Isometrical muscle power up exercise for quadriceps femoris was done before and after the operation of knee. The operations were high tibial osteotomy on 24 knees with osteoarthritis (OA) and total knee replacement on 26 knees with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The exercise was to raise a leg with knee extended and ankle weighted. And the quadriceps strength was measured with our designed device, which can show the muscle strength directly with straight leg raising (SLR).
The quadriceps strength of operated side knee with OA was preoperatively 8.3kg on the average, and with RA was 5.0kg. And just after operation, not only the strength of operated side (OA 0.2, RA 0.4kg on the average) but of non-operated side went down. Then the strength recovered with SLR exercise to 71% (OA) and 114% (RA) of preoperative ones. Heavy patients got better recovery, and the quadriceps strength at partial weight bearing needed at least 2kg.

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1) Paravertebral muscle, psoas major, rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, quadriceps femoris, adductor muscle group in thigh, flexor muscle group in thigh, sartorius and gracilis muscle in 15 hemiplegics due to cerebrovascular accidents were studied using CT findings. As compaired hemiplegic side with contralateral side about muscle cross-sectional area, CT number and absolute CT index, these values of paravertebral muscle, psoas major, rectus abdominis and gracilis muscle showed no difference between both sides, but these of the other muscles were significantly smaller in the hemiplegic side (Rectus abdominis muscle was studied only about muscle cross-sectioal area.).
2) As compaired hemiplegics group (11 cases) with lumbago patients group (10 cases) as regards paravertebral muscle and psoas major muscle, the CT number and absolute CT index of hemiplegics group were significantly smaller. Disuse muscle atrophy was considered to participate in these muscle atrophy. We think that all-round rehabilitation programs including consideration of trunk muscle atrophy are important.

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The clinical usefulness of the H-reflex is limited because of its inherent variability in amplitude. In the present study we attempted to identify the influence of some remote muscle contractions on the amplitude of the H-reflex evoked in quadriceps muscles and calf muscles from the right leg of twenty healthy adult subjects. Square wave stimuli (1 millisecond duration) were delivered percutaneously to the femoral nerve in the inguinal triangle and tibial nerve in the popliteal region. H-reflexes of fifty percent maximal amplitude were evoked while the subjct performed some remote muscle conrtaction, ie maximum hand grip (right or left), gritting teeth and Jendrassik maneuver. Results showed an increase in the reflex amplitude when the subjects performed the remote muscle contraction. Furthermore, the remote muscle contraction also facilitated the motor evoked potential by transcranial motor cortex stimulation, utilizing the electromagnetic stimulation.

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