This study examined the influence of trapezius muscle stiffness on scapular movements, involving 24 elderly females without shoulder disorders. The degree of stiffness was measured at 3 points: the upper, middle, and lower parts of the trapezius. The females performed scapular elevation within the arm elevation range between 30 and 120° as a motor task to calculate the scapular upward rotation, posterior tilt, and external rotation angles. Each muscle stiffness (mean ± SD) were as follows: upper: 1.0±0.2 N; middle:1.2±0.2 N; and lower: 1.5±0.1 N. The muscle stiffness of the lower trapezius showed a significant negative correlation with the scapular posterior tilt angle when elevating the arm at 90°(rs=-0.41 p<0.05) and 120°(rs=-0.43 p<0.05). Trapezius muscle stiffness was not significantly correlated with any other scapular movement. Based on the results, the scapular posterior tilt angle after the middle phase of arm elevation may decrease with an increase in the stiffness of the lower trapezius muscle.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of physical factors involved in knee extension after the onset of Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD). [Subjects and Methods] A group of 41 senior high school male soccer players (54 knees) with OSD onset was studied. As a control group, 160 subjects (320 knees) without OSD were also studied. Five factors related to knee extension were determined in both groups. Physical factors were compared between the onset knee of OSD and the right and left knees of non­onset individuals. [Results] The thickness of the rectus femoris muscle (RF) was significantly higher and that of the vastus intermedius muscle (VI) thickness was significantly lower in the knees with OSD onset than those without. In addition, the quadriceps muscle (QF) strength was significantly lower and the hamstring muscle(HM)extensibility was significantly higher in the knees with OSD. [Conclusion] The characteristic physical factors involved in knee extension after onset of OSD indicate that the RF is thick,the VI is thin, the QF strength is low, and the HM extensibility is high. It has been suggested.

We examined life style and social background factors related to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The subjects were 53 patients with stable COPD. The measurement items were St Georgeʼs Respiratory Questionnaire, life style, social background, age, body mass index,modified medical research council, respiratory function, six-minute walk distance, and the Nagasaki University Respiratory ADL questionnaire. Patients were classified into two groups: high QOL and low QOL. We found that exercise habits, home oxygen therapy, environment around home were factors related to HRQOL.

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between fast walking parameters and physical functions in community dwelling elderly woman. The measurement of physical functions, such as gait parameters, the lower limb muscle strength, and standing balance,was performed in 96 elderly females (mean age: 73.7±5.7), who lived in a community and participated in a physical fitness measurement event. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the trail making test (TMT) and 30-second chair-stand test (CS-30) scores and duration of standing on one leg with the eyes open influence the maximum walking speed;the sit-and-reach test score, height, and CS-30 score influence both the step length and stride; the number of sit-ups, age, and weight influence the duration of the double-support period; and the height and CS-30 score influence the gait angle. Based on this, it may be possible to maintain/improve the walking ability of elderly females living in communities by enhancing their lower limb muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and attention.

This study was performed to determine whether Japan Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) in patients with knee osteoarthritis improves after walking using knee adduction-reducing shoes we devised for 1 month. The subjects consisted of20patients with knee osteoarthritis (all female, aged 63.8±7.1 years). We assessed knee pain using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and patient-oriented QOL using JKOM. To evaluate the effects of the intervention, a baseline period (A) and a subsequent intervention period (B) were established, and measurement values were compared between the two periods (AB design). Knee pain and JKOM total score and subscale of “Pain and Stiffness in knee”significantly decreased after the 1-month intervention period (B) using adduction-reducing shoes compared with values after the 1-month control period using general sneakers (A). The results of this study suggest that knee adduction-reducing shoes are useful for reducing knee pain and improving patient-oriented QOL in patients with osteoarthritis.

The purpose of this study was to assess cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system, psychophysiology effects from two different footbath water temperatures of carbon dioxide (CO 2)-enriched water and of fresh water. The feet and legs of tenhealthysubjects were immersed in four different footbath conditions. The four conditions included fresh water and 1000 ppm CO 2-enriched water applied separately at 36℃and 41℃each for 15 minutes. The effect on the autonomic nervous activity, blood pressure, pulse rate,comfort level, and thermal sensation before, during, and after the immersion bath. The pulse rate was significantly lower after the immersion bath period than during immersion for the CO 2-enriched water footbath at 41℃(p<0.05). The autonomic nervous activity change rate was significantly higher during the immersion bath period than before immersion for the fresh water footbath at 36℃(p<0.05). Thermal sensation was significantly higher during the immersion bath period than after immersion for all the footbath conditions (p<0.05) and significantly higher during the immersion bath period than before immersion in the fresh water footbath at 36℃(p<0.05). This result implies that no significant difference was found between CO 2-enriched water footbath at 36℃and 41℃.

In this study, we examined the associations among the intra-/inter-examiner reproducibility of anterior central femoral muscle thickness (muscle thickness), femoral circumference, and anterior femoral muscle hardness (muscle hardness) measurement and knee extension muscle strength. The subjects were 20 healthy adults (mean age; male 20.1 ±0.3 years, female 20.2±0.4 years, total: 40 bilateral lower limbs). The muscle thickness,femoral circumference, and muscle hardness were measured twice, respectively, and the interclass correlation coefficient was calculated to investigate the intra-/inter-examiner reproducibility. Furthermore, the correlation between the knee extension muscle strength and each item was examined by calculating Pearsonʼs correlation coefficient. The interclass correlation coefficients of the reproducibility of the muscle thickness, fat thickness, and femoral circumference were ?0.9 regardless of sex, but the inter-examiner correlation coefficients of the muscle hardness in males and females were 0.763 and 0.787, respectively. Only the femoral circumference in males was correlated with the muscle strength (r=0.54,p<0.05). These results suggest that the reproducibility of data should be considered for muscle hardness measurement, and that the influence of fat thickness on the femoral circumference in females must be considered, although the femoral circumference in males reflects the knee extension muscle strength.