twenty female nonetheless (age 20 ± 1.5 yrs, ht 162.6 ± 4...

STUDY DESIGN This prospective cohort study evaluated four office tests of quadriceps strength in symptomatic adults with radiographic evidence of L3 or L4 nerve root compression. OBJECTIVE The study observed the performance of each test for its ability to detect quadriceps weakness when compared to the asymptomatic side. To determine the potential influence of radicular pain on the performanc...

OBJECTIVE Muscles are essential components of our sensorimotor system that help maintain balance and perform a smooth gait, but it is unclear whether arthritic damage adversely affects muscle sensorimotor function. Quadriceps sensorimotor function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) was investigated, and whether these changes were associated with impairment of functional performance. ME...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between fat-free mass (FFM), quadriceps strength and sarcopenia with aerobic fitness indexes of elderly women. A total of 189 volunteers (66.7 ± 5.46 years) underwent aerobic capacity measurement through a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test to determine their individual ventilatory thresholds (VT) and peak oxygen uptake ...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to elucidate relationships between quadriceps and hamstrings voluntary muscle fatigue and upper motor lesion impairments in cerebral palsy in order to gain a better understanding of their contribution to the observed fatigue resistance. METHODS Seventeen ambulatory subjects with cerebral palsy (mean age: 17.0, SD=4.8 years) were recruited. Quantitative...

In order to investigate the difficulty of quadriceps training in the presence of an effusion into the knee we examined 13 patients with chronic effusions by recording isometric muscle strength. Maximal strength was markedly lower in the presence of an effusion, and aspiration of the effusion produced a 13.6% increase in strength (p less than 0.01). A further, small increase of 8% was recorded a...

BACKGROUND Complaints of peripheral muscle weakness are quite common in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). It is likely that the muscle impairments may reduce the patients' exercise performance, which in turn may decrease their functional capacity and exert a direct impact on their quality of life. OBJECTIVES To assess the peripheral and respiratory muscle strength in individuals with SS...

OBJECTIVES Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed in knee osteoarthritis patients is reported to be immediately followed by a decrease in quadriceps muscle strength. We investigated the effects of supplementation with a combination β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate, L-arginine, and L-glutamine (HMB/Arg/Gln) on the postoperative recovery of quadriceps muscle strength in patients after TKA. METHODS ...

BACKGROUND Elevated homocysteine, causing tissue injury by such mechanisms as oxidative stress, endothelial damage, and protein homocysteinylation, is associated with multiple age-related problems including cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and osteoporotic fracture. Disability is one of the most common features in older adults. However, little is known about the role of homocysteine in physic...

BACKGROUND Several studies have reported the effects of whole body vibration (WBV) training on muscle strength. This systematic review investigates the current evidence regarding the effects of WBV training on quadriceps muscle strength in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PEDro, and Science citation index for research articles...