2015 Volume 30 Issue 2 Pages 177-181
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the leg muscle strength of post-operative patients with proximal femoral fractures using a novel measurement method based on the measurement of the output force exerted at the end-point of the lower extremity. [Subjects] The subjects were 10 post-operative patients. [Methods] Using a hand-held dynamometer, we measured the forces of 10 healthy and 10 post-operative limbs at the end-point in the prone position with 90 degrees knee flexion. The measurements were conducted in three directions: the direction responding to gravity in static standing, and the anteroposterior orthogonal components to that direction. [Results] The post-operative limb exerted the largest force in the direction reacting to gravity in static standing. The force of the non-operated limb showed larger values than those of the postoperative limb in all three directions. No significant change was observed in the ratio of force of the postoperative limb from that of non-operated limb in all three directions. [Conclusion] These results suggest that the leg force at the end-point of post-operative patients with proximal femoral fractures decreases in the three directions with similar extent.
